The History of Breeders Cup

Breeders Cup has run since 1984. There have been some changes which the Breeders Cup has undergone over the years. The Breeders Cup has since been extended to a two day horse racing extravaganza from a one day event. To this effect, the Breeders Cup has become a popular event worldwide. There is various different races type that takes place over the two-day event: there is the one for Friday which include: Breeders’ Cup Marathon worth half a million dollars, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (worth a million),Breeders Cup Ladies’ Classic (worth 2m), Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (worth 1m) ,etc .

For Saturday, there is Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf (1M), Breeders cup Sprint (1M) etc. The mare sprint as well as the filly, the dirt mile and the juvenile turf did not pass the eligibility to be graded in 2007 or 2008. Unable to be graded also in 2009, were the Turf Sprint, Marathon and the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

A requirement by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is that for a race to be graded, it should run for two years under the same conditions. Grading of North American stakes races is controlled by this body

The Dirt Mile, Filly & Mare Sprint in 2009 became grade I races whilst the juvenile Turf was given grade II. However, Juvenile Turf is the first breeders’ cup race yet to get a grade I status. The racing category, under which it falls, does not have US Grade I events. That is there are no two-year olds on the turf. Turf Sprint and Juvenile Fillies Turf received grade II status in 2010. The marathon in turn, became grade III. The remainder of the races maintained their earlier grading.

Dirt Mile was in 2007 run over 1 mile and 70 yards, while Filly & Mare Sprint was in the 2007 sprint, run over six furlongs. The requirement of these distances was as a result of the dirt track’s configuration which took place at the Breeders’ Cup of 2007 located at Monmouth Park