Breeders' Cup

The Breeders' Cup 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 held at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada.

2021 Breeders' Cup Classic Odds

PP	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Tripoli	John Sadler	Irad Ortiz Jr.	15-1
2	Express Train	John Shirreffs	Victor Espinoza	20-1
3	Hot Rod Charlie	Doug O'Neill	Flavien Prat	4-1
4	Essential Quality	Brad Cox	Luis Saez	3-1
5	Knicks Go	Brad Cox	Joel Rosario	5-2
6	Art Collector	Bill Mott	Mike Smith	8-1
7	Stilleto Boy	Ed Moger Jr.	Kent Desormeaux	30-1
8	Medina Spirit	Bob Baffert	John Velaquez	4-1
9	Max Player	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	8-1

2021 Breeders' Cup Replay

November 7, 2021

Re-live the excitement of the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic and watch Knicks Go's wire-to-wire win. Credits to the video owner

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2020 Breeders' Cup Classic Odds

PP	HORSE	ODDS
1	Tacitus	20-1
2	Tiz The Law	3-1
3	By My Standards	10-1
4	Tom's d'Etat	6-1
5	Title Ready	30-1
6	Higher Power	20-1
7	Global Campaign	20-1
8	Improbable	5-2
9	Authentic	6-1
10	Maximum Security	7-2

2020 Breeders' Cup Replay

November 8, 2020

Re-live the excitement of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic and watch Authentic pip stablemate Improbable over the wire to win. Credits to the video owner

Breeders' Cup Classic Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time	Purse $	Track
2021	Knicks Go	3	Joel Rosario	Brad Cox	Korea Racing Authority	1:59.57	$6,000,000	Del Mar
2020	Authentic	3	John R. Velazquez	Bob Baffert	Spendthrift Farm	1:59.60	$6,000,000	Keeneland
2019	Vino Rosso	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd Pletcher	Mike Repole	2:02.80	$6,000,000	Santa Anita
2018	Accelerate	5	Joel Rosario	John W. Sadler	Hronis Racing LLC	2:02.93	$6,000,000	Churchill Downs
2017	Gun Runner	4	Florent Geroux	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm	2:01.29	$6,000,000	Del Mar
2016	Arrogate	3	Mike E. Smith	Bob Baffert	Juddmonte Farms	2:00.11	$6,000,000	Santa Anita
2015	American Pharoah	3	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Zayat Stables	2:00.07	$5,000,000	Keeneland
2014	Bayern	3	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Kaleem Shah	1:59.88	$5,000,000	Santa Anita
2013	Mucho Macho Man	5	Gary Stevens	Katherine Ritvo	Reeves Thoroughbred Racing	2:00.72	$5,000,000	Santa Anita
2012	Fort Larned	4	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Ian Wilkes	Janis R. Whitham	2:00.11	$5,000,000	Santa Anita
2011	Drosselmeyer	4	Mike E. Smith	William I. Mott	WinStar Farm LLC	2:04.27	$5,000,000	Churchill Downs
2010	Blame	4	Garrett Gomez	Albert Stall Jr.	Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider	2:02.28	$5,000,000	Churchill Downs
2009	Zenyatta	5	Mike E. Smith	John Shirreffs	Jerry & Ann Moss	2:00.32	$5,000,000	Santa Anita
2008	Raven's Pass	3	Frankie Dettori	John Gosden	Princess Haya /Darley Racing	1:59.27	$5,000,000	Santa Anita
2007	Curlin	3	Robby Albarado	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Stables et al.	2:00.59	$5,000,000	Monmouth Park
2006	Invasor	4	Fernando Jara	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Racing	2:02.18	$5,000,000	Churchill Downs
2005	Saint Liam	5	Jerry Bailey	Richard Dutrow Jr.	M/M William K. Warren Jr.	2:01.49	$5,000,000	Belmont Park
2004	Ghostzapper	4	Javier Castellano	Robert J. Frankel	Stronach Stables	1:59.02	$4,000,000	Lone Star Park
2003	Pleasantly Perfect	5	Alex Solis	Richard Mandella	Diamond A Racing Corp.	1:59.88	$4,000,000	Santa Anita
2002	Volponi	4	José A. Santos	Philip G. Johnson	Amherst & Spruce Pond Stable	2:01.39	$4,000,000	Arlington Park
2001	Tiznow	4	Chris McCarron	Jay M. Robbins	Cee's Stables	2:00.62	$4,000,000	Belmont Park
2000	Tiznow	3	Chris McCarron	Jay M. Robbins	Cooper & Straub-Rubens	2:00.75	$4,000,000	Churchill Downs
1999	Cat Thief	3	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	Overbrook Farm	1:59.52	$4,000,000	Gulfstream Park
1998	Awesome Again	4	Pat Day	Patrick B. Byrne	Stronach Stables	2:02.16	$4,000,000	Churchill Downs
1997	Skip Away	4	Mike E. Smith	Sonny Hine	Carolyn Hine	1:59.16	$4,400,000	Hollywood Park
1996	Alphabet Soup	5	Chris McCarron	David Hofmans	Ridder Thoroughbred Stable	2:01.00	$4,000,000	Woodbine
1995	Cigar	5	Jerry Bailey	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	1:59.58	$3,000,000	Belmont Park
1994	Concern	3	Jerry Bailey	Richard W. Small	Robert E. Meyerhoff	2:02.41	$3,000,000	Churchill Downs
1993	Arcangues	5	Jerry Bailey	André Fabre	Daniel Wildenstein	2:00.83	$3,000,000	Santa Anita
1992	A.P. Indy	3	Ed Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	Tomonori Tsurumaki, William S. Farish III, William S. Kilroy	2:00.20	$3,000,000	Gulfstream Park
1991	Black Tie Affair	5	Jerry Bailey	Ernie T. Poulos	Jeffrey Sullivan	2:02.95	$3,000,000	Churchill Downs
1990	Unbridled	3	Pat Day	Carl Nafzger	Frances A. Genter	2:02.20	$3,000,000	Belmont Park
1989	Sunday Silence	3	Chris McCarron	Charlie Whittingham	H-G-W Partners	2:00.20	$3,000,000	Gulfstream Park
1988	Alysheba	4	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	Dorothy & Pam Scharbauer	2:04.80	$3,000,000	Churchill Downs
1987	Ferdinand	4	Bill Shoemaker	Charlie Whittingham	Elizabeth A. Keck	2:01.40	$3,000,000	Hollywood Park
1986	Skywalker	4	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Michael Whittingham	Oak Cliff Stables	2:00.40	$3,000,000	Santa Anita
1985	Proud Truth	3	Jorge Velásquez	John M. Veitch	Darby Dan Farm	2:00.80	$3,000,000	Aqueduct
1984	Wild Again	4	Pat Day	Vincent Timphony	Black Chip Stable (William Allen, Ron Volkman, Terry Beall)	2:03.40	$3,000,000	Hollywood Park

Breeders' Cup Records

Here are some interesting Breeders Cup records:

• The all-time Breeders' Cup leaders:
  • Jockey: Jerry Bailey - 15 wins
  • Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas - 18 wins
  • Leading money winning owner: Allen E. Paulson - $8,730,000
• Churchill Downs has hosted the race card six times, more than any other track. It hosted the card most recently in 2006.
• NBC had broadcast every Breeders' Cup from its inception in 1984 through 2005. Starting in 2006, ESPN took over the television contract for eight years.
• All Breeders' Cup races have been called by Tom Durkin through 2005. Fellow race caller Trevor Denman now serves as the voice of the Breeders' Cup races on ESPN starting as of 2006, due to Durkin's exclusive contract with NBC Sports.
• Breeder's Cup Firsts:
  • First winner: Chief's Crown 1984
  • First Classic winner: Wild Again 1984
  • First winner to repeat: Miesque (French mare) 1987 & 1988
  • First winner of $4 million race to repeat: Tiznow 2000 & 2001
  • First Classic winner to be sired by a Classic winner: Ghostzapper 2004 (Awesome Again - father)
  • First Foreign-based Winners: Royal Herione Ireland & Lashkari Great Britain 1984
  • First Special Stakes winner: Sondrio (Ireland)
  • First Breeders' Cup Steeplechase winner: Census 1986
  • First Breeders' Cup champion elected to National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame: Lady's Secret 1992
  • First Breeders' Cup outside of U.S.: Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto 1996

Breeders' Cup History

The Breeders' Cup, which has been run annually since 1984, was created as a year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and it also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe. The Breeders' Cup was founded in 1982 by John R. Gaines, a leading thoroughbred owner and breeder.

All Breeders' Cup fields are limited to 14 runners. If more than 14 are pre-entered, Breeders' Cup officials use a two-part selection system to decide which horses will be allowed to compete. The first seven runners earn automatic berths based on the points they have earned in American graded stakes races then a panel of racing directors and secretaries choose the next seven entrants.

Currently, there are eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade 1 races. The races are listed below in their order on the 2006 race card; the order of the first six listed races varies from year to year, but the 'Turf' and 'Classic' are traditionally the last two races. All races, unless otherwise indicated, are for any horse, regardless of sex, two years old and up, and are held on a dirt track.

• Juvenile Fillies: A 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies.
• Breeders' Cup Juvenile: A 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
• 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.
• Breeders' Cup Sprint: A 6 Furlong Race.
• Breeders' Cup Mile: A 1-mile race on grass.
• Breeders' Cup Distaff: A 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up.
• Breeders' Cup Turf: A 1 1/2-mile race on grass.
• Breeders' Cup Classic: A 1 1/4-mile race. Current purse is $5 million.

In 2007, a new qualifying process took effect, where the winners of 24 races at six tracks - Saratoga Race Course, Arlington Park, Del Mar, Belmont Park, Keeneland and Santa Anita during the Oak Tree meeting - were automatically entered for the event in their respective divisions.

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