Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, more popularly known simply as the Breeders' Cup, is an annual series of thoroughbred horse races created as a year-end championship for North American thoroughbreds. These races also attract top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe.
The Breeders' Cup Championships is sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and it is held on a single day at a predetermined site, usually in the United States or Canada.
Currently, there are eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade I races. The order of the first five listed races varies from year to year, but the 'Juvenile', 'Turf', and 'Classic' are traditionally the last three races. All races, unless otherwise indicated, are for any horse, regardless of sex, 3 years old and up, and are held on a dirt track.
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is composed of the following eight races:
- Breeders' Cup Distaff
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
- Breeders' Cup Mile
- Breeders' Cup Sprint
- Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile
- Breeders' Cup Turf
- Breeders' Cup Classic
List of Breeders' Cup Classic Winners
Wild
Again 1984 |
Black
Tie Affair 1991 |
Awesome
Again 1998 |
Proud
Truth 1985 |
A.
P. Indy 1992 |
Cat
Thief 1999 |
Skywalker 1986 |
Arcangues 1993 |
Tiznow 2000 |
Ferdinand 1987 |
Concern 1994 |
Tiznow 2001 |
Alysheba 1988 |
Cigar 1995 |
Volponi 2002 |
Sunday
Silence 1989 |
Alphabet
Soup 1996 |
Pleasantly
Perfect 2003 |
Unbridled 1990 |
Skip
Away 1997 |
History of the Breeders' Cup
1982
Breeders' Cup Limited was founded with the aim of staging an annual series of championship thoroughbred races with a multi-million-dollar total purse. The races were to be held each year in order to gather the best thoroughbreds in North America in one track and enhance the popularity of the sport of horse racing.
Since 1984
The Breeders' Cup has been held each year without interruption since the first staging in 1984. Listed below are the venues where it has been held and where future ones will be held.
Hollywood
Park 1984 |
Gulfstream
Park 1992 |
Churchill
Downs 2000 |
Aqueduct 1985 |
Santa
Anita Park 1993 |
Belmont
Park 2001 |
Santa
Anita Park 1986 |
Churchill
Downs 1994 |
Arlington
Park 2002 |
Hollywood
Park 1987 |
Belmont
Park 1995 |
Santa
Anita Park 2003 |
Churchill
Downs 1988 |
Woodbine 1996 |
Lone
Star Park 2004 |
Gulfstream
Park 1989 |
Hollywood
Park 1997 |
Belmont
Park 2005 |
Belmont
Park 1990 |
Churchill
Downs 1998 |
Churchill
Downs 2006 |
Churchill
Downs 1991 |
Gulfstream
Park 1999 |
Monmouth
Park 2007 |
1986
A separate $250,000 Breeders' Cup Steeplechase, held two weeks earlier than the series at a different track, was added to the calendar. It was discontinued after 1993.
1999
The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf was added to the Program.
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