Breeders’ Cup Ltd. has once again expanded its Challenge Series of races that guarantee starting berths and entry fees to winners, with 93 races included for this year’s event at Del Mar, up from a total of 82 races last year.
For the first time, the Challenge Series will include more races outside of the U.S. than within its borders, a reflection of Breeders’ Cup’s increasingly aggressive overseas marketing efforts. The 93-race slate includes 49 races held outside of the U.S., in 15 different countries, compared to 44 domestic races. Last year, the 82-race series was split evenly between domestic races and foreign races.
The Challenge Series was launched 19 years ago as a way to encourage participation in the event’s races. Winners of any of the races are guaranteed a berth in specific races on the Breeders’ Cup slate, and their entry fees are paid by the organization. Breeders’ Cup said in a release that it has budgeted $6.5 million for the paid entry fees this year.
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This year’s Breeders’ Cup is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov 1 at Del Mar. This is the second year in a row that the event will be held at the San Diego-area track. Last year, a total of 62 horses from international jurisdictions were entered in one of the 14 Grade 1 races on the two Breeders’ Cup cards, a record.
“International competition is fundamental to the Breeders’ Cup, and the Challenge Series continues to offer the best avenue for horsemen around the world to earn automatic entry into the [Breeders’ Cup],” said Dora Delgado, the chief racing officer of the organization.
Not including the U.S., fourteen countries will host Challenge Series races this year: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dubai, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Uruguay. Ten of the international races have already been held, including the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup, which earned their winners, Forever Young and Hit Show, respectively, automatic berths in the $7 million Classic.
Domestically, the first races in the Challenge Series are scheduled for the weekend of June 6-7, when three of the races will be held as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
A complete schedule of the races can be found on the Breeders' Cup website.
All Breeders’ Cup entries based in the U.S. and Canada will continue to receive a $10,000 travel stipend. Horses in jurisdictions outside North America will continue to receive a $40,000 stipend.
Last year, 44 horses that won Challenge Series races competed in the 14 Breeders’ Cup events. Five Challenge Series winners won their races.
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