Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Breeders' Cup Turf

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Location
  
North America

Race type
  
Thoroughbred

Distance
  
1 ⁄2 miles

Inaugurated
  
1984

Website
  
Breeders' Cup Turf

Surface
  
Turf

The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.

Contents

The forerunner for this race was the Washington, D.C. International Stakes at Laurel Park Racecourse. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced on turf at  1 1⁄2 miles and drew the best horses from North America and Europe. A winner of this race was the American legend Kelso, albeit on his fourth attempt, after being second three times in a row.

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 Turf Division, runners are limited to 14 with up to eleven 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 25 de Mayo, a Group 1 race run in May at Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina
  2. the Grande Prêmio Brasil, a Grade 1 race run in June at Hipódromo da Gávea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  3. the Takarazuka Kinen, a Grade 1 race run in June at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan
  4. the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a Group 1 race run in July at Ascot Racecourse in England
  5. the Arlington Million, a Grade 1 race run in August at Arlington Park in Illinois
  6. the Juddmonte International, a Group 1 race run in August at York Racecourse in England
  7. the Del Mar Handicap, a Grade 2 race run in August at Del Mar Racetrack in California
  8. the Sword Dancer Invitational, a Grade 1 race run in August at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York
  9. the Grosser Preis von Baden, a Group 1 race run in September at Baden-Baden racecourse in Germany
  10. the Irish Champion Stakes, a Group 1 race run in September at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland
  11. the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, a Grade 1 race run in October at Belmont Park in New York

Records

Most wins:

  • 2 - Conduit (2008, 2009)
  • 2 - High Chaparral (2002, 2003)

    • Most wins by a jockey:

  • 4 - Frankie Dettori (1999, 2001, 2006, 2010)
  • 4 - Ryan Moore (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015)

    • Most wins by a trainer:

  • 6 - Aidan O'Brien (2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)

    • Most wins by an owner:

  • 6 - Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith (2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)

    • Winners of the Breeders' Cup Turf

    † Indicates filly/mare

    References

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