The Breeders’ Cup World Championships started at Hollywood Park in 1984 and what began as a one day, 7-race event has grown into a two-day, $26 million extravaganza attracting the best horses, trainers, and owners from across the globe.
On Friday and Saturday this week, Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the first time.
It will be a warm homecoming for the event – the idea for the Breeders’ Cup originated in Central Kentucky, and many of its champions were foaled and raised at surrounding horse farms and sold at Keeneland sales.
This event has become the unofficial end and culmination of the thoroughbred-racing season, often with the Breeders’ Cup Classic being the deciding factor in Horse of the Year.
American Pharoah wins the Belmont
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah versus Beholder is officially on in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The mare drew the outside post and will try to chase down the Triple Crown winner, who will break from post No. 4 on Saturday at Keeneland in North America’s richest race.
Ten in all signed up to run in this year’s Classic, including Travers Stakes winner Keen Ice, last year’s Belmont Stakes runner up, Tonalist, and Gleneagles, an intriguing European turf star.
Golden Horn has been drawn in stall one for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Saturday.
Golden Horn – good draw
John Gosden’s Arc hero will break from the rail under Frankie Dettori in the 12-runner Grade One over a mile and a half.
Found is also due to run for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore, who has been berthed in gate nine.
Time Test, trained by Roger Charlton and ridden by Moore, does not appear to have been done any favours at the draw ceremony as he has been handed stall 12 of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Compatriot Mondialiste has been drawn in stall four for David O’Meara and Danny Tudhope. The French have a strong hand in the race, with Make Believe (three), Esoterique (nine), Impassable (five) and last year’s winner Karakontie in gate 11.
Legatissimo
David Wachman’s hot favourite Legatissimo has been drawn three for the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The Ralph Beckett-trained Secret Gesture is in 12. Dettori rides Miss France, who goes from stall nine.
The main news from a European angle in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is the fact O’Brien’s Waterloo Bridge goes from stall 14. There are no European horses in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but Moore rides Wesley Ward’s The Great War (10), while Dettori partners stablemate Undrafted (three).
Ward also turns to Dettori in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, with last year’s winner Judy The Beauty having been berthed in stall 11.
Ballydoyle youngster Hit It A Bomb breaks from stall 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday.
Stablemate Shogun in stall four.
Richard Fahey’s Birchwood (six) and the John Gosden-trained Cymric (13) are the other Euros in the hat. The O’Brien-trained War Envoy has been drawn in stall seven for the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile later on the card.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday will see Dettori break from stall 10 aboard the Richard Hannon-trained Illuminate.
O’Brien’s Alice Springs goes from stall three, with Jeremy Noseda’s Nemoralia in nine.
Jamie Spencer is also in action in the Juvenile Fillies Turf when he gets the leg-up aboard the Simon Callaghan-trained Mirage (13).
