Breeders Cup - The Super Bowl of Thoroughbred Racing

The Breeders Cup is a premier world championship of horse racing, drawing top horses from around the globe. It provides trainers with an opportunity to test their athletes, while giving fans an unforgettable glimpse into some of the finest horse racing anywhere.

This two-day event typically alternates between Kentucky and California, with Santa Anita hosting it for 11 straight years. This year's edition will take place at Del Mar.

Return to Where the Turf Meets the Surf

The Breeders' Cup is a two-day racing extravaganza featuring 14 races and the world's top thoroughbreds and their trainers. It's known for its generous purses, often referred to as "the Super Bowl" of horse racing.

For years, the Breeders Cup has been held in southern California - Santa Anita hosting it nine times and Hollywood Park hosting twice.

In 2021, Del Mar had its first taste of the big event and impressed enough to earn a second shot at hosting it. Now the seaside racetrack has become an iconic destination for racing professionals as well as tourists. Plus, celebrities don traditional fedoras and fascinators to attend blow-out parties, concerts, and VIP experiences at this seaside racetrack.

San Diego's legendary seaside racetrack is the premier horse racing destination in Southern California and it has an enviable reputation for safety and hospitality. This top-rated facility showcases some of the world's top racehorses, trainers and jockeys and makes for a wonderful family day at the races.

Del Mar will host the Breeders' Cup World Championships for a second time in eight years on November 5-6, featuring 14 championship races and an estimated purse of more than $30 million.

One of the highlights of the program is Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, an international event that determines the best turf horse in the world. With prize money larger than any of the Triple Crown races, this race must-win for trainers looking to qualify their horses for the Classic.

This race boasts many top contenders, including the unbeaten Love who won the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last year. He finished close second in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and is the morning-line favorite for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

Other notable names in the field include Sodashi, Japan's champion 2-year-old filly who will make her US debut at Sapporo Kinen; Do Deuce, an American bred who was recently crowned Japanese Horse of the Year; Circle of Life who has won four out of her five career starts; and Contrail who ran in both Tenno Sho in October and Arima Kinen in December.

Gains Automatic Berth into Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic

The Breeders Cup is an annual event that brings together some of racing's greatest Thoroughbreds for a $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic race. Run over 1 1/4 miles on dirt track, this race draws top international horses each year and serves as one of the most important dates on the Thoroughbred racing calendar. Additionally, it often determines who receives Horse of the Year or Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf awards.

In addition to the $11 million prize money at stake in 14 Breeders' Cup races, winners of two qualifying series - Longines Breeders' Cup Challenge and Breeders' Cup Juvenile - gain automatic entries into the Classic. This weekend at Keeneland, five races on Friday and nine on Saturday offer a combined $1 million in prize money.

These races include the Darley Alcibiades Stakes, Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes and JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes. The winner of each race earns an automatic entry into Longines Breeders Cup Classic which begins at 5:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 5.

Flightline, a four-time Grade 1 winner, is the early favorite for the Classic with 3-5 odds. Epicenter - an undefeated Kentucky Derby runner - comes in second at 5-1 odds while Life Is Good rounds out the top three at 6-1 odds.

Although other significant prizes are on offer, the Classic is the crown jewel of World Championships and a major factor in determining who receives the Breeders' Cup Jockey Award. Hall of Fame jockeys Jerry Bailey and Chris McCarron each have one win in this iconic race while Mike Smith boasts four triumphs.

As the Official Timekeeper and Title Partner of the Breeders Cup, Longines presented elegant watches to each winning horse's owner, trainer, jockey and breeder. According to Juan-Carlos Capelli - Vice President & Head of International Marketing for Longines - their presentation served as inspiration for others to make a bold move in pursuit of excellence.

New Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In

The Breeders Cup is the premier Thoroughbred racing event, drawing some of the world's greatest horsemen and owners. Since 1982, this international two-day event has grown into an international two-day affair featuring 14 Grade 1 races with over $30 million in purses and awards.

One of the key programs supporting the Breeders' Cup World Championships is the Challenge Series. Now in its 13th year, this initiative provides automatic starting positions into the Championships as well as additional benefits to horses participating in it.

Last year, 35 Challenge winners competed in the Championships. Five of these winners also achieved success: Accelerate (TVG Pacific Classic, G1 & Awesome Again Stakes, G1); Sistercharlie (Beverly D Stakes, G1); Roy H (Santa Anita Sprint Championship, G1); Jaywalk (Frizette Stakes, G1) and Knicks Go (Santa Anita Classic, G1).

The Breeders' Cup World Championships feature an exciting 82-race schedule in 11 countries, featuring qualifying contests in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan and Peru this year.

In addition to qualifying for the Championships, the Challenge Series provides a stage for top equine athletes from around the world. In 2021, Challenge winners from South Africa (Queen Supreme) and Argentina (Blue Stripe) won Championship races at Del Mar, proving that the Breeders Cup is no longer restricted to its traditional bases in North America and Europe.

As the Breeders' Cup continues to gain global recognition and becomes a more widely attended event, its Challenge Series has emerged as an invaluable marketing strategy. Now featuring qualifying contests across five continents, this initiative helps support and grow the Breeders' Cup experience for everyone involved.

The Challenge Series will debut on NBC, CNBC and Peacock with 18 live programs covering nine races from America's leading racetracks, featuring nine races to determine an automatic starting position and free entry into a divisional race at 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships. NBC Sports begins the series June 11 with Belmont Stakes Day programming featuring three 'Win and You're In' races.

Breeders’ Cup 2024 Stakes in Japan

The Breeders' Cup is the world's premier thoroughbred racing event, drawing top horses from around the world. This year's Breeders' Cup will take place November 3 & 4 at Santa Anita Park in California and features fourteen races across 14 divisions.

Each division winner will earn an automatic entry into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, a Grade I race for 3-year-olds and older that covers one mile on dirt. This Grade I event will take place on the first Saturday in November with all remaining three days devoted to Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races.

Few Japanese-trained horses have earned their places in the renowned Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, including Symboli Rudolf, who made an impressive comeback win at last year's Japan Cup.

Symboli Rudolf has won six of his seven starts in Japan, including the Japanese version of the Triple Crown. He has earned himself a reputation as an unbeatable horse that will compete against Europe's best this October 2 at ParisLongchamp for a place in this year's Arc.

He has won several Group 1 races, such as the Kyoto Kinen at Hanshin and Hong Kong's Ascot Gold Cup. Now a leading contender for the Prix de l'Arc, Tomohiro Wada said he intends to send him directly there this year with his jockey Kazuo Yokoyama.

This is an historic opportunity for Japan's horse racing industry, and if Symboli Rudolf makes it to the Arc it will mark a landmark moment in their sport. They join other Japanese-trained horses such as Speed Symboli in trying to become the first ever winner of Prix de l'Arc.

In addition to Symboli Rudolf, another Japanese-trained horse that could be a contender for the Prix de l'Arc is Deep Bond. He's trained by Yoshito Yahagi - an internationally renowned trainer who has won multiple Group 1 races abroad.