Breeders Cup Challenge Series

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The 2022 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series

| Dec. to May Races | Jun. to Jul. Races | August Races| September Races | October Races | Win & You’re In History

Our page of Breeders’ Cup prep-races organizes the Challenge series by divisional offerings. Find a month-by-month schedule of the races in the tables below:

December to May Challenge Series Events

DATERACE / COUNTRYDIVISIONWINNER
12/11/2021Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini / BrazilTurfVillage King
1/8/2022L'Ormarins Queen's Plate / South AfricaMileJet Dark (SAF)
1/8/2022Cartier Paddock Stakes / South AfricaFilly & Mare TurfCaptain's Ransom (SAF)
2/20/2022February Stakes / JapanClassicCafe Pharoah
5/1/2022Gran Premio Criadores / ArgentinaDistaffLa Validada (ARG)
5/15/2022Victoria Mile / JapanFilly & Mare TurfSodashi (JPN)
5/29/2022Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella / ChileMileViejos Tiempos
5/30/2022Shoemaker Mile Stakes / USAMileCount Again

June & July Challenge Series Events

DATERACE / COUNTRYDIVISIONWINNER
6/5/2022Yasuda Kinen / JapanMileSongline
6/11/2022Metropolitan Handicap / USADirt MileFlightline
6/11/2022Jaipur Invitational / USATurf SprintCasa Creed
6/11/2022Ogden Phipps Stakes / USADistaffClairiere
6/14/2022King's Stand Stakes / UKTurf SprintNature Strip
6/14/2022Queen Anne Stakes / UKMileBaaeed
6/15/2022Prince of Wales's Stakes / UKTurfState of Rest
6/16/2022Norfolk Stakes / UKJuvenile Turf SprintThe Ridler
6/26/2022Gran Premio Pamplona / PeruFilly & Mare TurfOla Perfecta
6/26/2022Takarazuka Kinen / JapanTurfTitleholder
6/26/2022Grande Premio Brasil / BrazilTurfNautilus
7/2/2022Princess Rooney / USAFilly & Mare SprintCe Ce
7/2/2022Stephen Foster Stakes / USAClassicOlympiad
7/23/2022King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes / UKTurfPyledriver
7/23/2022Haskell Stakes / USAClassicCyberknife
7/27/2022Qatar Sussex Stakes / UKMileBaaeed
7/30/2022Bing Crosby Stakes / USASprintAmerican Theorem

August Challenge Series Events

DATERACE / COUNTRYDIVISIONWINNER
8/6/2022Clement L. Hirsch Stakes / USADistaffBlue Stripe (ARG)
8/6/2022The Whitney / USAClassicLife Is Good
8/13/2022The Fourstardave / USAMileCasa Creed
8/13/2022Beverly D. Stakes / USAFilly & Mare TurfDalika
8/14/2022Prix Jacques Le Marois / FranceMileInspiral
8/17/2022Juddmonte International Stakes / UKClassicBaaeed
8/18/2022Darley Yorkshire Oaks / UKFilly & Mare TurfAlpinista
8/19/2022Nunthorpe Stakes / UKTurf SprintHighfield Princess
8/21/2022Darley Prix Morny / FranceJuvenile Turf SprintBlackbeard
8/27/2022Pat O'Brien Stakes / USADirt MileLaurel River
8/27/2022The Sword Dancer / USATurfGufo
8/28/2022The Ballerina / USAFilly & Mare SprintGoodnight Olive

September Challenge Series Events

DATERACE / COUNTRYDIVISIONWINNER
9/3/2022Del Mar Handicap / USATurfGold Phoenix (IRE)
9/3/2022Pacific Classic / USAClassicFlightline
9/3/2022Flower Bowl Stakes / USAFilly & Mare TurfVirginia Joy (GER)
9/3/2022Jockey Club Gold Cup / USAClassicOlympiad
9/4/2022Green Flash Handicap / USATurf SprintLieutenant Dan
9/10/2022Irish Champion Stakes / IrelandTurfLuxembourg
9/10/2022Champions Juvenile Stakes / IrelandJuvenile TurfAuguste Rodin
9/10/2022Kentucky Turf Cup / USATurfRed Knight
9/10/2022Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes / USATurf SprintBran (FR)
9/10/2022Matron Stakes / Ireland Filly & Mare TurfPearls Galore
9/11/2022Moyglare Stud Stakes / IrelandJuvenile Fillies TurfTahiyra
9/11/2022Flying Five Stakes / IrelandTurf SprintHighfield Princess
9/17/2022Natalma Stakes / CanadaJuvenile Fillies TurfLast Call
9/17/2022Summer Stakes / CanadaJuvenile TurfMysterious Night (IRE)
9/17/2022Woodbine Mile / CanadaMileModern Games (IRE)
9/23/2022Rockfel Stakes / UKJuvenile Fillies TurfCommissioning
9/24/2022Royal Lodge Stakes / UKJuvenile TurfThe Foxes

October Challenge Series Events

DATERACE / COUNTRYDIVISIONWINNER
10/1/2022Ack Ack Stakes / USADirt MileSenor Buscador
10/1/2022Awesome Again Stakes / USAClassicDefunded
10/1/2022The Champagne / USAJuvenileBlazing Sevens
10/1/2022Miss Grillo Stakes / USAJuvenile Fillies TurfPleasant Passage
10/2/2022Speakeasy Stakes / USAJuvenile Turf SprintSpeed Boat Beach
10/2/2022Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere / FranceJuvenile TurfBelbek
10/2/2022Prix de L'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines / FranceTurf SprintThe Platinum Queen
10/2/2022Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe / FranceTurfAlpinista
10/2/2022Prix de L'Opera Longines / FranceFilly & Mare TurfPlace Du Carrousel
10/2/2022Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac / FranceJuvenile Fillies TurfBlue Rose Cen
10/2/2022The Pilgrim Stakes / USAJuvenile TurfMajor Dude
10/2/2022Frizette Stakes / USAJuvenile FilliesChocolate Gelato
10/7/2022Darley Alcibiades Stakes / USAJuvenile FilliesWonder Wheel
10/7/2022Phoenix Stakes / USASprintManny Wah
10/7/2022Jessamine Stakes / USAJuvenile Fillies TurfDelight
10/8/2022Rodeo Drive Stakes / USAFilly & Mare TurfGoing to Vegas
10/8/2022 Vosburgh Stakes / USASprintElite Power
10/8/2022Chandelier Stakes / USAJuvenile FilliesAnd Tell Me Nolies
10/8/2022American Pharoah Stakes / USAJuvenileCave Rock
10/8/2022Breeders' Futurity / USAJuvenileForte
10/8/2022Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes / USAMileAnnapolis
10/8/2022Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes / USAFilly & Mare SprintSlammed
10/9/2022Indian Summer Stakes / USAJuvenile Turf SprintPrivate Creed
10/9/2022Bourbon Stakes / USAJuvenile TurfAndthewinneris
10/9/2022Futurity Stakes / USAJuvenile Turf SprintNagirroc
10/9/2022Spinster Stakes / USADistaffMalathaat
10/15/2022Champion Stakes / UKTurfBay Bridge
10/15/2022Queen Elizabeth II Stakes / UKMileBayside Boy

“Win and You’re In” – Challenge Series History

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 has been an interesting change for betting, as the Distaff, Dirt Mile and other 3-year-olds and up condition races moved to Saturday.

2020 produced some unique obstacles for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series organizers, mainly due to global uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final schedule for the critical last two months of the series was not finalized until late August. Among the highlights of the end of season qualifications for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup was the inclusion of the 145th Preakness Stakes as a “win and you’re in” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Another very different aspect for 2020 was that most qualifying races and the eventual Breeders’ Cup Championship races themselves were run without fans.

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.