Breeders Cup Championship:

Location: Churchill Downs November 4^th & 5^th 2011

Total Prize: $25,500,000 over 2 day meeting a total of 14 races

Official Website: www.breederscup.com

First run: 1984

Qualification: various from 2yr olds up to 3yr old and older (open)

Distance: from 1 mile to 1 ½ miles

Track: Turf and Dirt left handed.

History: The Breeders Cup World Championship consists of 14 races with over $25million in purses, held its’ inaugural meeting in 1984 at Hollywood Park Los Angeles. Currently moving to a different race track every two years, in 1996 it was held for the first and only time outside the USA at Woodbine Canada. Until 2007 the races were on one day but with the addition of 3 further races it was split into a 2 day carnival. Tracks hosting the event need to have both Turf and Dirt surfaces to cope with this mixed program and Day 2 is the 2nd biggest day of racing in the world with total prize money of $17 million, topped only by the Dubai World Cup meeting. Apart from the Marathon 1 ¾ miles race which opens the proceedings with $½ million purse, all the races are worth $1 million or more from the Juvenile (2yr old) sprints up through the 3yr olds and open races until the last 2 races on the card.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf is a Weight For Age 1 ½ mile (approx. 2400 metres) race for 3yr and up with a purse of $3 million. Winners include the Irish St Leger Stakes winner Conduit  in 2008 & 2009,  Epsom Derby winners Fantastic Light (2001) and High Chaparral (2002/2003)  and Irish Champion Stakes winner Daylami (1999). Both Conduit and Daylaami also won the King GeorgeVI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2009 and 1999 respectively.

Lead Up Form: this race attracts a top quality field of entries from the USA, Canada, Ireland, UK and Europe, it is not unusual to have horses coming off runs in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The Irish Champion Stakes and the Canadian International Stakes 

The Breeders Cup Classic is A Weight For Age 1 ¼  mile (approx. 2000 metres) race for 3yr and up with a purse of $5 million run on dirt. It is run on the second day of the meeting and is usually the last race of the day.  Brings together the cream of American racehorses to compete against some of the best from overseas and considered by most to be the USA's premier race of the year. Sunday Silence was one of the earliest champion horses to come through this race in 1989. He also won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness just missing the Belmont for the Triple Crown, retired to stud in Japan and regarded as the most successful sire in Japan with the highest performer by progeny earnings in the world. Recent times have seen the rise of the super-mare Zenyatta. She won the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic in 2008, The Breeders Classic Cup in 2009 (the only  mare ever to do so) and got narrowly beaten in 2010 by Blame who put  a stop to her unbroken run of 19 wins in a row.    

Lead Up Form: all of the Triple Crown Races but the high quality field can throw up some surprises. Favourites don’t always win, as in the case of 1993 winner Arcangues which paid $269.20 for a $2.00 wager much to the shock of the punters and the delight of the bookmakers.

Related Races: This meeting extends over 2 days

Day 1:      

$500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon:
3 yr olds and up 1 ¾ mile Weight for Age Grade 2 (Dirt)

                $1million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf:
2 yr old fillies 1 mile Assigned Weights Grade 2 (Turf)

                $1million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint:
3yr old and up 7/8 mile Assigned weights Grade 1 (Dirt)

                $2million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies:
2 yr old fillies 1 1/16 mile Assigned Weights Grade 1 (Dirt)

                $2million Breeders’ Cup Fillies and Mare:
3yr and up 1 ¼ miles Weight For  Age Grade 1 (Turf)

                $2million Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic:
Fillies & Mares 3yr old and up 1 1/8 mile Assd. Wts Grade 1 (Dirt)

Day 2

                $1million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf:
2yr old 1 mile Assigned Weights Grade 1 (Turf)

                $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint:
3yr old and up ¾ mile Weight For Age Grade 1 (Dirt)

                $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
3yr old and up 5 furlongs Weight For Age Grade 1(Turf)

                $2million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile:
2yr old Colts & Geldings 8.5 furlongs Assigned Weights Grade 1 (Dirt)

                $2million Breeders Cup Mile:
3yr and up 1 mile Weight For Age Grade 1(Turf)

                $1million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile:
3yr and up 1 mile Weight For Age Grade 1 (Dirt)

                $3million Breeders’ Cup Turf:
3yr and up 1 ½ mile Weight For Age Grade 1 (Turf)

                $5million Breeders’ Cup Classic:
3yr and up 1 ¼ mile open Weight For Age Grade 1 (Dirt)

Statistics & Trends: Only 2 females have won the Breeders Cup Classic since 1984 and none to date since 1991. The international appeal and the high quality of contenders from USA make this a fascinating race and one of the most difficult to predict the outcome.

Betting on all USA racing, including the Breeders Cup Classic, is available online at Sportsbet.com.au