Santa Anita's Shoemaker Mile kicks off Breeders' Cup Challenge Series
As Santa Anita Park has resumed live racing at its current meeting, the Shoemaker Mile (G1) on Monday -- Memorial Day -- will mark the first race of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in the U.S.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receives automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held this year on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
The $300,000 Shoemaker Mile, run on turf for 3-year-olds and up, will provide the winner with a free berth into the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile.
The Shoemaker Mile will be televised live on TVG and NBCSN, with NBCSN coverage starting Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Entries will be taken Thursday for a race expected to include, among others, 2019 Preakness Stakes winner War of Will, last out Grade 1 winner River Boyne and Chad Brown shippers.
As part of the enhanced benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships’ pre-entry deadline of October 26 to receive the rewards.
“We congratulate Santa Anita on their return to racing and are excited that they will launch our first domestic Challenge Series race of year on Memorial Day with the Shoemaker Mile,” said Dora Delgado, executive vice president and chief racing officer. “With more racetracks opening over the next few weeks and setting their stakes schedules, we look forward to announcing our complete calendar of ‘Win and You’re In’ races for the summer and fall.”
Breeders’ Cup, in conjunction with NBC Sports, also will be announcing its 2020 schedule of live racing broadcasts for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in the coming weeks.