Breeders' Cup Classic

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Grade I race
Breeders' Cup Classic

The first turn in the 2007 Classic
Location Varies; usually in the United States (once in Canada)
Inaugurated 1984
Race type Thoroughbred
Website Breeders' Cup Classic
Race information
Distance 1¼ miles
Track Dirt, Left-handed
Qualification 3-year-olds and up
Weight 4-year-olds and up: 126 lb (57.2 kg)
Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 lb (55.3 kg)
Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 lb (53.1 kg)
Purse US$5 million

The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. The 2007 race was held at Monmouth Park.

Weights for the race are:

  • 4-year-olds and up: 126 pounds (57.2 kg)
  • Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 pounds (55.3 kg)
  • Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 pounds (53.1 kg)
    • The reason for the difference in weight between 3-year-olds is that thoroughbreds foaled in the Northern Hemisphere increase in age for racing purposes on January 1, while Southern Hemisphere thoroughbreds do not increase in age until August 1.

The Classic is considered by many to be the premier thoroughbred horse race of the year, and for 2006 only the Dubai World Cup surpassed its $5 million purse. Often, the winner goes on to win U.S. Horse of the Year honors, as have the last four winners of the race—Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), Invasor (2006), and Curlin (2007). Due to the extremely high quality of horses in the event, the race is notoriously hard to predict. One notable example of an underdog winning the Classic is the victory of Arcangues in 1993. This was the biggest upset in Breeders' Cup history and his $269.20 payoff for a $2 wager remains a Breeders' Cup record.

[edit] Winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
2007 Curlin 3 Robby Albarado Steve Asmussen Padua Stables et al 2:00.59
2006 Invasor 4 Fernando Jara Kiaran McLaughlin Shadwell Racing 2:02.18
2005 Saint Liam 5 Jerry Bailey Richard Dutrow, Jr. M/M William K. Warren, Jr. 2:01.49
2004 Ghostzapper 4 Javier Castellano Robert J. Frankel Stronach Stables 1:59.02
2003 Pleasantly Perfect 5 Alex Solis Richard Mandella Diamond A Racing Corp. 1:59.88
2002 Volponi 4 Jose Santos Phillip G. Johnson Amherst & Spruce Pond Stables 2:01.39
2001 Tiznow 4 Chris McCarron Jay M. Robbins Cee's Stables 2:00.62
2000 Tiznow 3 Chris McCarron Jay M. Robbins Cooper & Straub-Rubens 2:00.75
1999 Cat Thief 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas Overbrook Farm 1:59.52
1998 Awesome Again 4 Pat Day Patrick B. Byrne Stronach Stables 2:02.16
1997 Skip Away 4 Mike E. Smith Sonny Hine Carolyn Hine 1:59.16
1996 Alphabet Soup 5 Chris McCarron David Hofmans Ridder Thoroughbred Stable 2:01.00
1995 Cigar 5 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 1:59.58
1994 Concern 3 Jerry Bailey Richard W. Small Robert E. Meyerhoff 2:02.41
1993 Arcangues 5 Jerry Bailey Andre Fabre Daniel Wildenstein 2:00.83
1992 A.P. Indy 3 Ed Delahoussaye Neil Drysdale Tsurumaki/Farish/Kilroy/Goodman 2:00.20
1991 Black Tie Affair 5 Jerry Bailey Ernie T. Poulos Jeffrey Sullivan 2:02.95
1990 Unbridled 3 Pat Day Carl Nafzger Frances A. Genter 2:02.20
1989 Sunday Silence 3 Chris McCarron Charlie Whittingham H-G-W Partners 2:00.20
1988 Alysheba 4 Chris McCarron Jack Van Berg Dorothy & Pamela Scharbauer 2:04.80
1987 Ferdinand 4 Bill Shoemaker Charlie Whittingham Elizabeth A. Keck 2:01.40
1986 Skywalker 4 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Michael Whittingham Oak Cliff Stables 2:00.40
1985 Proud Truth 3 Jorge Velasquez John M. Veitch Darby Dan Farm 2:00.80
1984 Wild Again 4 Pat Day Vincent Timphony Black Chip Stable 2:03.40

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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