Breeders' Cup raises Classic, Turf purses by $1 million

Breeders’ Cup Ltd. is increasing purses by $1 million for two of its marquee races, the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, demonstrating the organization’s longstanding commitment to global excellence and the enrichment of Thoroughbred racing.

Beginning with this year’s 41st world championships at Del Mar, the purse of the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic will increase from $6 million to $7 million, and the purse of the 1 1/2-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf will increase from $4 million to $5 million. This raises total purses and awards for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to more than $33 million for the two-day event. The increases were approved at the March meeting of the Breeders’ Cup board of directors.

“These purse increases reflect a key mission of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships: to attract the best-of-the-best from around the world to compete in a spectacular international showcase,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “We are proud that the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf continually rank among the top races in the world and these purse increases demonstrate our board of directors’ commitment to further enhancing the international stature of the world championships.”

Since its founding in 1982, Breeders’ Cup Ltd. has allocated more than $1 billion in purses and awards to the Thoroughbred industry.

The 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade 1 races, will be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar. Tickets go on sale Monday, April 22, at Noon EDT Fans can sign up to receive ticket information at BreedersCup.com/2024.