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The high-quality action on the horse racing calendar draws to its gripping conclusion annually with the staging of the Breeders’ Cup. Superstar equines from across the world travel to compete in North America, with some of the biggest purses of the season on offer.
This year’s event promises to be one of the most historic in recent history, with a number of compelling narratives worth following. You can find out everything that you need to know about this year’s edition and how to bet the 2024 Breeders' Cup online here.
When & Where Is The Breeders’ Cup?
The Breeders’ Cup will be staged for the third time at Del Mar in 2024, while the same track will also have hosting responsibilities for the 2025 event. The action on track gets underway on Friday, November 1, as the finest juveniles take to the dirt and turf to compete for lucrative purses.
Meanwhile, the main day of the two-day meet will take place on Saturday, November 2, with the card headlined by the lucrative and prestigious Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Breeders’ Cup Races
The 41st edition of the Breeders’ Cup will feature 14 races across the two-day meet, with the prize money ranging from $1 million to $8 million. Friday is all about the horses aged two, with the action getting underway with the Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf are the next two races, before the action rounds off with the Juvenile and Juvenile Turf.
Saturday will be the opportunity to see some of the biggest equine stars on the flat, with nine Grade Ones on the card. The Dirt Mile and Filly & Mare Turf kick off the card, before the Filly & Mare Sprint and Mile are likely to serve as the next two races.
Sprinters will be in action in the Sprint and Turf Sprint, while championship races for male and female horses on the turf and dirt come in the forms of the Distaff, Turf, and Classic.
Breeders’ Cup Records
The Breeders’ Cup has helped create some of the most iconic moments in the sport’s history, and it has typically been the event where the legendary stars have reached new heights. Mike Smith remains the most successful jockey in Breeders’ Cup history, landing four Classic victories among his 27 wins at the event.
D. Wayne Lukas is the most successful trainer with 20 victories, which includes a Classic success in 1999 with the legendary Cat Thief. Juddmonte Farms is the leading owner in terms of prize money won, having picked up $17.135 million throughout history. Meanwhile, Zenyatta is the highest earning horse at the Breeders’ Cup, winning $4.6 million following victories in the Ladies’ Classic and Classic.
Breeders’ Cup 2024 Stories To Follow
City of Troy Bids For History
The most exciting story heading into the Breeders’ Cup this year revolves around Aidan O’Brien’s City of Troy. Coolmore will be looking for a first win in the Classic, and the three-year-old’s credentials look very solid on paper as a son of Justify.
City Of Troy has been excellent on the turf this season, winning the G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Coral Eclipse, and G1 Juddmonte International. The Classic presents a first run on the dirt for O’Brien’s superstar, but victory would see a fresh star emerge in the argument surrounding the greatest thoroughbred of all-time.
Charlie Appleby Chases More Mile Success
Charlie Appleby has held a stranglehold on the Breeders’ Cup Mile in recent years, winning each of the last three editions. Master of the Seas landed a second straight success in the race under William Buick in 2023, and unsurprisingly Godolphin have a strong hand the race once again this year.
Last year’s winner will be in the running to join Goldikova on three wins in the Mile, but Notable Speech and Rosallion both boast excellent claims on the strength of their G1 1,000 Guineas efforts this term. Given the strength of the European travellers, it looks like a race where there will be limited U.S. success.
Thorpedo Anna Bids To End Campaign On A High
There would be few complaints if Thorpedo Anna would have taken her chance in the Classic this year, as she has been one of the superstar performers in the three-year-old division for Kenneth McPeek. However, it appears as though all roads lead to the Distaff after falling short by a head behind Fierceness in the G1 Travers in late August.
The filly won the G1 Kentucky Oaks earlier in the season, and has followed up with dominant showings in the G1 Acorn and G1 Coaching Club American Oaks. This year’s Distaff is shaping up to be a thriller, with last year’s winner Idiomatic set to oppose the Oaks winner, as well as recent winner of the G1 Personal Ensign, Raging Sea.
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