| Grade I race | |
|---|---|
| Breeders' Cup Classic | |
The first turn in the 2007 Classic |
|
| Location | North America |
| Inaugurated | 1984 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Website | www.breederscup.com |
| 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); fillies and mares allowed 3 pounds. |
| Purse | US$5 million |
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. All of the races to date have been held in the United States except for the 1996 edition held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada.
The Classic is considered by many to be the premier thoroughbred horse race of the year in the U.S., and for 2008 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 four winners of the race between 2004 and 2007—respectively Ghostzapper, Saint Liam, Invasor, and Curlin. 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.
Contents |
Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed "The Breeders' Cup Challenge," a series of races in each division that alloted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has between three and six of these "Win and You're In" qualifiers. In the Breeders' Cup Classic Division there are four automatic berths. In 2009, the Win and You're In races were: the Whitney Handicap, a Grade I race at Saratoga Race Course; the Washington Park Handicap, a Grade III race at Arlington Park; the Pacific Classic Stakes, a Grade I race at Del Mar; and the Goodwood Stakes, a Grade I race at Santa Anita Park.
Stakes record:
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time | Purse | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Drosselmeyer | 4 | Mike E. Smith | William I. Mott | WinStar Farm LLC | 2:04.27 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2010 | Blame | 4 | Garrett Gomez | Albert M. Stall, Jr. | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider |
2:02.28 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2009 | Zenyatta† | 5 | Mike E. Smith | John Shirreffs | Jerry & Ann Moss | 2:00.32 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2008 | Raven's Pass | 3 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Princess Haya of Jordan Darley Racing |
1:59.27 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2007 | Curlin | 3 | Robby Albarado | Steve Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables et al. | 2:00.59 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2006 | Invasor | 4 | Fernando Jara | Kiaran McLaughlin | Shadwell Racing | 2:02.18 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2005 | Saint Liam | 5 | Jerry Bailey | Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. | M/M William K. Warren, Jr. | 2:01.49 | $5,000,000 | I |
| 2004 | Ghostzapper | 4 | Javier Castellano | Robert J. Frankel | Stronach Stables | 1:59.02+ | $4,000,000 | I |
| 2003 | Pleasantly Perfect | 5 | Alex Solis | Richard Mandella | Diamond A Racing Corp. | 1:59.88 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 2002 | Volponi | 4 | Jose Santos | Phillip G. Johnson | Amherst & Spruce Pond Stables | 2:01.39 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 2001 | Tiznow | 4 | Chris McCarron | Jay M. Robbins | Cee's Stables | 2:00.62 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 2000 | Tiznow | 3 | Chris McCarron | Jay M. Robbins | Cooper & Straub-Rubens | 2:00.75 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 1999 | Cat Thief | 3 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1:59.52 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 1998 | Awesome Again | 4 | Pat Day | Patrick B. Byrne | Stronach Stables | 2:02.16 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 1997 | Skip Away | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Sonny Hine | Carolyn Hine | 1:59.16 | $4,400,000 | I |
| 1996 | Alphabet Soup | 5 | Chris McCarron | David Hofmans | Ridder Thoroughbred Stable | 2:01.00 | $4,000,000 | I |
| 1995 | Cigar | 5 | Jerry Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1:59.58 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1994 | Concern | 3 | Jerry Bailey | Richard W. Small | Robert E. Meyerhoff | 2:02.41 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1993 | Arcangues | 5 | Jerry Bailey | Andre Fabre | Daniel Wildenstein | 2:00.83 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1992 | A.P. Indy | 3 | Ed Delahoussaye | Neil Drysdale | Tsurumaki/Farish/Kilroy/Goodman | 2:00.20 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1991 | Black Tie Affair | 5 | Jerry Bailey | Ernie T. Poulos | Jeffrey Sullivan | 2:02.95 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1990 | Unbridled | 3 | Pat Day | Carl Nafzger | Frances A. Genter | 2:02.20 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1989 | Sunday Silence | 3 | Chris McCarron | Charlie Whittingham | H-G-W Partners | 2:00.20 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1988 | Alysheba | 4 | Chris McCarron | Jack Van Berg | Dorothy & Pamela Scharbauer | 2:04.80 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1987 | Ferdinand | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Charlie Whittingham | Elizabeth A. Keck | 2:01.40 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1986 | Skywalker | 4 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Michael Whittingham | Oak Cliff Stables | 2:00.40 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1985 | Proud Truth | 3 | Jorge Velasquez | John M. Veitch | Darby Dan Farm | 2:00.80 | $3,000,000 | I |
| 1984 | Wild Again | 4 | Pat Day | Vincent Timphony | Black Chip Stable | 2:03.40 | $3,000,000 | I |
† Indicates filly/mare
+ Race record
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