Apple Blossom is added to Breeders' Cup challenge series
The Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap will serve as a win and in qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Breeders' Cup Limited and Oaklawn announced Thursday.
The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up will be the first Breeders' Cup Challenge race in the Distaff division this year. The 2026 Breeders' Cup world championships are scheduled Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
"The Apple Blossom Handicap has a long-standing reputation as one of the premier races for fillies and mares in North America," said Dora Delgado, Chief Racing Officer for Breeders' Cup Limited. "Its inclusion in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series underscores the race's championship quality and strengthens the pathway to the Breeders' Cup Distaff. We are proud to welcome Oaklawn and the Apple Blossom into the win & you're in program as part of our continued commitment to showcasing elite racing on the road to the Breeders' Cup world championships."
"This is a tremendous milestone for Oaklawn and for one of the most prestigious races in American racing," said Louis Cella, President of Oaklawn. "The Apple Blossom Handicap has long been a championship-caliber event, and earning Breeders' Cup win & you're in status reflects the quality of our racing product and the elite horses that continue to compete here."
First run in 1958, the Apple Blossom Handicap has been a cornerstone of Oaklawn's racing program for nearly seven decades. The race achieved Grade 1 status in 1982 and has held that distinction continuously since 1992. Its roll of honor includes champions such as Azeri, Zenyatta and most recently Thorpedo Anna.
As part of the Challenge Series benefits, Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees to the Distaff for the Apple Blossom winner (a $60,000 value). The nominator of the winning horse will receive a $10,000 award, provided the horse is nominated before the Challenge race. All Challenge winners also receive travel benefits to the World Championships: $10,000 for starters based outside of Kentucky in North America and $40,000 for international starters. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 19, 2026, to receive the rewards.