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The Breeders' Cup Challenge

| BC Challenge Race Schedule |

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.

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