Harman Patil (Editor)

Breeders' Cup Distaff

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Location
  
North America

Surface
  
Dirt

Inaugurated
  
1984

Track
  
left-handed

Race type
  
Thoroughbred - Flat racing

Distance
  
1 ⁄8 miles (9 Furlongs)

The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Contents

Starting with the 2008 Breeders' Cup, the Distaff will be the final race on the first day of the two-day event.

Distance : 1 1⁄4 miles (1984–1987); 1 1⁄8 miles (1988 to present).

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 the winners of defined races. Each of the thirteen divisions has between two and ten of these "Win and You're In" qualifying races.

In the Breeders' Cup Distaff Division the number of runners is limited to 14 with up to seven 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:

  1. the Gran Premio Criadores, a Group 1 race run in May at Hipódromo de Palermo in Argentina
  2. the Ogden Phipps Stakes, a Grade 1 race run in June at Belmont Park in New York
  3. the Fleur de Lis Handicap, a Grade 2 race run in June at Churchill Downs in Kentucky
  4. the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, a Grade 1 race run in July at Del Mar Racetrack in California
  5. the Personal Ensign Handicap, a Grade 1 race run in August at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York
  6. Zenyatta Stakes, a Grade 1 race run in October at Santa Anita Park in California
  7. the Spinster Stakes, a Grade 1 race at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky

Records

Most wins:

  • 2 - Bayakoa (ARG) (1989, 1990)
  • 2 - Royal Delta (2011, 2012)
  • 2 - Beholder (2013, 2016)

    • Stakes record: Not applicable, as the race is run at different tracks

    Most wins by a jockey:

  • 5 - Mike Smith (1995, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2012)

    • Most wins by a trainer:

  • 5 - William I. Mott (1997, 1998, 2010, 2011, 2012)

    • Most wins by an owner:

  • 3 - Allen Paulson (1997, 1998, 2002)

    • Winners of the Breeders' Cup Distaff

    † - 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 races were run at 1 1⁄4 miles

    References

    Breeders' Cup Distaff Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA