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Breeders' Cup 2024: Dates, venue, race times, history and more

The Breeders' Cup is an annual series held in the United States where the best racehorses from around the world come together to compete for a number of Grade One prizes run over a variety of distances.

The highlight of the two-day meeting every year is the The Breeders' Cup Classic, which is a race for three-year-olds run on the dirt over a distance of 1m2f and it was won by White Abarrio in 2023.

Breeders' Cup date

The 2024 Breeders Cup meeting will take place on Friday 1st November 2024 and Saturday 2nd November 2024.

Breeders' Cup venue

The 2024 Breeders' Cup will take place at Del Mar in San Diego, California.

Breeders' Cup races and times

Breeders' Cup Friday races

9:45 - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
10:25 - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
11:05 - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
11:45 - Breeders' Cup Juvenile
12:25 - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Breeders' Cup Saturday races

7:00 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
7:41 - Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
8:21 - Breeders' Cup Distaff
9:01 - Breeders' Cup Turf
9:41 - Breeders' Cup Classic
10:25 - Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
11:05 - Breeders' Cup Sprint
11:45 - Breeders' Cup Mile
12:25 - Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Breeders' Cup history

The Breeders' Cup was created to bookend the calendar year for Thoroughbred racing and to attract horses from North America and Europe alike.

The competition's inception was from John R. Gaines, a well-known owner and breeder, in an attempt to help boost the sport's image and get the attention of a national audience. 

The inaugural Breeders' Cup took place at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles on 10th November in 1984. 

The event underwent a big change in 2006, expanding from one day to two. Before it moved to the two-day format, the Breeders' Cup was considered the richest day in sports. 

The only time the Breeders' Cup was held outside of the United States was back in 1996 when it headed to the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. 

Breeders' Cup most successful trainer

Darrell Wayne Lukas is the most successful trainer in Breeders’ Cup history, having saddled 20 winners with the 1999 success of Cat Thief in the Classic the personal highlight.

However, the 88-year-old record is in danger with Bob Baffert and Aidan O'Brien both on 18 wins, Chad Brown on 16 and Todd Pletcher on 14.

Breeders' Cup most successful jockey

Mike Smith is the most decorated jockey at the Breeders Cup, having recorded 27 wins which includes four Classic successes.

The first of those came back in 1997 aboard Skip Away and the latest came in 2016 when he partnered Arrogate to victory for Baffert.

Breeders' Cup famous winners

The 1987 version of the Breeders Cup Classic saw two Kentucky Derby winners, Alysheba and Ferdinand, face off for the first time in the event. The race came down to a photo finish, as Ferdinand conquered Alysheba by a nose.

Zenyatta, having won the Distaff in 2008 and Classic in 2009 and earning $4,680,000 in prize money from those successes, would be one of the most famous winners in Breeders Cup history.

Tiznow, who won the Breeders Cup Classic in 2000 & 2001 and collected $4,560,400 in prize money as a result, was extremely popular for trainer Jay M. Robbins.

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