The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of Thoroughbred horse races in which the winner earns an automatic spot in a specified Breeders' Cup race. The challenge races change somewhat each year. The Challenge series began in 2007 with 24 "Win and You're In" races from 2 countries. By 2014, the series had grown to 71 races across 13 countries. During that period, 24 winners of Breeders' Cup races had qualified via the challenge series.
The 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 25th edition of the premier event of the North American Thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on October 24 and 25 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2008 Breeders' Cup results were influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.
The 2016 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 33rd edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. A total of 185 pre-entries were announced on October 26 in what was considered a highly competitive year in most divisions. The races, all of which were Grade I, took place on November 4 and 5 at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California and were telecast by NBC. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.
The 2017 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 34th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 13 races, all of which were Grade I, took place on November 3 and 4 at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California and were telecast by NBC and NBC Sports. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December.
The Houston Ladies Classic Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age four and older over a distance of one and aon-sixteenth miles on the dirt track held annually in late January at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas. The event currently carries a purse of $300,000.
The 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 35th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Grade I, took place on November 2 and 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The races were telecast by NBCSN on Friday and early Saturday, and by NBC later on Saturday. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North American racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The event typically determines champions in many of the Eclipse Award divisions, although it was missing the eventual Horse of the Year, Triple Crown champion Justify, who was retired in July.
The 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consisted of 86 horse races that provided the respective winners with an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2019 Breeders' Cup, held on November 1 and 2. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world. The Breeders' Cup organization paid the Breeders' Cup entry fee for the challenge race winners, provided they had been nominated as foals.
The 2019 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 36th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Grade I, took place on November 1 and 2 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The races were telecast by NBCSN on Friday and early Saturday, and by NBC later on Saturday.
The 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 37th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which were Grade I, took place on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky. The races were telecast by NBCSN on Friday and early Saturday, and by NBC later on Saturday.
Art Collector was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Woodward Stakes, the 2023 Pegasus World Cup and the Grade II Charles Town Classic twice. In a career spanning five seasons, he won or placed in seven graded stakes races.
Hot Rod Charlie is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Pennsylvania Derby and Louisiana Derby. He also came second in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 2021 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and fourth in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the winner of the 2021 Secretariat Vox Populi Award.
Knicks Go is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2021 American Horse of the Year after winning five of seven starts, including the Breeders' Cup Classic, Whitney Stakes and Pegasus World Cup. The year before he won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He is the sixth horse to win two different Breeders' Cup races.
The 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships is the 38th edition of the premier event of the North American thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all but one of which are Grade I, took place on November 5 and 6 at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California and were telecast by NBC and NBC Sports. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The event typically determines champions in many of the Eclipse Award divisions.
Modern Games is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Ireland and trained in Great Britain, he was one of the best two-year-olds in the world in 2021 when he won four of his six races including the Somerville Tattersall Stakes in England and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in the United States. As a three-year-old he was victorious in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Grade I Woodbine Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile, earning him honors as Champion Turf Male of 2022. He finished his racing career with eight victories, winning five Group/Grade One events and either winning or placing in ten graded races.
Casa Creed is an American multiple Grade I turf winning Thoroughbred racehorse. His Grade I wins included the Jaipur Stakes both in 2021 and 2022 at Belmont Park, and the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in 2022 and 2023.
The 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 39th edition of the premier event of the North American Thoroughbred horse racing year. The 14 races, all of which were Grade I, took place on November 4 and 5 at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky. In the United States, the races were telecast on Friday and early Saturday by USA Network and FanDuel TV, with NBC covering the last three races on Saturday. In the United Kingdom, ITV broadcast all the races live, with day 1 on ITV3 and day 2 on ITV4.
Annapolis is a multiple Graded stakes turf winning Thoroughbred racehorse. His Grade I wins in 2022 include the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade II Pilgrim Stakes as a two-year-old in 2021.
Domestic Spending is a British-bred American-owned multiple Grade 1 turf winning Thoroughbred racehorse. His Grade I wins include the Hollywood Derby in 2020 and Turf Classic Stakes and Manhattan Stakes in 2021.
Cody's Wish is a retired multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse and the American Horse of the Year for 2023. He is a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. In 2022 he was a winner in four of his five starts–all stakes races–including two Grade I victories in the Forego Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. In 2023 he again won four of his five starts, winning the Grade I Metropolitan Handicap, Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes and Grade II Vosburgh Stakes before defending his title in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park. Named after the late Cody Dorman, a native of Richmond, Kentucky who was born with Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome and had attended several races throughout the horse’s career, Cody’s Wish was the winner of the Secretariat Vox Populi Award in 2022 and 2023.
Up to the Mark is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023 he won three consecutive Grade I events, the Turf Classic Stakes, Manhattan Stakes and Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes.
