Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic

Grade I race
Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic
Location	North America
Inaugurated	1984
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance	1⅛ miles (9 Furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Fillies & Mare, three-years-old & up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	US$2,000,000

The Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff from its inception in 1984 through 2007, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Starting with the 2008 Breeders' Cup, the Ladies' Classic will be the final race on the first day of the two-day event.

Distance : 1 1/4 miles (1984-1987); 1 1/8 miles (1988 to present).

Automatic berths

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 Ladies Classic Division there are four automatic births. In 2009 the Win and You're In races are: the Delaware Handicap, a grade one race at Delaware Park Racetrack, the Ruffian Handicap a grade one race at Saratoga Race Course, the Lady's Secret Stakes a grade one race at Santa Anita and the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes a grade one race at Keeneland Race Course.

Records

Most wins:

• 2 - Bayakoa (1989, 1990)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 - Mike E. Smith (1995, 1997, 2002, 2008)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 - D. Wayne Lukas (1985, 1986, 1987, 2000)
• 4 - William I. Mott (1997, 1998, 2010, 2011)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Allen E. Paulson (1997, 1998, 2002)

Winners of the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic since 1984

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time	Purse	Grade
2011	Royal Delta	3	Jose Lezcano	William I. Mott	Palides Investments	1:50.78	$2,000,000	I
2010	Unrivaled Belle	4	Kent Desormeaux	William I. Mott	Gary Seidler & Peter Vegso	1:50.04	$2,000,000	I
2009	Life Is Sweet	4	Garrett K. Gomez	John Shirreffs	Pam & Martin Wygod	1:48.58	$2,000,000	I
2008	Zenyatta	4	Mike E. Smith	John Shirreffs	Ann & Jerry Moss	1:46.85	$2,000,000	I
2007	Ginger Punch	4	Rafael Bejarano	Robert J. Frankel	Stronach Stables	1:50.11	$2,000,000	I
2006	Round Pond	4	Edgar Prado	Michael R. Matz	Fox Hill Farm	1:50.50	$2,000,000	I
2005	Pleasant Home	4	Cornelio Velasquez	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	1:48.34	$2,000,000	I
2004	Ashado	3	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	Starlight Stables et al.	1:48.26	$1,000,000	I
2003	Adoration	4	Pat Valenzuela	David Hofmans	Amerman Racing	1:49.17	$1,000,000	I
2002	Azeri	4	Mike E. Smith	Laura de Seroux	Allen E. Paulson	1:48.64	$1,000,000	I
2001	Unbridled Elaine	3	Pat Day	Dallas Stewart	Roger J. Devenport	1:49.21	$1,000,000	I
2000	Spain	3	Victor Espinoza	D. Wayne Lukas	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:47.66	$1,000,000	I
1999	Beautiful Pleasure	4	Jorge F. Chavez	John T. Ward, Jr.	John C. Oxley	1:47.56	$1,000,000	I
1998	Escena	5	Gary Stevens	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	1:49.89	$1,000,000	I
1997	Ajina	3	Mike E. Smith	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	1:47.20	$1,000,000	I
1996	Jewel Princess	4	Corey Nakatani	Wallace Dollase	M & R Stephen/TTC	1:48.40	$1,000,000	I
1995	Inside Information	4	Mike E. Smith	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	1:46.15	$1,000,000	I
1994	One Dreamer	6	Gary Stevens	Thomas F. Proctor	Glen Hill Farm	1:50.79	$1,000,000	I
1993	Hollywood Wildcat	3	Ed Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	Irving & Marjorie Cowan	1:48.35	$1,000,000	I
1992	Paseana	5	Chris McCarron	Ron McAnally	Sidney H. Craig	1:48.17	$1,000,000	I
1991	Dance Smartly	3	Pat Day	James E. Day	Sam-Son Farm	1:50.95	$1,000,000	I
1990	Bayakoa	6	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Ron McAnally	Janis & Frank Whitham	1:49.20	$1,000,000	I
1989	Bayakoa	5	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Ron McAnally	Janis & Frank Whitham	1:47.40	$1,000,000	I
1988	Personal Ensign	4	Randy Romero	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Phipps	1:52.00	$1,000,000	I
1987	Sacahuista	3	Randy Romero	D. Wayne Lukas	B. A. Beal & L. R. French, Jr.	2:02.80†	$1,000,000	I
1986	Lady's Secret	4	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	Eugene V. Klein	2:01.20†	$1,000,000	I
1985	Life's Magic	4	Angel Cordero, Jr.	D. Wayne Lukas	Mel Hatley/Eugene V. Klein	2:02.00†	$1,000,000	I
1984	Princess Rooney	4	Ed Delahoussaye	Neil Drysdale	Paula J. Tucker	2:02.40†	$1,000,000	I

† - 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 races were run at 1 1/4 miles

See also

• Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic "top three finishers" and starters
• Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships
• Breeders' Cup Classic (companion race)
• American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events

External links

• Official Breeders' Cup website