New York, N.Y. – The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the $25.5 million (US) 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, will increase expansion this year with a record 62 races taking place in seven countries at the world’s greatest racing venues, it was announced today. (Click here for complete schedule www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=40070)
The expanded Challenge series, with its “Win and You’re In” provision, will include 12 overseas races from premier racetracks in England, Ireland, France, Australia and Hong Kong. Horses gain an automatic entry into a corresponding race at the World Championship following the payment of appropriate entry fees on Oct. 26.
This year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held November 6-7, at the Oak Tree Racing Association meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be televised live on ABC and ESPN and to a global audience of more than 120 countries.
The European leg of the series begins this Saturday at The Curragh in Ireland with the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares resulting in an automatic berth into the $2 million (US) Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The international Breeders’ Cup Challenge began in April with the Champions Mile (G1) in Hong Kong, won by Sight Winner, who earned a starting berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile. The first European challenge race of 2009 will be the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) at The Curragh in Ireland on June 27 for an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Among the other new international Challenge races this year are the Tattersalls Million Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown (Sept. 9) and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (G1) from Newmarket on Oct. 17, both for starting positions in the $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf; the Moyglare Stud (G1) at The Curragh on Aug. 30 for a starting position in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; the Diamond Stakes (G3) at Dundalk for a starting position in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon and three automatic qualifiers for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint:, the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville (G1) on Aug. 9, the Cleanevent Manikato Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley in Australia on Sept. 25 and the Qatar Prix de L’Abbaye at Longchamp (G1) on Oct. 4.
The first European Breeders’ Cup Challenge races debuted at Ascot last year. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes presented by Sony (G1) a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile (G1) for an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Juddmonte Royal Lodge (G2) for a position in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf are all back in this year’s series, and will be run on Sept. 26.
“In our continuing efforts to maximize the global popularity and competition of the World Championships, we have expanded this year’s Breeders’ Cup Challenge series to more racing venues for our horsemen and fans around the globe,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli. “The Breeders’ Cup Challenge creates increased international awareness on a weekly basis from July through October for the world’s great horse races and for the outstanding horses that will be competing in the Championships.”
DATE – TRACK – BC CHALLENGE RACE – BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RACE
June 27 – The Curragh (IRE) – Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) – Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. 1)
Aug. 9 – Deauville (FRA) – Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1)- Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Aug. 30 – The Curragh (IRE) – Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Sept. 5 – Leopardstown (IRE) – Tattersalls Million Irish Champion (G1)- Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. I)
Sept. 25 – Moonee Valley (AUS) – Cleavevent Manikato Stakes (G1) – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Sept. 26 – Ascot (GB) – Queen Elizabeth II sponsored by Sony (G1)- Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I)
Sept. 26 – Ascot (GB) – Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile (G1) – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Sept. 26 – Ascot (GB) – Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Oct. 2 – Dundalk (IRE) – The Diamond Stakes (G3) – Breeders’ Cup Marathon
Oct. 4 – Longchamp (FRA) – Qatar Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp (G1) – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Oct. 17 – Newmarket (GB) – Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (G1) – Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. I)
In addition, 11 overseas Breeders Cup Challenge races will also receive an additional $50,000 (US) from the Breeders’ Cup in Owners’ Premiums. A Breeders’ Cup nominated horse that finishes in one of the three top positions will earn a portion of the Premium.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, which began in 2007 with 25 races at six U.S. racetracks and Sha Tin in Hong Kong, was increased to 57 races at 12 tracks last year. The 2008 series for the first time included races in Canada from Woodbine and in Great Britain at Ascot Racecourse. This year, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge will be brought to seven additional premier international tracks: Longchamp and Deauville in France, The Curragh, Leopardstown and Dundalk in Ireland, Newmarket in England and Moonee Valley in Australia.
In 2008, 34 of the 57 Challenge race winners completed in the Breeders’ Cup. Five of them won races at the Championships, led by Raven’s Pass. The other winners were Zenyatta, who won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic on Championship Friday; Forever Together, Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf; Stardom Bound, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Maram, Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Since its inception in 1984, 35 horses from Europe have won Breeders’ Cup races. Last year, an unprecedented five Breeders’ Cup winners came from overseas, led by HRH Princess Haya of Jordan’s 3-year-old Raven’s Pass, who defeated Curlin the reigning American Horse of the Year in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge series in the U.S. will begin on July 4 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey with two qualifying race: The United Nations (gr. I) for an automatic starting position in the $3 million Emirate Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Salvator Mile (gr. III) for an automatic starting berth into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. In addition to Monmouth the North American tracks will include Belmont Park in New York, Del Mar near San Diego, Calder Race Course in Miami, Arlington Park in Chicago, Emerald Downs in Seattle, Delaware Park and Philadelphia Park in the Middle Atlantic; Turfway Park and Keeneland in Kentucky; Santa Anita Park and Woodbine in Toronto.
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