Del Mar had lengthy been thought of one in every of horse racing’s most treasured venues, however like Keeneland Race Course its seasonal boutique meets didn’t appear to be a really perfect match for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. That every one modified with an announcement by Breeders’ Cup officers on June 24, 2014.
Keeneland was named a first-time host monitor for 2015, Santa Anita Park would observe because the Breeders’ Cup venue in 2016, and Del Mar would host its first World Championships the next 12 months in 2017.
The success of the primary Breeders’ Cups at these new venues, Keeneland and Del Mar, led to the return of the occasion to the Lexington, Ky., monitor in 2020 and 2022 and to seaside Del Mar in Southern California in 2021 and once more this 12 months on Nov. 1-2.
Heading into the third Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, let’s have a look again at a number of the finest moments from the primary two World Championships “the place the turf meets the surf” … and there have been many!
2017 Breeders Cup (Nov. 3-4)
Earlier than Friday’s card was rebranded “Future Stars Friday” for the 2018 occasion at Churchill Downs, the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff served because the anchor race on the primary card of the two-day Breeders’ Cup.
And so it was that on Friday of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, a crowd of 32,728 watched 4-year-old filly Ceaselessly Unbridled win the $2 million Longines Distaff by a half-length over Abel Tasman.
Budding star Dashing Fall received the primary World Championships race on the Friday card by three-quarters of a size within the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She would go on to earn over $2.9 million in her profession via 4 seasons of racing.
Breeders’ Cup Saturday bought off to a rollicking begin highlighted by three straight upsets from Caledonia Highway ($36.60) within the 14 Fingers Vineyard Juvenile Fillies, Stormy Liberal ($62.40) within the Turf Dash, and Bar of Gold ($135.40) within the Filly and Mare Dash. Bar of Gold’s 66.70-1 odds produced, on the time, the second highest win worth in Breeders’ Cup historical past behind solely Arcangues’ $2 win payout of $269.20 within the 1993 Basic.
Talking of the Basic, Gun Runner set the tempo because the second betting selection within the $6 million race and easily dominated in entrance of 37,692 followers, successful by 2 ¼ lengths underneath Florent Geroux en path to Horse of the 12 months honors for 2017.
Earlier on the cardboard, historical past was made when Good Magic grew to become the primary horse to interrupt his maiden (earn his first profession win) in a Breeders’ Cup race with a victory within the Sentient Jet Juvenile. The Chad Brown trainee would go on to complete second to eventual Triple Crown winner Justify within the 2018 Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve and, after retiring from the monitor, turn out to be one of the vital profitable younger stallions in North America.
The 2-day on-track wagering complete of $25,181,317 was the highest-ever for the occasion.
2021 Breeders’ Cup (Nov. 5-6)
On Aug. 17, 2018 – 9 months after the primary World Championships at Del Mar – Breeders’ Cup confirmed that the occasion would return to the seaside monitor in 2021. The 38th Breeders’ Cup benefited from an growth of worldwide broadcast protection within the U.Okay. and Eire via contracts with ITV, Sky Sports activities Racing, and Racing TV.
Future Stars Friday lived as much as its title as future champions Echo Zulu, Corniche, and Trendy Video games dazzled. Echo Zulu received the NetJets Juvenile Fillies to cap an unbeaten season that culminated with the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly, whereas Corniche improved to 3-for-3 with a win within the TVG Juvenile Introduced by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on his method to champion 2-year-old male honors.
After being inadvertently scratched previous to the beginning of the $1 million Juvenile Turf, Trendy Video games was reloaded into the gate and received by 1 ½ lengths whereas working for purse cash solely. The Godolphin homebred would go on to achieve worldwide stardom for coach Charlie Appleby and received the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Introduced by PDJF a 12 months later at Keeneland to cement the Eclipse Award as 2022 champion turf male.
Luckily for racing followers, the weekend was simply getting heat.
Knicks Go, the 2020 Large Ass Followers Grime Mile winner, recorded his fourth straight stakes win with a dominant, front-running 2 ¾-length win within the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic for proprietor Korea Racing Authority. He subsequently was named 2021 champion older filth male and Horse of the 12 months.
Earlier on the cardboard, a world storyline with international implications captivated racing followers as historical past was made within the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf when Japan earned its first victory within the World Championships. 5-year-old star Loves Solely You charged to the entrance in deep stretch underneath Yuga Kawada and edged My Sister Nat by a half-length for coach Yoshito Yahagi and proprietor DMM Dream Membership.
Japan didn’t have to attend lengthy for its second Breeders’ Cup winner, as three races later neglected Marche Lorraine, additionally skilled by Yahagi, closed from ninth of 11 runners to win the $2 million Longines Distaff, nipping Dunbar Highway by a nostril in a thriller at odds of 49.90-1.
The unforgettable two-day occasion established a then-record for complete all-sources deal with ($183,260,127) for the World Championships.
For the primary time, Breeders’ Cup, America’s Finest Racing, and Hípica TV collaborated to current dwell protection, solely in Spanish, of all 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races through “Breeders’ Cup en Vivo,” which drew greater than 282,000 views on Hípica TV’s YouTube channel over the 2 days.
The 2021 Breeders’ Cup really was a world occasion.
