Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races Announced
Posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the $25.5 million 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, will increase expansion this year with a record 62 races taking place in 7 countries at the world’s greatest horse racing venues.
The expanded Breeders’ Cup 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. The 2009 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will begin in the U.S. on July 4 with qualifying events from Monmouth Park: the United Nations (G1) on turf, and the Salvator Mile (G3).
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, California.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge series will again include domestic racetracks 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.
Twenty-five Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be enhanced by funds through the Breeders’ Cup Stakes program and the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series will feature 32 group or grade I races, including 10 group 1 horse races overseas.
In the U.S., 3 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be automatic qualifiers for starting positions in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic beginning Labor Day weekend in the U.S. with the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park (Sept. 5) the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar (Sept. 6), followed by the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita (Oct. 10). The Breeders’ Cup Classic field is limited to 14 starters.
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 Mooney Valley in Australia.
In 2008, 34 of the 57 Breeders’ Cup Challenge race winners completed in the Breeders’ Cup. Five of them won races at the Championships, led by Raven’s Pass, who captured the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and Zenyatta, who won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic on Championship Friday. The other Breeders’ Cup winners were Forever Together, Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf; Stardom Bound, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies; and Maram, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Horse racing news edited from www.breederscup.com.
"Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races Announced" was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 11:24 am and is filed under Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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