Breeders' Cup
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The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships is an annual series of thoroughbred horse races sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. It is a one-day event held at a location that changes each year. All the sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.
The event, which has occurred annually since 1984, was created as a year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe. D. Wayne Lukas horses have won a Breeders' Cup race on sixteen occasions, more than any other trainer.
Currently, there are eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade I races. The races are listed below in their order on the 2004 race card; the order of the first five listed races varies from year to year, but the 'Juvenile', 'Turf', and 'Classic' are traditionally the last three races. All races, unless otherwise indicated, are for any horse, regardless of sex, 3 years old and up, and are held on a dirt track.
- Breeders' Cup Distaff: A 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Current purse is $2 million.
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: A 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies. Current purse is $1 million.
- Breeders' Cup Mile: A 1-mile race on grass. Current purse is $1.5 million.
- Breeders' Cup Sprint: A 3/4-mile race. Current purse is $1 million.
- Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf: A 1 3/8-mile or 1 1/4-mile race on grass for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Current purse is $1 million.
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile: A 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Current purse is $1.5 million.
- Breeders' Cup Turf: A 1 1/2-mile race on grass. Current purse is $2 million.
- Breeders' Cup Classic: A 1 1/4-mile race. Current purse is $4 million.
NBC has broadcast every Breeders' Cup ever held for the United States. This will change in 2006, when ESPN will take over the television contract for eight years.
Race tracks
The 2005 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championship will be held on October 29 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Previous championships have been held at the following tracks:
- 2004 - Lone Star Park
- 2003 - Santa Anita Park
- 2002 - Arlington Park
- 2001 - Belmont Park
- 2000 - Churchill Downs
- 1999 - Gulfstream Park
- 1998 - Churchill Downs
- 1997 - Hollywood Park
- 1996 - Woodbine
- 1995 - Belmont Park
- 1994 - Churchill Downs
- 1993 - Santa Anita Park
- 1992 - Gulfstream Park
- 1991 - Churchill Downs
- 1990 - Belmont Park
- 1989 - Gulfstream Park
- 1988 - Churchill Downs
- 1987 - Hollywood Park
- 1986 - Santa Anita Park
- 1985 - Aqueduct
- 1984 - Hollywood Park
Some future sites have been tentatively set:
- 2006 - Churchill Downs
- 2007 - Monmouth Park
External link
- Official Breeders' Cup website (http://www.ntra.com/bc_index.asp)