When the Breeders’ Cup expanded from a single day to a two-day event in 2007, day 1 was devoted to female horses and the overall purses increased to over $25 million for both days. In 2018 all 2-year-old races were moved to the Friday card and the day was dubbed “Future Stars Friday.” The total purses for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races held for the second consecutive year at Del Mar will be worth $34 million.
In 2008, the Breeders' Cup Marathon was added but was dropped by 2014. Also, in 2011 the Juvenile Sprint was added, only to be dropped after the 2012 running. And in 2008 at Santa Anita the main track races were contested over a synthetic surface instead of traditional dirt.
The races added in 2007 were the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for 3-year-olds and up, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up; and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a one-mile event open to 2-year-old males and females. That year the Dirt Mile was contested at a mile and 70 yards as the Monmouth Park main track doesn’t typically offer one-mile dirt races due to the track’s configuration. And at Keeneland in 2015, 2020 and 2022 -- because the facility doesn’t regularly offer races at a flat mile -- the start of the race, as well as the finish of the race, were both backed up to keep the race distance as close to a mile as possible. The starting gate was placed 70 yards before the one-mile pole and the finish was set at the alternate finish line at the sixteenth pole making the race slightly longer than a mile.
And the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, now at seven furlongs, was set at six furlongs for the same reason.
In 2009, the Breeders' Cup announced that it would switch from the traditional purple saddle towels and instead use the standard colored saddle towels. Before then, the only time purple saddle towels weren’t used were in the inaugural event when all runners wore gold towels.
Breeders' Cup also introduced the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" qualifying series in 2007, a policy wherein winners of major races throughout the year from around the world and North America would gain an automatic spot in the Breeders' Cup World Championships starting gate. This year a total of 93 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races were offered throughout the year.
The Breeders’ Cup was conceived in the early 1980s as a as a year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing. Longtime owner and breeder John R. Gaines presented the idea to the industry during the 1982 Kentucky Derby Festival and after initially receiving some pushback, the concept was accepted and the first event was held in 1984 at Hollywood Park.
Based on stallion eligibility nominations and foal payments, in 1983 initially 1,083 stallions, representing more than $10.9 million in fees were nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program. That number has grown significantly and as of this year, there are approximately 200 stallions nominated for the Breeders' Cup. This figure includes both North American and international stallions as well.
In North America, stallion owners/managers/farms pay an annual nomination fee which is equal to the stallion's advertised stud fee, plus an additional amount if the stallion has more than 50 foals that year. European stallion nominations are the equivalent to 50 percent of their stud fee, while South American stallions are 25 percent.
Also, breeders must pay a one-time nomination fee per foal by October 15 of the year foaled.
By the end of 1983, Breeders’ Cup had signed an exclusive broadcasting deal with NBC Sports to cover multiple years of the then seven-race, single-day event. Some of the initial corporate sponsorship for the inaugural event included Mobil Oil Corporation, De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd., Chrysler Corporation (Chrysler-Plymouth and Michelob (Anheuser-Busch, Inc.).
This year, Longines returns as a chief sponsor and is joined by Cygames, John Deere, PNC Bank, FanDuel, NetJets, Maker's Mark, Lucchese Boots, Maker's Mark, Keeneland, Jackson Family Wines, Chopin Vodka, Yaamava Resort and Casino, Seat Geek and Prevagen.
The inaugural Breeders’ Cup was held with 64,254 in attendance at Hollywood Park. Chief’s Crown won the first Breeders’ Cup race, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, while longshot Wild Again won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in a thrilling stretch duel with Slew o’ Gold and Gate Dancer and after surviving a lengthy inquiry into bumping in the stretch drive. Initially the Classic purse was $3 million.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
