The Breeders’ Cup Challenge

Our page of Breeders’ Cup prep-races will describe the Challenge series by divisional offerings.

Win and You’re In!

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge was inaugurated in 2007 and originally launched a series of 24 officially sanctioned races at six tracks that would automatically qualify the winners for Breeders’ Cup berths under a “Win and You’re In” format.

Each Breeders’ Cup Challenge winner gains a reserved entry position for the barrier draw, into a corresponding divisional race of the Breeders’ Cup. In 2011, Breeders’ Cup began paying the entry fees and subsidizing travel costs to the locale of the races for all Challenge winners who are Breeders’ Cup eligible. Breeders’ Cup also began paying a $10,000 award to the nominator of any North American foal who won a Challenge race.

In its first year, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge had 14 winners who competed in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup. Of those 14, four horses won – War Pass in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Ginger Punch in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, English Channel in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

The program expanded to 57 races and 17 tracks in 2008. That year, 34 Challenge race winners competed in the Breeders’ Cup and five won – Raven’s Pass in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, Forever Together in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Stardom Bound in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Maram in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

For 2016, the Challenge consisted of 77 automatic qualifying races, with 28 scheduled outside of North America. There were four new races added to the schedule for 2016 — the Queen of the Turf (Filly & Mare Turf) at Royal Randwick, Australia; Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (Mile) at Santiago, Chile; Gran Premio Pamplona at Hipodromo Monterrico (Filly & Mare Turf) in Lima, Peru; and Flying Five Stakes (Turf Sprint) at The Curragh, Ireland.

2018 saw a new race added to the official World Championship lineup, the Juvenile Turf Sprint and movement of the 2-year-old races to Friday for a ‘Friday Future Stars’ theme. This will be an interesting change for betting, as the Distaff, Dirt Mile and other 3-year-olds and up condition races move to Saturday.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge has continued to evolve and change with the core principal remaining the same – providing a list of events for fans to follow and get to know the horses likely to run in each year’s Breeders’ Cup.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Racing Schedule

Date	Track	Race	Grade	Distance	Age	Sex	Division	Region
12/15/18	SIS	Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini Stakes	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	Argentina
1/5/19	KEN	Cartier Paddock S.	I	1 1/8 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	South Africa
1/5/19	KEN	L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	South Africa
2/17/19	TOK	February S.	I	1 Mile	4 YO & UP		Classic	Japan
5/1/19	Pal	Gran Premio Criadores	I	1 1/4 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	Argentina
5/26/19	CHS	Gran Premio Club Hípico Falabella	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	Chile
5/27/19	SA	Shoemaker Mile	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	California
6/2/19	TOK	Yasuda Kinen	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	Japan
6/8/19	Bel	Jaipur Invitational	I	6 Furlongs (T)	4 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	New York
6/8/19	Bel	Ogden Phipps	I	1 1/16 Miles	4 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	New York
6/8/19	Bel	Runhappy Metropolitan H.	I	1 Mile	3 YO & UP		Dirt Mile	New York
6/9/19	GVA	Grande Premio Brasil	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	4 YO & UP		Turf	Brazil
6/15/19	CD	Fleur de Lis Stakes	II	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	Kentucky
6/15/19	CD	Stephen Foster Stakes	II	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP		Classic	Kentucky
6/18/19	ASC	Queen Anne S.	I	1 Mile (T)	4 YO & UP		Mile	United Kingdom
6/19/19	ASC	Prince of Wales’s S.	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	4 YO & UP		Turf	United Kingdom
6/20/19	ASC	Norfolk S.	II	5 Furlongs (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf Sprint	United Kingdom
6/22/19	ASC	Diamond Jubilee S.	I	6 Furlongs (T)	4 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	United Kingdom
6/23/19	HSN	Takarazuka Kinen	I	1 3/8 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	Japan
6/29/19	GP	Princess Rooney H.	II	7 Furlongs	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Sprint	Florida
6/30/19	MON	Gran Premio Pamplona	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	Peru
7/6/19	Bel	John A. Nerud	II	7 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Sprint	New York
7/20/19	Mth	TVG.Com Haskell Invitational	I	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO		Classic	New Jersey
7/27/19	ASC	King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by QIPCO	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	United Kingdom
7/27/19	Dmr	Bing Crosby S.	I	6 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Sprint	California
7/28/19	Dmr	Clement L. Hirsch Stakes	I	1 1/16 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	California
7/31/19	GOO	Qatar Sussex Stakes	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	United Kingdom
8/3/19	Sar	Whitney	I	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP		Classic	New York
8/10/19	AP	Arlington Million	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	Illinois
8/10/19	AP	Beverly D. Stakes	I	1 3/16 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	Illinois
8/10/19	Sar	Fourstardave H.	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	New York
8/11/19	Dea	Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard – Jacques Le Marois	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	France
8/17/19	Dmr	Del Mar Handicap Presented By The Japan Racing Association	II	1 3/8 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	California
8/17/19	Dmr	TVG Pacific Classic	I	1 1/4 Miles	3 YO & UP		Classic	California
8/18/19	Dea	Darley Prix Morny	I	6 Furlongs (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf Sprint	France
8/21/19	YOR	Juddmonte International S.	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Classic	United Kingdom
8/22/19	YOR	Yorkshire Oaks	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	United Kingdom
8/23/19	YOR	Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes	I	5 Furlongs (T)	2 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	United Kingdom
8/24/19	Dmr	Pat O’Brien S.	II	7 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Dirt Mile	California
8/24/19	Sar	Ketel One Ballerina	I	7 Furlongs	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Sprint	New York
8/24/19	Sar	Personal Ensign	I	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	New York
8/24/19	Sar	Sword Dancer	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	New York
9/7/19	Bel	Jockey Club Derby		1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO		Turf	New York
9/7/19	KD	Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint	III	6 Furlongs (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	Kentucky
9/14/19	CD	Iroquois S.	III	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO		Juvenile	Kentucky
9/14/19	CD	Pocahontas S.	II	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies	Kentucky
9/14/19	LEO	Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S.	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	Ireland
9/14/19	LEO	KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes	II	1 Mile (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf	Ireland
9/14/19	LEO	QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	Ireland
9/14/19	WO	Ricoh Woodbine Mile	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	Ontario
9/15/19	CUR	Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes	I	5 Furlongs (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	Ireland
9/15/19	CUR	Moyglare Stud Stakes	I	7 Furlongs (T)	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies Turf	Ireland
9/15/19	WO	Natalma Stakes	I	1 Mile (T)	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies Turf	Ontario
9/15/19	WO	Summer Stakes	I	1 Mile (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf	Ontario
9/21/19	Prx	Cotillion S.	I	1 1/16 Miles	3 YO	F	Distaff	Pennsylvania
9/27/19	NEW	Shadwell Rockfel	II	7 Furlongs (T)	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies Turf	United Kingdom
9/27/19	SA	American Pharoah Stakes	I	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO		Juvenile	California
9/27/19	SA	Chandelier Stakes	I	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies	California
9/28/19	Bel	Jockey Club Gold Cup	I	1 1/4 Miles	3 YO & UP		Classic	New York
9/28/19	Bel	The Vosburgh	I	6 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Sprint	New York
9/28/19	NEW	Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes	II	1 Mile (T)	2 YO	C & G	Juvenile Turf	United Kingdom
9/28/19	SA	Awesome Again Stakes	I	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP		Classic	California
9/28/19	SA	Rodeo Drive Stakes	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	California
9/29/19	NKR	Sprinters S.	I	6 Furlongs (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	Japan
9/29/19	SA	Zenyatta Stakes	II	1 1/16 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	California
10/4/19	Kee	Darley Alcibiades Stakes	I	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies	Kentucky
10/4/19	Kee	Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes	II	6 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Sprint	Kentucky
10/5/19	Bel	The Champagne	I	1 Mile	2 YO		Juvenile	New York
10/5/19	Kee	Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity	I	1 1/16 Miles	2 YO		Juvenile	Kentucky
10/5/19	Kee	First Lady S.	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	Kentucky
10/5/19	Kee	Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes	I	1 Mile (T)	3 YO & UP		Mile	Kentucky
10/5/19	Kee	Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes	II	6 Furlongs	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Sprint	Kentucky
10/5/19	SA	Santa Anita Sprint Championship	I	6 Furlongs	3 YO & UP		Sprint	California
10/6/19	Bel	The Flower Bowl	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	New York
10/6/19	Bel	The Frizette	I	1 Mile	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies	New York
10/6/19	Bel	The Futurity	III	6 Furlongs (T)	2 YO	C & G	Juvenile Turf Sprint	New York
10/6/19	Kee	Dixiana Bourbon S.	III	1 1/16 Miles (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf	Kentucky
10/6/19	Kee	Indian Summer Stakes		5 1/2 Furlongs (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf Sprint	Kentucky
10/6/19	Kee	Juddmonte Spinster Stakes	I	1 1/8 Miles	3 YO & UP	F & M	Distaff	Kentucky
10/6/19	Lch	Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines	I	5 Furlongs (T)	2 YO & UP		Turf Sprint	France
10/6/19	Lch	Prix de l’Opera Longines	I	1 1/4 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP	F & M	Filly & Mare Turf	France
10/6/19	Lch	Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe	I	1 1/2 Miles (T)	3 YO & UP		Turf	France
10/6/19	Lch	Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere	I	1 Mile (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf	France
10/6/19	Lch	Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac	I	1 Mile (T)	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies Turf	France
10/6/19	SA	Speakeasy Stakes		5 Furlongs (T)	2 YO		Juvenile Turf Sprint	California
10/9/19	Kee	JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes	II	1 1/16 Miles (T)	2 YO	F	Juvenile Fillies Turf	Kentucky

Please click for a schedule of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races.