The Breeders Cup World Championships are held annually at a different location each year. They are operated by Breeders Cup Limited, which was established in 1982 by John R. Gaines a leading thoroughbred breeder and owner.
Breeders Cup is a series of mostly grade I thoroughbred horse races, which were inaugurated in 1984. It began as a single day event, but due to its popularity attracting some of Europe’s finest the event has been lengthened to a two day affair. Proudly displaying the finest that the racing world has to offer as it is the last of the racing season. The Breeders Cup has always been hosted by the U.S. except in 1996 when Canada held a turn at Woodbine Race Track.
The conditions of the tracks vary depending on locations, but the races are held in all weather and have been considered the richest in the racing industry, purses ranging from 500,000 to 5 million. Starting in 2008 the second day has now become the most profitable in the event, a total of 25.5 now being awarded over the two day sporting series.
There are now fourteen races on the Breeders Cup card all with fourteen starters. However the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Turf, and Juvenile Fillies turf hold an exception with twelve starters. The Breeders Cup World Championships also offers a challenge, which involves the “win and you’re in” slogan qualifying the winning horse for the corresponding divisional race in the two day 14 race championships.
Up until 2006 there were only eight races on the Breeders Cup card, which held the classification of Grade I. But 2007 ushered in three more races known as the Filly and Mare Sprint, the Dirt Mile, and the Juvenile Turf, which are all run before the previous eight races on the card. In 2008 three more races were added as well, a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon.
The order of the racing card tends to change through the years, but generally speaking the Turf and Classic, are reserved for the last two races on the second day. Day one as of 2008 has now officially hosts races for mares and fillies; these include two one million dollar races; Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Filly and Mare Sprint, three two million dollar races, Juvenile Fillies, Filly and Mare Turf, and Ladies Classic. Day two sports all remaining races held for the Breeders Cup, which include; 500,000 Breeders Cup Marathon, three one million dollar races, Juvenile Turf, Dirt Mile, and Turf Sprint, three two million dollar races, Juvenile, Sprint, and Mile, one three million dollar Turf, and the five million dollar Classic.
The newly added races to the series have yet to be graded, as the rules of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association established that in order to grade a stakes race the particular race must be run over the same track for two consecutive years.
The Breeders Cup World Championships are also instrumental in the Eclipse Award voting, honoring horse of the year as well as other champions in the sport.
2008 ushered in the 25th edition of the Breeders Cup World Championships which were held at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia California.
