2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series
The 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2018 Breeders' Cup, held on November 2 and 3. The Breeders' Cup also pays the entry fee and provides a travel allowance for the connections of the challenge race winners. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.
Summary
[edit]On April 18, 2018, the Breeders' Cup announced the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races. The main change was the addition of four "win and you're in" races from Royal Ascot: the Queen Anne Stakes provides a berth in the Mile division; the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) in the Turf; the Norfolk Stakes in the new Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in the Turf Sprint.[1] The Jaipur Invitational was also added as a qualifier for the Turf Sprint. The following races were removed from the series: the TJ Smith (Turf Sprint), the Smile Sprint (Sprint), the T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis (Filly & Mare Turf) and the Grosser Preis von Baden (Turf).[2] On June 25, three more races were added to the challenge series as qualifiers for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. These were the Futurity at Belmont Park, the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland and a new race at Santa Anita,[3] subsequently named the Speakeasy Stakes.
A record 221 pre-entries were taken on October 24. Twelve races, including the Classic, were over-subscribed, meaning more than 14 horses (12 in the Juvenile Turf Sprint) wished to enter. Forty-eight of the pre-entries were automatic qualifiers through the Challenge series.[4]
The following automatic qualifiers also won their division of the Breeders' Cup:
- Sistercharlie automatically qualified by winning the Beverley D and went on to win the Filly & Mare Turf
- Accelerate, winner of the Classic, automatically qualified by winning both the Pacific Classic and Awesome Again
- Game Winner qualified by winning the FrontRunner, then won the Juvenile
- Roy H won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship before winning the Sprint
- Jaywalk won both the Frizette and Juvenile Fillies
Automatic Qualifiers
[edit]The winners of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge races are shown below. The status column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup division and if so, if they won. The status column also shows a few horses that had been sidelined by injury or retired prior to the running of the Breeders' Cup.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "18 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Features 82 Races in 12 Countries Awarding Automatic Berths, Travel and Paid Entry Fees Into World Championships". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "The Breeders' Cup Challenge". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Breeders' Cup Adds Three Challenge Races for New Race". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ Angst, Frank. "Record 221 Pre-Entries for 2018 Breeders' Cup". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "2018 BC Pre-entries" (PDF). bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Hunt Declared from BC Mile as Divisidero Draws In". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Grade 1 Winner Bee Jersey Retired With Tendon Injury". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Poet's Word Out for Remainder of Year Due to Injury". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Poet's Word Out for Remainder of Year Due to Injury". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Champion Good Magic Retired to Hill 'n' Dale Farms". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ "Grade 1 Winner Unique Bella Retired From Racing". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Diversify to skip Breeders' Cup Classic, per owner Ralph Evans". live.drf.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ "Alpha Centauri and Saxon Warrior Retired With Injuries". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Laurens to Bypass Breeders' Cup". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ "Breeders' Cup Classic Bid an Option for Roaring Lion". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.