Breeders' Cup Challenge Series to feature 84 races in '21

The Breeders' Cup announced its 2021 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series schedule consisting of 84 automatic qualifying stakes races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year’s series, which includes a record nine “win-and-you’re-in” races for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic division, will take place in 10 countries.

The complete 2021 Breeders' Cup schedule is available here.

Horses from around the globe will qualify through the Challenge Series for the 38th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 5-6 and will be televised live on NBC and NBCSN.

The Challenge Series, now in its 15th year, will be hosted at many of the world’s premier racetracks in Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, South Africa and the U.S.

There are two new Challenge Series races in 2021: The Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 3, which grants a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the Kentucky Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 11, which offers a spot in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The first North American Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race of the year will be the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park on May 31. The Shoemaker Mile winner will gain a free starting position into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile.

As part of the benefits to horsemen, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for all Challenge Series race winners. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the Championships’ pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

In addition, Breeders’ Cup will provide a $40,000 travel allowance to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America and a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of California.

In support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which was signed into law in the U.S. last December, all Breeders’ Cup Challenge races this year will not permit medications to be administered within 24 hours of race day.

“We look forward to the return of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series with horsemen from around the world participating in and taking advantage of the many incentives, such as automatic starting positions and paid entry fees, to qualify for the World Championships,” said Breeders’ Cup president and CEO Drew Fleming. “We also thank our international and domestic racetrack partners for their important work and dedication to support the Challenge Series.”

Highlights of this year’s Challenge Series include:

• Providing fans with a path to the World Championships, NBC Sports will televise the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, featuring 12 live programs in the U.S. this summer and fall.

• A record nine automatic berths will be awarded for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 4-year-old Cafe Pharoah became the first horse to qualify for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic when he won the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan on Feb. 16. The next automatic qualifier in the division will be the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26; followed by the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on July 3; the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 17; the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 7; the International Stakes (G1) at York in England on Aug. 18; the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 21; The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 4; and the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 2.

• In the U.S., there will be six win-and-you’re-in races for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff, starting with the Ogden Phipps (G1) on June 5 as part of the Belmont Stakes day program at Belmont Park. The Ogden Phipps will be followed by the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 26; the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar on Aug. 1; The Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 28; the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 3; and the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 3.

• The European leg of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series will begin with four races at the Royal Ascot meeting in England: The Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on June 15 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Mile; the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) on June 16 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Turf; the Norfolk Stakes (G2) on June 17 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) on June 19 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

• Three other prestigious European automatic qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) also are back: The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot on July 24; the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown on Sept. 11; and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 3, one of five Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the Arc day program.

• Canada will be represented by three Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races at Woodbine, led by the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 18 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and the Natalma Stakes with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Summer Stakes with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, both on Sept. 19.

The international portion of the series began on Dec. 19 when the 3-year-old Cool Day (ARG) captured the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (G1) at Hipodromo de San Isidro in Argentina to gain the first automatic starting berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Three more South American races will be part of the 2021 Challenge Series: the Gran Premio Criadores (G1) from Palermo in Argentina on May 1 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff; the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1) at Club Hipico in Chile on May 2 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Mile; and the Gran Premio Pamplona (G1) at Hipodromo de Monterrico in Peru on June 26 with an invitation to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

On Jan. 9 at Kenilworth Racecourse in South Africa, two horses gained win-and-you’re-in berths. The 3-year-old Jet Dark (SAF) won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (G1) for a free spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and the 5-year-old mare Queen Supreme (IRE) earned an automatic qualifying position into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf by winning the Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1). On March 21, Mike de Kock, trainer of Queen Supreme, indicated that she will be pointed to the World Championships this fall.

Last year, five Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series winners also won a World Championships race: Authentic (Haskell Stakes, G1) winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic; Tarnawa (IRE) (Prix de l’Opera, G1) winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf; Glass Slippers (GB) (Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes, G1) winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; Essential Quality (Breeders’ Futurity, G1) winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Jessamine Stakes, G2) winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.