The Breeders' Cup Distaff

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2023 Distaff Entries & ML Odds | Recent News | 2022 Distaff Results | History | Records | Past Results

2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff

The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff will be held at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, November 4th.

Official Entries & Morning Line Odds

Race 9, Post Time 3:55 pm (ET)

The LONGINES BREEDERS' CUP DISTAFF (GI) is a 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up. The race carries a guaranteed purse of $2 million, including travel awards. Official entries and morning line odds will be available here once announced.

Information and winners of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff:

Recent Breeders' Cup Distaff News

2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff Results & Payouts

Final results and payouts for the 2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff:

Exotic Payouts:

• $1.00 Exacta (1-2) Paid: $55.60
• $0.50 Trifecta (1-2-4) Paid: $141.74
• $0.10 Superfecta (1-2-4-6) Paid: $90.95

Watch the 2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff

The BC Distaff History

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff brings together the best female dirt horses for a championship showdown. The Breeders’ Cup Distaff was first run in 1984 during the inaugural run of the world championships. It is a 1 1/8th mile race on dirt designed for fillies and mares ages three-years-old and up. While it has a purse of $2,000,000 it is also one of the marquee events of the entire weekend.

Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classicbetween 2008 and 2012, the Distaff was formerly the final race on the first day of the two-day event, but now resides as the penultimate race for Saturday. From 1984 through 1986, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff was held over 1 ¼ miles. Hall of Famers Princess Rooney scored victory in 1984 while Lady’s Secret won in 1986. Life’s Magic was the winner in 1985 and was also the Eclipse Award winner for Champion Older Female Horse that same season.

A total of 14 post time favorites have won the Distaff, but the biggest long shot to prevail was Spain (2000), when she cashed in at Churchill Downs at 55-1 odds for jockey Mike Smith and trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Other big long shots to win the Distaff include One Dreamer (47-1) in 1994, and Adoration (40-1) in 2003.

Two of the most memorable Distaff races in Breeders’ Cup history occurred in 1988 and 2016. The 1988 Distaff featured Personal Ensign, who in the final racer of her career and looking hopelessly beaten a few strides from the wire, caught Winning Colors to notch her 13th straight win.

The 2016 Distaff was a showcase of the undefeated Songbird and the great older mare Beholder. In a sensational stretch duel in which the two superstars went head-to-head and kept on determinedly, Beholder got the bob at the wire to win by a nose in what was also the final race of her career with more that $6 million in earnings and a winner 18 times in 26 starts with 6 runner up finishes. 

The 1990 Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park was one of the saddest days in the event’s history. Go for Wand, the brilliant filly and champion, broke down in the stretch during the running of the Distaff and had to be euthanized.

Zenyatta won the 2008 Ladies’ Classic. She returned in 2009 and won the Breeders’ Cup Classic against males. She is the only female racer to ever complete that historic double. Zenyatta finished a close second to winner Blame in the 2010 BC Classic in the only loss of her career.

Other notable winners of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff include Personal Ensign in 1988, Azeri in 2002, Ashado in 2004, and Untapable in 2014. All of them are Hall of Fame winners.

In other words, winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff thrusts you into an upper echelon of talent. It is largely considered the most prestigious race for a filly or mare to win in the entire sport. The event was even rebranded as the “Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic” from 2008 until 2012 but then reverted back to its original namesake.

Breeders' Cup Distaff Historical Records

The 1 1/8 mile race in 2021 saw Marche Lorraine run the fastest time for the Breeders’ Cup event since 2000, when she cruised home in 1:47.67. But the fastest time in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff history is 1:46.15 by Inside Information in 1995, who also did so by the largest margin in the races history (13 ½ lengths). 

Four horses have won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff twice. Bayokoa was the first to do so in 1989 and 1990. Royal Delta repeated the feat in 2011 and 2012. Beholder was the third to do this having first won in decisive fashion in 2013. She then ran against Songbird in 2016 in one of the most exhilarating races ever and edged her rival in a photo finish. With a win in 2020, Monomoy Girl became the forth after capturing a win in 2018.

Jockey Mike Smith rode her to victory, and he’s ridden a record five Distaff winners. Trainer Bill Mott has also won the race a record five times.