2009 Breeders' Cup Challenge: 62 Races, 7 Different Countries

by Patricia Woo | Jun 29 2009

Featuring $25.5M in purses and other awards, the Breeders' Cup World Championships - a 14-event, two-day horse racing extravaganza - is often a year-end goal for many top racehorses. And the fastest way to obtain a berth is to win a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, which automatically guarantees the winner a trip to the Breeders' Cup World Championship. This year is the first year that the Challenge races are offered beyond North America, Hong Kong and England - in 2009, horses that win selected races in Australia, France and Ireland will also score trips to the Breeders' Cup.

The North American schedule for the Breeders' Cup Challenge begins this Saturday, July 4, with the Gr. 1 United Nations Stakes (for the Breeders' Cup Turf) and the Gr. 3 Salvatore Mile Stakes (for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile) at Monmouth Park. Other notable races include the Gr. 2 Del Mar Mile Handicap on Aug. 29 for the Breeders' Cup Mile, the Gr. 1 Ruffian Handicap on Sept. 12 at Belmont Park for the Ladies' Classic and the Gr. 1 Goodwood Stakes on Oct. 10 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Arlington Park, Keeneland and Woodbine are also among those racetracks that will host a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race in North America.

Sha Tin Race Course in Hong Kong was the first to grant an automatic Breeders' Cup Challenge berth. On April 26, Sight Winner, a 64-1 longshot, defeated race favorites Good Ba Ba and Collection to win the Gr. 1 Champions Mile for trainer John Size and owners Mr. and Mrs. Tam Wing Kun. Sight Winner now has a guaranteed spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

The Curragh, too, has already hosted its first "Win and You're In" race. Ireland's premier racetrack hosted the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes on Saturday, June 27, and winner Dar Re Mi has earned a trip to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf event. The Curragh's second Breeders' Cup Challenge race is the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Aug. 30, in which juvenile fillies will vie for a guaranteed spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Deauville Racetrack in France will host the Prix Maurice de Gheest for turf sprinters on Aug. 9, kicking off its series of "Win and You're In" events. Turf sprinters will also be featured when Australia gets into the Breeders' Cup action on Sept. 25 with the Cleanevent Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Sept. 26 marks running of the first three Challenge races in England: the Royal Lodge Stakes, the Fillies’ Mile and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes all at Ascot; Newmarket will host the Champion Stakes on Oct. 17.

Keeping an eye on "Win and You're In" races is a great way to prep for betting on the Breeders' Cup; in 2008, five of 14 Breeders' Cup races were won by a Breeders' Cup Challenge-winning horse. So don't miss out on any of the horse racing action - bet on the Breeders' Cup Challenge races at the Bodog Racebook!