(Newswire.net — November 1, 2022) — Whether or not you have previously attended a horse race, or are a more casual fan of horse racing in general, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships is a completely different ball game.
It’s one of the largest Flat race meetings in the entire world, with multiple well-known Grade 1 races like the Turf, Classic, and Breeders’ Cup Mile.
From the spectators who flock to the event to the competing horses themselves, you’ll find nothing but the very best at the Breeders’ Cup. And if you’re a beginner to this part of the horse racing industry, the information overload can feel pretty overwhelming.
In this article, we break down everything a beginner needs to know about the Breeders’ Cup.
What Is The Breeders Cup?
The Breeders Cup is considered the pinnacle of the horse racing industry. It is essentially an end-of-the-season series of elite Grade I Thoroughbred horse races held in North America every year.
The event is operated by a company known as Breeders’ Cup Limited, founded in 1982. It was a single-day event from its inception until 2006 but has remained a two-day event since 2007.
Due to this change, the Breeders’ Cup now consists of 14 races over an intense yet exciting two-day period. These showcase some of the greatest horses in multiple events and are a must-watch for horse racing fans and keen bettors.
If this interests you, you can check out the odds for this year’s races including the 2022 breeders cup juvenile for more information.
Tournament Structure
The majority of races in the Breeders’ Cup are officially capped at 14 horses, with some even capped at 12. Whether or not a horse qualifies for a race depends on many circumstances such as breed, age, and gender.
A maximum of 14 starters can enter the Championship races. Of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races that occur, 13 are Group One while the remaining race is Group Two.
There are also a couple of different races that vary in terms of their distance. Some average at 1 mile 3/8 furlongs whereas others are approximately between five and seven-furlong sprints.
Current Races
The races (and their overall purses) that are currently run across the Breeders’ Cup weekend are as follows:
- Classic – $6 million
- Turf – $4 million
- Juvenile – $2 million
- Filly and Mare Turf – $2 million
- Juvenile Fillies – $2 million
- Distaff – $2 million
- Mile – $2 million
- Sprint – $2 million
- Turf Sprint – $1 million
- Filly and Mare Sprint – $1 million
- Dirt Mile – $1 million
- Juvenile Turf Sprint – $1 million
- Juvenile Fillies Turf – $1 million
- Juvenile Turf – $1 million
There are multiple other events throughout the two days but these are the main races a beginner needs to know about.
How Horses Qualify For The Races
There are several ways a horse can qualify for a Breeders’ Cup race. This ranges from winning a race in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge or simply qualifying via a point ranking system that records the major wins, places, and races from the previous season.
Specifically, there are a couple of ways for a horse to earn a qualifying spot in the front starting gate of a title race, including wins and approval in the following: the Graded Stakes Points System, the Panel of Experts, and the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
The panel of expert selection usually makes up over half of the 14-race field.
Breeders Cup Challenge
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge features a series of races throughout the year that an owner or a trainer can enter their horse in. It is considered under the simple ‘win and you’re in’ format.
This has actively been used since 2007 and provides an easy fast track into the World Championships via free entry fees and an automatic selection into the race.
As simple as it may seem to be, if one of these horses goes on to win the race, they will automatically earn themselves a coveted spot in the Breeders’ Cup title race.
How Much Money Is On The Line?
It’s safe to say that the Breeders’ Cup is one of the richest events in modern sport. Over $31 million is paid out to foal nominators, owners, and stallion nominators in the form of awards and purses across the weekend.
Owners are paid through to the tenth overall finish position and, according to their terms, go on to share their winnings with the jockey and trainer.
Betting On the Event
Due to the popularity of the event, betting has become synonymous with almost every race in the Breeders Cup. For example, you can wager on the outcome of particular races or make predictions about a horse’s overall progress.
Betting on the Breeders’ Cup can sometimes be extremely beneficial. As it is America’s biggest racing event and one of the world’s most renowned festivals, there are huge returns always on the line.
Many bettors choose to place wagers online. This is one of the simplest ways to experience the races especially if you are new to the world of horse racing.
However, you can also place bets at the Teller. If you’re at the racetrack, navigate your way here and have the racetrack, race number, type of wager, betting amount, and the program number of your horse ready. You can then place your bets.
Dress Code
As one of the most anticipated annual international racing events, the Breeders’ Cup sees many of its spectators showing off their best formal race-day outfits. You can expect to see thousands of fedoras and fascinators dotted around the area!
Men are typically required to wear a coat and a tie while women are encouraged to wear a dress or other relevant race-day attire. The general rule of thumb is to choose formal or business casual clothing when attending the Breeders’ Cup.
Summary
This concludes just about everything a beginner should know about the Breeders Cup! Once you have familiarized yourself with the event you may even have the chance to learn far more about the specific wagering that occurs and how to receive significant returns!