The Breeders’ Cup announced today that horses finishing first, second or third in graded stakes races run in Canada will receive official Breeders’ Cup points toward starting positions in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The Breeders’ Cup, Thoroughbred racing’s premier global event, consisting of 15 races and purses totaling $26 million, will be held November 4-5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The Breeders’ Cup Points system is a qualification factor for positions in the World Championships. Horses earn graded stakes points by finishing first, second or third in a graded stakes race in the United States or Canada held from January 1-October 23.
Breeders’ Cup races are limited to 14 starters. In an oversubscribed field, seven of the 14 starters are determined first by Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners and, secondly, by the highest number of Breeders’ Cup Point earners. The remaining seven are chosen by a panel of Racing Directors/Secretaries.
Under Breeders’ Cup qualifying rules, win, place, and show horses in Grade I stakes earn ten, six, and four points, respectively. The top three finishers in Grade II stakes earn six, four, and two points, respectively, and in Grade III stakes the points earned are four, two, and one, respectively.
BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS GRADED STAKES POINTS
WIN-PLACE-SHOW
GRADE I
10-6-4
GRADE II
6-4-2
GRADE III
4-2-1
There are 33 graded stakes races in Canada scheduled in 2011 to be run before the Breeders’ Cup Pre-Entry deadline on Oct. 24. All Canadian graded race results thus far in 2011 will be included retroactively in the Breeders’ Cup point standings.
“Given the high standard of international competition within Canadian racing, our Racing and Nominations Committee strongly recommended that the graded stakes races in Canada should be on equal footing with the American graded stakes races in our overall Point standings,” said Craig Fravel, Breeders’ Cup President and CEO. “Canadian breeders and owners have been an important part of the Breeders’ Cup program since its inception, and we believe this change will further encourage Canadian participation in the Championships.”
Among the top graded Canadian races that will now be eligible for Breeders’ Cup Points are:
$250,000 Sky Classic (gr. II) for 3-year-olds on up on turf on Aug. 21; $250,000 Summer Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-olds on turf on Sept. 17; the $200,000 Natalma Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-old fillies on turf on Sept. 17; $1,000,000 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up on Sept. 18; $500,000 Northern Dancer Turf (gr. I) on Oct. 16; $1,500,000 Pattison Canadian International (gr. I); Oct. 16; $1,000,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I) on Oct. 16 and the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up on turf.
Woodbine Racetrack will host six Breeders’ Cup Challenge races this year.
Winners of the Natalma Stakes, Summer Stakes, Ricoh Woodbine Mile, E.P. Taylor Stakes; Pattison Canadian International and the Nearctic will receive an automatic berth into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships if nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by October 24.
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