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.Ladies’ Day on Day 1 of Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships
Posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
The 2008 Breeders’ Cup will card all five of its races for female horses on the first day of the 2-day event, Friday, October 24 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. This is the first time a major thoroughbred event in North America has focused an entire day on female horse racing. Purses on Friday amount to $8 million, more than doubling last year’s Breeders’ Cup Friday purses.
In its 25th running, the Breeders’ Cup now has a total purse of $25.5 million. There will be nine Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday, October 25, seven of which are open o both male and female thoroughbreds.
The Breeders’ Cup also announced that it has renamed the Breeders’ Cup Distaff to the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. The Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic will be the premier race on the Breeders’ Cup Friday program.
Since 1984 it has proven to be a definitive female championship race as 18 of its winners were named divisional champions. Two Breeders’ Cup Distaff winners, Lady’s Secret (1986) and Azeri (2002), were also voted Horse of the Year.
In 2007, the Breeders’ Cup crowned four female champions – Indian Blessing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Maryfield in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Lahudood (GB) in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and Ginger Punch in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Over the past three years, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships has experienced unprecedented growth, with total races expanding from 8 to 14, and total purses increasing from $14 million to $25.5 million. The 2007 Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park marked the first time that the event was conducted as a 2-day format. It consisted of 11 races and $23 million in purses.
In December, the event was again expanded, as three more races were added to the program: the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (now the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic) were all held on Breeders’ Cup Saturday last year.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, run on Breeders’ Cup Friday last year, have been shifted to the Saturday program.
2008 Breeders’ Cup Schedule of Races
Breeders’ Cup Friday, October 24
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic
Breeders’ Cup Saturday, October 25
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
- $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint
- $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile
- $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf
- $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic
- $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon
The 2008 Breeders’ Cup on October 24-25 at Santa Anita Park will be televised live on ESPN networks, and in more than 120 countries.
"Ladies’ Day on Day 1 of Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships" was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 7:04 pm and is filed under Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Santa Anita Track, 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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