Every year, the road comes World Championship Breeders Cup began months ago with a series of so-called qualifying races Breeders Cup challenge series. The series has expanded over the years and continually gives fans and bettors a preview of some of the runners who will vie for Breeders’ Cup glory in the fall. Each Challenge Series race winner will receive an automatic qualifying entry, with fees paid, into the respective Breeders’ Cup Race—as depicted in the series’ popular tag line, “Win and You’re In”.
Here’s some information to know about the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series leading up to the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, at Del Mar in Southern California.
1. This year marks the 17th year of the Breeders Cup Challenge Series. The Breeders’ Cup World Championship dates back more than two decades, first held in 1984.
2. The 2024 Challenge Series actually begins in 2023 with the series’ first race being the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini runs at San Isidro Racecourse in Argentina. That race was a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) and it was won by a horse named El Encinal.
3. The first three domestic “Win and You’re In” races are held on the June 8 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets undercard at Saratoga Race Course. National treasure , Random And Cogburn won the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) and Jaipur Stakes (G1T) and earned automatic entries to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), respectively.
4. Television coverage of Challenge Series races can be found on a total of five live broadcasts on NBC, CNBC and FOX throughout the year. The first takes place Saturday, July 20 on NBC starting at 5pm ET with the Haskell Invitational Stakes, which is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). News on NBC and CNBC will be streamed live on Peacock and NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. More races in the Challenge Series this summer and fall will be broadcast on FanDuel TV, including international races from England’s prestigious Royal Ascot meet in June and from Longchamp Racecourse in France in October.
5. The challenge series began in 2007 with 24 “Win and you’re in” races from two countries. By 2014, it included 71 races across 13 countries. In 2024, there are 82 races in the series that will take place in 12 countries.
6. Following a successful restructuring in 2022, the 2024 US series will again feature a regional qualifying program to balance regional competition across the country. In 10 of the 14 race divisions, there will be one Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race for each division, identified as East, Midwest and West. The Breeders’ Cup will boost these regional rivalries on the road to the World Championship. All North American Challenge races must be graded or group bet to be included in the series.
7. A new country will be included in the 2024 Challenge Series: South Korea. Two races held at Seoul Racecourse on September 8 will reserve spots in the World Championship at Del Mar: Korea Cup (Dirt Mile) and Korea Sprint (Breeders’ Cup Sprint) [G1]). Both are recognized as group 3 stakes under the International Category Standard, which sets criteria for quality in races held worldwide. The Korean addition follows Japan’s recent success in the Breeders’ Cup, represented by two winners in 2021 and runner-up at last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Derma Sotogake .
8. In 2024, 42 Challenge Series winners participated in the Breeders Cup World Championship at Santa Anita Park | BloodHorse.com Tracking Profile”>Santa Anita Park. Eight of them won their respective divisional Breeders’ Cup races.
9. 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio led the octet of Challenge Series winners that won last year’s Breeders’ Cup races.
10. Six “Win and Go” races for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup will be held at Del Mar, site of this year’s World Championship and also the 42nd Breeders’ Cup in 2025.
