Location North America Website www.breederscup.com Surface Dirt | Inaugurated 1984 Distance 6 furlongs ( ⁄4 mile) | |
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing | ||
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( 3⁄4 mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Contents
Automatic Berths
Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed The Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the thirteen divisions has between two and twelve of these "Win and You're In" qualifying races.
In the Breeders' Cup Sprint Division, the number of runners is limited to 14 and there are up to six automatic berths. Note though that one horse may win multiple challenge races, while other challenge winners will not be entered in the Breeders' Cup for a variety of reasons such as injury or travel considerations.
The 2016 "Win and You're In" races are:
- the Smile Sprint Handicap, a Grade 2 race run in July at Gulfstream Park in Florida
- the Bing Crosby Handicap, a Grade 1 race run in July at Del Mar racetrack in California
- the Forego Stakes, a Grade 1 race run in August at Saratoga race course in upstate New York
- the Vosburgh Stakes, a Grade 1 race run in October at Belmont Park in New York
- the Phoenix Stakes, a Grade 3 race at Keeneland in Kentucky
- the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita Park in California
Records
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner: