Note: Friday Breeders' Cup results are here.
The Breeders' Cup World Championships celebrates its 25th renewal this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Fourteen championship races will be run over the 2 days, with large, well-matched fields in each. Final entries were taken today, and post positions were drawn and morning line odds assigned at a special lunchtime ceremony at the Frontrunner Restaurant at the track. With the extra races added, a record 180 horses were pre-entered for this year's Breeders' Cup, including 35 horses from overseas. Seven former or defending champions are among those entered this year: Curlin (2007 Classic), Midnight Lute (2007 Sprint), Kip Deville (2007 Mile), Indian Blessing (2007 Juvenile Fillies), Ginger Punch (2007 Distaff, now named Ladies' Classic), Better Talk Now (2004 Turf), and Red Rocks (2006 Turf).
Curlin, defending Classic champion and Horse of the Year, is the 7-5 morning line favorite this year, but Zenyatta, heavily favored at 3-5 in the Ladies' Classic (formerly the Distaff), may be the shortest odds horse on either day. Last year's Juvenile Fillies champion Indian Blessing is 2-1 for the Filly and Mare Sprint. Race order and post times are shown below.
There are many changes to the Breeders' Cup World Championships this year with the number of races expanded to 14 held over two days with total purses of $25.5 million up for grabs. Friday will be Ladies Day with five races for the distaff divisions with the feature race being the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (formerly the Breeders' Cup Distaff) worth $2 million. Saturday will have nine races ranging from the 6 furlong Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) to the new 1 1/2 mile Breeders' Cup Marathon, with the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) still the feature race on Saturday.
Television coverage for the Breeders' Cup will be on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 with the schedule so far being:
- Friday, October 24, 3:30-6:30 ET on ESPN2
- Saturday, October 25, 1:30-3:30 ET on ABC
- Saturday, October 25, 3:30-7:00 ET on ESPN
Here are the races with purses, conditions, and post times for both days. Just click the race names to see the horses entered with post position and morning line odds, plus each horse's name links to a detailed profile for him or her. A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the races, with the exception of the Juvenile Turf, Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Dirt Mile, which are limited to 12 starters. Good luck with your handicapping and enjoy what should be a spectacular day of racing at its finest. Note that all post times are Eastern Daylight Time.
- Friday October 24
- Sentient Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint; 7 furlongs; 3 Year Olds & Up; Fillies & Mares; $1 Million; post time 3:35pm
- Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1); 1 1/16 miles; 2 Year Old Fillies; $2 Million; post time 4:15pm
- Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; 1 mile (Turf); 2 Year Old Fillies; $1 Million; post time 4:55pm
- Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1); 1 1/4 miles (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up Fillies & Mares; $2 Million; post time 5:35pm
- Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1); 1 1/8 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; Fillies & Mares; $2 Million; post time 6:15pm
- Saturday October 25
- Breeders' Cup Marathon; 1 1/2 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; $500,000; post time 1:10pm
- Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; 6 1/2 Furlongs (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $1 Million; post time 1:50pm
- TVG Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; 1 Mile; 3 Year Olds & Up; $1 Million; post time 2:30pm
- Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); 1 mile (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $2 Million; post time 3:15pm
- Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1); 1 1/16 miles; 2 Year Old Colts & Geldings; $2 Million; post time 3:55pm
- Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf; 1 Mile (Turf); 2 Year Olds; $1 Million; post time 4:35pm
- Sentient Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1); 6 Furlongs; 3 Year Olds & Up; $2 Million; post time 5:15pm
- Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (G1); 1 1/2 miles (Turf); 3 Year Olds & Up; $3 Million; post time 6:00pm
- Breeders' Cup Classic (G1); 1 1/4 miles; 3 Year Olds & Up; $5 Million; post time 6:45pm
Here are some useful links for more Breeders' Cup info:
- Free past performances for the Breeders' Cup races:
Friday Races: Saturday Races:- Marathon - none available
- Turf Sprint
- Dirt Mile
- Mile
- Juvenile
- Juvenile Turf
- Sprint
- Turf
- Classic
- Tuesday Breeders' Cup Workout Photos - 10 more horses on the track Tuesday, including a timed turf work by Idiot Proof.
- Monday Breeders' Cup Workout Photos - Lots of horses on the track Monday, including a timed work by Curlin.
- Breeders' Cup Weather - Here are lots of places to find out the forecast for the big day.
- Review: Crushing the Cup 2008 by Jim Mazur and Peter Mallet. Great anybody wanting to bet the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park with tons of stats, angles, and biases for all the races.
- Free Prep Replays - Unfortunately this is all Flash now. Go to the Breeders' Cup home page, click "Races & Video" and then "Videos" to view the prep races.
- Breeders' Cup Links - the master list with even more info
- The Breeders' Cup Championship Day - The official page for the Breeders' Cup championship races. Just about anything you need to know about it: results, video clips, and race calls for past years, and eventually nominations, entries, and results.
- Points Standings - from the Breeders' Cup with supplements and injuries indicated
- TV Schedule - for all the preps and other programming leading up to the big day
- Breeders' Cup Supplemental Entries - past supplements and how they fared
- Blood Horse Countdown to the Cup - Contenders, news, history and more
- DRF Breeders' Cup coverage - news, handicapping, and more.
- Thoroughbred Times Breeders' Cup Coverage - News, contender profiles, stats, history, and more.
- The Downey Profile Breeders' Cup Special - analysis of each horse in each race
- European News - the latest on the Euro contenders from Sporting Life
- 2007 Breeders' Cup Results and Coverage
