The 41st annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships is ready for Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar in Southern California. The occasion – plus the festivities previous it – guarantees to be some of the thrilling experiences for followers around the globe, whether or not they attend in individual or watch the races throughout NBC, Peacock, USA Community, and FanDuel TV on Friday and Saturday.
Listed below are 10 fascinating info in regards to the two-day extravaganza, which originated manner again within the early Eighties when a former Hollywood film star was President of america, most individuals received solely 4 or 5 channels on their tv, and gasoline costs averaged simply over a greenback per gallon.
1. John Gaines is taken into account the “father of the Breeders’ Cup.” Gaines (1928-2005), who owned Gainesway Farm in Lexington, is credited with creating the thought of a world championship collection for Thoroughbreds. Gaines noticed this as a technique to each promote the game of Thoroughbred racing with a marquee fall occasion to accompany the Triple Crown in spring/summer season, and to strengthen the bond between the day-to-day racing business and the breeders that produce horses to compete in these races. Gaines introduced his thought at a luncheon simply previous to the 1982 Kentucky Derby, and fewer than three years later (and after numerous persuading business leaders), the primary Breeders’ Cup was held Nov. 10, 1984, at Hollywood Park in California in entrance of 64,254 followers and a nationwide viewers viewing on NBC.
2. Shifting to a two-day occasion has helped enhance each the betting deal with on the Breeders’ Cup and its attraction to followers. In 2007, Breeders’ Cup officers expanded to a Friday-Saturday occasion, held for the primary (and up to now solely) time at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The race schedule over the two-day interval has been tweaked a number of occasions since then, and presently the World Championships are divided right into a Future Stars Friday that includes 5 races for 2-year-olds and a Tremendous Saturday with the remaining 9 Breeders’ Cup races geared for horses age 3 and older. Final yr’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park generated a world wagering pool of $176.28 million. Two years earlier than that, when the occasion was held for the second time at Del Mar, international deal with for 2021 set what was then a file variety of $183.26 million, which was topped in 2022 by a file $189.06 million at Keeneland.
3. California leads the listing of states which have hosted the Breeders’ Cup with 16 complete occasions (quickly to be 17). Hollywood Park in Inglewood, which was closed in 2013 and is now the location of SoFi Stadium, hosted the Breeders’ Cup thrice. Santa Anita Park in Arcadia is the all-time main host venue with a file 11 occasions, most not too long ago in 2023. And Del Mar, two hours south on I-40 from larger Los Angeles and roughly half-hour north of San Diego, will host the World Championships for the third time this fall. The picturesque seaside observe hosted its first Breeders’ Cup in 2017 and its second in 2021. Kentucky ranks second on this listing, having hosted the Breeders’ Cup 12 occasions (Churchill Downs 9, Keeneland three).
4. A minimum of one horse based mostly exterior North America has gained a Breeders’ Cup race in 36 of the 40 prior occasions. The advertising intent is evident on this occasion’s title: it’s a world championship collection of races. So it follows that international horses have been standouts from the very starting of the Breeders’ Cup again in 1984. 4 years noticed no trans-oceanic shipper attain the winner’s circle: the 1989 and 1992 Breeders’ Cups at Gulfstream Park; the 1998 tilt at Churchill Downs; and the primary time the Breeders’ Cup was held over two days, 2007 at Monmouth Park. By and enormous, the international horses excelling have come from European nations and have been on turf races, though the 2021 championships at Del Mar additionally was highlighted by two Japan-based winners – one on turf (Loves Solely You), and one in a significant upset on dust (Marche Lorraine). The file for many foreign-based winners throughout a single Breeders’ Cup occasion is six, which occurred twice: 2009 at Santa Anita Park and 2022 at Keeneland.
5. Two Corridor of Fame racemares maintain the file for many complete Breeders’ Cup wins at three. In all, 26 horses have gained multiple Breeders’ Cup race of their careers – together with Cody’s Want and Elite Energy final yr – however solely two have captured three. Irish-bred and European-based turf star Goldikova shipped to the Breeders’ Cup 4 years in a row from 2008-’11, and the primary three of these years she gained the Breeders’ Cup Mile with highly effective stretch rallies. She got here up quick in a bid for a Mile four-peat when third in 2011 in some of the thrilling races within the occasion’s historical past. Beholder, based mostly in California with tremendous coach Richard Mandella, excelled regardless of important interruptions: she gained the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at age 2; gained the Distaff at age 3; after which, after lacking the subsequent two occasions because of harm, got here again at age 6 and gained the Distaff once more. That remaining victory in 2016 over Songbird can also be undisputedly one of many all-time finest races in Breeders’ Cup historical past. Goldikova was voted into the Racing Corridor of Fame in 2017, and Beholder was welcomed in 2022.
6. Eire has produced essentially the most Breeders’ Cup winners except for the U.S. The land of leprechauns, shamrocks, and Liam Neeson has bred 444 horses which have competed within the Breeders’ Cup by way of the years, and 47 of them have gained, together with a exceptional six winners in 2022. Three horses bred in Eire gained final yr at Santa Anita so as to add to the complete: Auguste Rodin within the Longines Turf, Grasp of The Seas within the FanDuel Mile Introduced by PDJF, and Huge Evs within the Juvenile Turf Dash. Nice Britain is subsequent, having served because the birthplace for 25 winners, adopted by France with 9. Horses bred within the U.S. have gained 306 Breeders’ Cup races by way of 2023.
7. Twenty-six horses that gained a Breeders’ Cup race have gone on to sire a Breeders’ Cup winner. If one in every of John Gaines’ objectives for the World Championships was to focus on the contributions of breeders to the horse racing business, then these 26 sires have aided that trigger. Two sires are tied for having sired the most particular person Breeders’ Cup winners with six: the late Unbridled’s Music, winner of the 1995 Juvenile, and two-time Horse of the Yr Curlin, winner of the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Basic. Two of Curlin’s six winners, Cody’s Want (Huge Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile) and Elite Energy (Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Dash), earned repeat victories in 2023 giving him eight wins over all on the occasion. Superior Once more, who gained the 1998 Basic, is subsequent with 4 progeny who gained Breeders’ Cup races, his finest being 2004 Basic winner Ghostzapper. Ghostzapper in flip sired 2014 Filly and Mare Dash winner Judy the Magnificence. A brand new sire joined this roster in 2023: Metropolis of Gentle. His son Fierceness gained the FanDuel Juvenile Introduced by TAA and is a number one contender for the 2024 Longines Basic. Along with the stallions’ accomplishments, 4 mares that gained Breeders’ Cup races have produced Breeders’ Cup winners – together with one, the legendary Private Ensign, whose Breeders’ Cup-winning daughter My Flag produced her personal Breeders’ Cup winner, Storm Flag Flying.
8. Richard Mandella and Brad Cox maintain the file for many wins by a coach at a single Breeders’ Cup with 4. There’s a significant distinction, although. Cox, a rising star within the sport who was honored as excellent coach in each 2020 and 2021 by Eclipse Award voters, gained his 4 throughout the two-day World Championships at Keeneland in 2020, with two horses successful on Friday and two extra the next Saturday. Corridor of Famer Mandella gained 4 races on the 2003 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita when it was a single-day occasion consisting of eight complete races. A kind of 4 winners, Johar, shared first within the Turf with Excessive Chaparral – the one dead-heat end for first in Breeders’ Cup historical past.
9. Six Kentucky Derby winners have skilled on to win the Breeders’ Cup Basic, 4 of them successful each races in the identical yr. Ferdinand and Alysheba wore the garland of roses at Churchill Downs as Derby winners in 1986 and 1987, respectively, and every of them gained the Breeders’ Cup Basic the yr after – Ferdinand, the truth is, defeated Alysheba by a nostril in 1987. In 1989 and 1990, two extra legends, Sunday Silence and Unbridled, backed up their Derby wins earlier within the yr with victories within the Breeders’ Cup Basic. Sunday Silence’s neck win over Simple Goer was the fourth race in a basic confrontation that ended 3-to-1 in Sunday Silence’s favor. There was an extended hole after 1990, however the wait was value it as American Pharoah grew to become the primary 3-year-old to comb the Triple Crown after which win the Breeders’ Cup Basic later within the yr when he romped by 6 ½ lengths at Keeneland in 2015. His achievement was referred to as the “Grand Slam” by some racing scribes, followers, and advertising individuals – a phrase borrowed from baseball simply as baseball appropriated “Triple Crown” from horse racing. And 4 years in the past, Genuine gained a pandemic-postponed Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve in September after which took the 2020 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic at Keeneland two months later.
10. There have been eight Breeders’ Cup winners that paid greater than $100 on a $2 win guess. The primary got here within the inaugural World Championships, when Lakshari upset the Turf to the tune of a $108.80 payout. The latest got here in 2021, when the above-mentioned Marche Lorraine rewarded longshot gamers and her Japanese connections by holding on within the Longines Distaff and paying $101.80. The most important worth – one which will by no means be surpassed – got here within the Breeders’ Cup’s grand occasion, the Basic, again in 1993 when little-known Arcangues shipped in from France, moved from turf to dust, and shocked all however a number of followers and bettors with a two-length win that paid $269.20 for a $2 funding.
