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The Breeders’ Cup is one of the biggest horse racing attractions on the planet, as it gives fans an opportunity to see superstars from around the world collide.
There has been no shortage of legendary moments throughout Breeders’ Cup history, which includes Flightline’s dominant success in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2022.
But, what makes the event so important on the calendar, and what are the things that spectators should be paying close attention to with an eye on the future?
Here is everything you need to know if you are a casual horse racing enthusiast or if you want to bet on the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Online.
Superstars From Around The Globe Compete
There are few events on the horse racing calendar like the Breeders’ Cup, as it attracts runners from around the globe to compete against each other. This is extremely rare throughout the rest of the season, as the biggest names in the equine world will have their sights set on major domestic prizes.
But, at the Breeders’ Cup, the world champions are crowned, with major prize money persuading runners and connections to take their chance in some of the hottest fields on planet earth.
More Than Just The Classic
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the main attraction at the annual North American event, with the race headlining the two-day meet. However, there is more to the event than just the lucrative dirt race, as there are championship races over a range of distances and terrains.
Aside from the dirt, some of the best horses in the world on the turf will be in action in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, while fillies and mares have the opportunity to land the biggest wins of their careers in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Overall, over the two days of action in North America, there are 14 huge championship races staged, which includes races for the juveniles, which are staged on the Friday of the Breeders’ Cup.
One Eye On The Future
As we mentioned, there is more to the Breeders’ Cup than just the Classic, as it gives fans a first glimpse at some of the superstars that we could expect to see dominating around the planet in the following year. The best two-year-olds on the dirt will be in action in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which could offer an early insight into the likely contenders for the following year’s Kentucky Derby. However, only three previous Juvenile winners have later landed Triple Crown success, including most recently Nyquist in 2016, who landed the Kentucky Derby.
The same goes for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, which could unearth a star worth following in the following year. In 2021, Modern games landed a dominant win in the Juvenile, before later claiming the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2022. Charlie Appleby’s Outstrip won the 2013 Juvenile Turf, before finishing a fine third in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
New International Threats
There are always fresh challengers emerging in the horse racing status quo to rock the boat and throw down new challenges. That was evident during the Dubai World Cup Carnival in early 2023, and it will be evident once again at the Breeders’ Cup later this year at Santa Anita. The biggest of the challenges will come from Japan. There were few runners from the nation in 2022 due to travel concerns, but due to the event being back in California in 2023, there will be no shortage of rivals for the top prizes.
The most notable of those could come in the form of Ushba Tesoro in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Noboru Takagi’s six-year-old has been in excellent form throughout the season, and scored a stunning win in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March. History could be made in November, as no Japanese-trained runner has ever won the Classic.