The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series revs up again this weekend with three “Win and You’re In’’ races Saturday – two at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York and one at Del Mar in Southern California.
Horse racing has enjoyed a big buzz this week with some of the top names in the sport set to go in Grade 1 races from coast to coast, seeking not only victory but an all-fees paid automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The “Win and You’re In’’ races Saturday are the $1 million Whitney Stakes [for the BC Classic] and the $750,000 Fourstardave [for the BC Mile] at Saratoga and the $400,000 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar [for the BC Distaff].
The 1 ¼-mile Whitney features another showdown between Fierceness and Sierra Leone. The last time they met, Sierra Leone defeated Fierceness by 1 ½ lengths in the 2024 BC Classic. Also in the Whitney is 2023 BC Classic winner White Abarrio.
The 1-mile Fourstardave on the turf features 5-2 favorite Johannes in a field of 10, and 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch has a field of seven, including 2-1 favorite Seismic Beauty for trainer Bob Baffert.
The BC challenge “Win and You’re In’’ is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries. The winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup.
The BC challenges series began in 2007.
In 2024, five Breeders’ Cup winners earned automatic berths into their corresponding races -- Lake Victoria [BC Juvenile Fillies Turf winner], Citizen Bull [BC Juvenile winner], Immersive [BC Juvenile Fillies winner], Soul of an Angel [BC Filly & Mare Sprint] and Moira [BC Filly & Mare Turf).
The 2026 Breeders’ Cup will be at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky, and the 2027 event will be held at the new Belmont Park in New York.
The Whitney Stakes is a race for 4-year-olds and up ... Recent Whitney winner results in BC races: Arthur’s Ride [2024] finished 12th in ‘24 BC Classic ... White Abarrio [2023] won the 2023 Classic ... Life Is Good [2022] finished fifth in the ‘22 Classic ... Knicks Go [2021] won the ‘21 Classic and was voted Horse of the Year ... Gun Runner [2017] won the 2017 Classic and was voted Horse of the Year ... Lady’s Secret won the 1986 Whitney against the boys and then won the 1986 BC Distaff and was voted Horse of the Year.
Automatic qualifiers for the Classic so far: Forever Young [Saudi Cup winner], Costa Nova [February Stakes], Hit Show [Dubai World Cup], Mindframe [Stephen Foster Stakes] and Journalism [Haskell Stakes].
The Fourstardave is a 1-mile race on the turf for 4-year-olds and up ... Recent winner notes: Carl Spackler (2024) finished sixth in the ‘24 BC Mile ... Casa Creed (2022, 2023) ran ninth in the ‘22 BC Turf Sprint and third in the ‘23 BC Mile ... World Approval (2017) won the 2017 BC Mile ... Tourist (2016) won the 2016 BC Mile; Wise Dan (2012, 2013) won the ’12 and ‘13 BC Mile and was voted Horse of the Year in both years.
Automatic qualifiers for the Mile so far: One Stipe [King's Plate winner), Soul Rush [Dubai Turf winner], Gran Oriente [Gran Premio Club Hípico Falabella], Jantar Mantar [Yasuda Kinen], Docklands [Queen Anne Stakes], Qirat [Sussex Stakes]
The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes is a race for fillies 3-years-old an up ... Recent results of Hirsch winners in the BC: Adare Manor [2023, 2024] Adare Manor did run in ‘24 BC and finished seventh in the ‘23 Distaff ... Blue Stripe [2022] finished second in the ‘22 Distaff; Beholder [2015] finished second in the 2016 Hirsch and won the ‘16 Distaff; Zenyatta [2008, 2009 and 2010] won the ‘08 BC Ladies’ Classic, the ’09 Classic, and finished second in the ‘10 Classic ... Azeri [2002, 2003] won the ‘02 Distaff and was voted ‘02 Horse of the Year; Bayakoa won the 1989 Distaff ...
Automatic qualifiers for the Distaff so far: Sarawak Rim [Gran Premio Criadores], Dorth Vader [Ogden Phipps Stakes], Thorpedo Anna [Fleur de Lis Stakes].
