Led by star stablemates Knicks Go and Essential Quality within the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, a complete of 196 horses – together with a file 56 from abroad – have been pre-entered for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.
The thirty eighth Breeders’ Cup will provide 14 races with purses and awards totaling greater than $31 million. On “Future Stars Friday,” there will probably be 5 World Championships races solely for 2-year-olds. There will probably be 9 Breeders’ Cup races on the Saturday program.
Breeders’ Cup pre-entries by yr
|
Yr |
Monitor |
Pre-entries |
|
2021 |
Del Mar |
196 |
|
2020 |
Keeneland |
201 |
|
2019 |
Santa Anita Park |
188 |
|
2018 |
Churchill Downs |
221 |
|
2017 |
Del Mar |
187 |
|
2016 |
Santa Anita Park |
185 |
|
2015 |
Keeneland |
200 |
The 56 worldwide horses span seven nations: Nice Britain (26), Eire (17), Japan (8), France (2), Argentina (1), Peru (1), and South Africa (1).
Breeders’ Cup noticed eight returning winners pre-entered this yr in Knicks Go, Important High quality, Tarnawa, Audarya, Order of Australia, Gamine, Glass Slippers, and Golden Pal. Shortly after pre-entries have been introduced, coach Aidan O’Brien mentioned a setback would forestall final yr’s FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF winner Order of Australia from making the journey.
The variety of horses pre-entered this yr, 196, is comparable with the 201 pre-entered in final yr’s occasion at Keeneland. The quantity is up from 187 pre-entered for the 2017 occasion, which additionally was contested at Del Mar. That marked the primary yr Del Mar hosted Breeders’ Cup and this yr would be the second time the Southern California monitor hosts the occasion.
Click here for a listing off all the horses pre-entered in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup
From this yr’s group, 46 pre-entered horses earned computerized beginning positions into the World Championships races by means of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
“We’re very happy with the magnificent array of expertise of group and graded stakes winners from all over the world who’ve been pre-entered for this yr’s World Championships,” mentioned Breeders’ Cup president and CEO Drew Fleming. “Worldwide competitors at its highest degree is the hallmark of the Breeders’ Cup, and we thank the horsemen and girls who put together these excellent equine athletes for the most important races of their careers for his or her participation.
“We additionally thank our breeders and nominators, whose assist of our $31 million in purses and awards is a real testomony to their dedication to the Championships.”
The World Championships will probably be televised stay on NBC, NBCSN, and TVG. Protection is scheduled from 5-9 p.m. ET Nov. 5 on NBCSN and TVG and continues Nov. 6 on NBCSN and TVG from 2:30- 8 p.m. The World Championships conclude stay and in prime time on NBC from 8-9 p.m.
Korea Racing Authority‘s Knicks Go received final yr’s Huge Ass Followers Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile in file time at Keeneland. He’ll now attempt to add the occasion’s greatest prize, the Longines Basic.
“It might be a tremendous achievement,” coach Brad Cox mentioned, if Knicks Go may observe with a win within the Basic after his dominating Grime Mile win in 2020. “It might positively go down as one of many higher accomplishments because the inception of the Breeders’ Cup.”
Within the Basic Cox additionally will ship out Godolphin homebred Important High quality, who received final yr’s TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and this yr added a basic rating within the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets.
The Aga Khan‘s Tarnawa will attempt to defend her 2020 victory within the 1 1/2-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf as coach Dermot Weld has made that race first choice for the 5-year-old daughter of Shamardal. Tarnawa, who completed second in opposition to males within the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Oct. 3 at Longchamp, is also pre-entered within the 1 3/8-mile Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Weld mentioned Oct. 27 that Tarnawa has put collectively one other prime season and will probably be retired at yr’s finish. He mentioned since he had the choice to pre-enter each races he took benefit of the chance however thought the Turf can be the higher match.
The most well-liked race on the cardboard is the FanDuel Mile, which noticed 24 horses entered. The sphere is restricted to 14 starters.
The sphere with the fewest pre-entries is the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, the place simply seven horses are entered topped by Gamine, who will attempt to defend her 2020 victory on this race. The champion daughter of Into Mischief has received her 4 begins this yr, all graded stakes, together with the Ketel One Ballerina Handicap Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course.
The opposite returning winners embody Audarya, who will attempt to defend her 2020 win within the Filly and Mare Turf; Glass Slippers, trying to repeat within the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, and Golden Pal, who will do this yr’s Turf Dash after successful final yr’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
