Breeders' Cup
Encyclopedia
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I
, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007
, it expanded to two days. The location changes each year. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack
in Canada
.
The event was created as a year-end championship for North America
n Thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe. The Breeders' Cup was founded in 1982 by pet food heir John R. Gaines (1928–2005), a leading Thoroughbred owner and breeder who wanted to clean up the sport's image. Before the Breeders' Cup expanded to two days, it was generally considered to be the richest day in sports. As of 2008, the second day of the Breeders' Cup is the second-richest. In 2008, a total of $17 million was awarded on that day, down from $20 million in 2007 (two races were moved from Day 2 to Day 1). The richest single day in sports is now another Thoroughbred racing event, Dubai World Cup Night
. It features six races with a combined purse of $21 million in 2008.
The attendance at the Breeders's Cup ranks fourth or fifth in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races. The attendance of the Breeders' Cup typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Oaks (and in some years, the Belmont Stakes); for more information see American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events
.
With the addition of three new races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million was awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007. Each Breeders' Cup race awards to the winner a garland of flowers draped over the withers of the winning horse and four Breeders' Cup Trophy
presented to the connections of the winners.
The Breeders' Cup is currently searching for a title sponsor.
The Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase
is not operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, but instead by the National Steeplechase Association
, which has a licensing agreement to use the "Breeders' Cup" name.
Through 2006, there were eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade I
races. In 2007, three races — the Dirt Mile, Filly and Mare Sprint, and Juvenile Turf — were added, all of them run the Friday before the remaining eight races. Three more new races — a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon — were added for 2008.
The order of the races on the card has changed many times throughout the event's history, but the Turf and Classic are traditionally the last two races. The 2008 event was the first in which Day 1 of the event was dedicated to races for fillies and mares, with Day 2 featuring all other races. Since that time, the Filly & Mare Turf and Ladies' Classic have been the last two races on Day 1. For 2009, the Marathon, open to runners of both sexes, was moved from Day 2 to be the opening race on Day 1, but all other races stayed on the day they had been run in 2008.
Friday
Saturday
The Filly & Mare Sprint, Juvenile Turf, and Dirt Mile were not eligible to be graded stakes in 2007 or 2008. Similarly, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Marathon, and Turf Sprint were ineligible for grading in 2008 and 2009. The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the body that controls grading of North American stakes races, requires that a race be run under the same conditions for at least two years before it can be graded.
Starting in 2009, the Filly & Mare Sprint and Dirt Mile became Grade I races, while the Juvenile Turf was Grade II. Although the latter event was the first Breeders' Cup race not to receive Grade I status, it is in a racing category which then had no US Grade I events (2-year-olds on turf).
For 2010, the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Turf Sprint received Grade II status, with the Marathon becoming Grade III. All other races retained their previous grading. For 2011, the Juvenile Turf was upgraded to Grade I and the Marathon to Grade II.
The 2007 Dirt Mile was run over 1 mile and 70 yards, while the 2007 Filly & Mare Sprint was run over six furlongs. These distances were required because of the configuration of the dirt track at the 2007 Breeders' Cup site of Monmouth Park.
The 2008 and 2009 Turf Sprints were contested on Santa Anita Park
's signature El Camino Real “downhill” turf course, with a maximum of 14 starters. In future years, the distance will depend on track configurations.
Beginning in 2007, the qualifying process was changed to grant winners of certain races automatic entry to the event in their respective divisions.
In 2011 the Juvenile Sprint was added.
The following horses have won the same Breeders' Cup race at least twice:
The only horse to win two different Breeders' Cup races is Zenyatta
, winner of the Ladies' Classic in 2008 and Classic in 2009.
The only horse to win three Breeders' Cup races is Goldikova
, who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three years in a row (2008, 2009, 2010).
Churchill Downs
has hosted the race card six times, more than any other track. It hosted the card most recently in 2010, and will do so again in 2011.
On August 11, 2009 the Breeders' Cup announced that it will use the standard colored saddle towel system starting with the 2009 event. The new color-coded system (which has been used at many North America
n racetracks since the mid-1990s) replaces the standard purple saddle towels which had been used since 1985. The first Breeders' Cup in 1984 used yellow saddle towels.
was an incident that arose when computer programmer Chris Harn conspired with two friends, Derrick Davis and Glen DaSilva, to manipulate bets in the 2002 Breeders' Cup, held at Arlington Park
in Arlington Heights, Illinois
. This enabled a $3 million USD payout to the conspirators
. The scam was exposed when a 43-to-1 longshot won the Breeders' Cup Classic, resulting in Davis being the only winner of the jackpot. Eventually, Harn, Davis and DaSilva pleaded guilty.
had broadcast every Breeders' Cup from its inception in 1984 through 2005. Starting in 2006, ESPN
took over the television contract for eight years. On June 2, 2008, it was announced that ABC
would televise a portion of the Saturday card from 1-3:30 PM Eastern before moving back to ESPN. ESPN2
airs the Friday Card.
Trevor Denman
is the voice of the Breeders' Cup. He began in 2006. All previous Breeders' Cup races were called by Tom Durkin
from 1984 through 2005.
The 2008 and 2009 events at Santa Anita were the first time that the annual event was held in consecutive years at the same track. These also mark the first times that the event was held on an artificial racing surface.
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007
2007 Breeders' Cup
The 2007 Breeders' Cup World Championships took place October 26 and 27 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The 2007 Event marked the first time the event has been held over two days.-Friday: New Races:...
, it expanded to two days. The location changes each year. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The event was created as a year-end championship for North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe. The Breeders' Cup was founded in 1982 by pet food heir John R. Gaines (1928–2005), a leading Thoroughbred owner and breeder who wanted to clean up the sport's image. Before the Breeders' Cup expanded to two days, it was generally considered to be the richest day in sports. As of 2008, the second day of the Breeders' Cup is the second-richest. In 2008, a total of $17 million was awarded on that day, down from $20 million in 2007 (two races were moved from Day 2 to Day 1). The richest single day in sports is now another Thoroughbred racing event, Dubai World Cup Night
Dubai World Cup Night
Dubai World Cup Night is a series of six thoroughbred horse races held annually at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From 1996 through 2009, the event was held at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse....
. It features six races with a combined purse of $21 million in 2008.
The attendance at the Breeders's Cup ranks fourth or fifth in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races. The attendance of the Breeders' Cup typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Oaks (and in some years, the Belmont Stakes); for more information see American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events
American thoroughbred racing top attended events
This is a listing of the top attended stakes race for thoroughbred racing in North America by year. This chart will list the paid attendance to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Kentucky Oaks at...
.
With the addition of three new races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million was awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007. Each Breeders' Cup race awards to the winner a garland of flowers draped over the withers of the winning horse and four Breeders' Cup Trophy
Breeders' Cup trophies
The Breeders’ Cup Trophy is an authentic and totally faithful bronze reproduction of the Torrie horse. The original was created in Florence, Italy by Giovanni da Bologna, around the late 1580s...
presented to the connections of the winners.
The Breeders' Cup is currently searching for a title sponsor.
The Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase
Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase
The Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase is an American Grade I NSA sanctioned steeplechase race run each fall over the rolling hills of Moorland Farms in Far Hills, New Jersey. Set over a 2⅝ mile course during the one day Far Hills Races, it has 14 national fences, and a purse of $300,000...
is not operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, but instead by the National Steeplechase Association
National Steeplechase Association
The National Steeplechase Association is the official sanctioning body of American steeplechase horse racing.The National Steeplechase Association was founded on February 15, 1895 by August Belmont, Jr., the first president of The Jockey Club and chairman of the New York State Racing Commission,...
, which has a licensing agreement to use the "Breeders' Cup" name.
Selection process
A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the 14 Breeders' Cup Championships races with the exception of the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf which will each be limited to 12 starters. Breeders' Cup Limited has adopted a field selection system to select runners in the event fields are oversubscribed. This system ranks horses in order of preference based upon (1) performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, (2) a point system, and (3) the judgment of a panel of racing experts. The field selection system will be implemented as necessary following the taking of pre-entries approximately six weeks before the Breeders' Cup (in 2008, this took place on October 14) to officially rank the oversubscribed fields. The Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel (the “Panel”) will rank all the horses pre-entered in the oversubscribed races as described below. After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields will be filled by horses in order of panel preference.Through 2006, there were eight races on the Breeders' Cup card, all classified as Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
races. In 2007, three races — the Dirt Mile, Filly and Mare Sprint, and Juvenile Turf — were added, all of them run the Friday before the remaining eight races. Three more new races — a Turf Sprint, Juvenile Filly Turf and Marathon — were added for 2008.
The order of the races on the card has changed many times throughout the event's history, but the Turf and Classic are traditionally the last two races. The 2008 event was the first in which Day 1 of the event was dedicated to races for fillies and mares, with Day 2 featuring all other races. Since that time, the Filly & Mare Turf and Ladies' Classic have been the last two races on Day 1. For 2009, the Marathon, open to runners of both sexes, was moved from Day 2 to be the opening race on Day 1, but all other races stayed on the day they had been run in 2008.
2011 races
The race order for 2011 is as follows:Friday
- $500,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile SprintBreeders' Cup Juvenile SprintThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint is an ungraded American Thoroughbred horse race established in 2011 as part of the annual Breeders' Cup World Championships...
(ungraded) - $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is a one mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing.The race was run for the first time in...
(gr. IIT) - $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintThe Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint is a 7-furlong Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred fillies and mares three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing,...
(gr. I) - $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesBreeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
(gr. I) - $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfThe Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
(gr. IT) - $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I)
Saturday
- $500,000 Breeders' Cup MarathonBreeders' Cup MarathonThe Breeders' Cup Marathon is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race established in 2008 as part of the annual Breeders' Cup World Championships. A Weight for Age race open to horses three years old and up, it was contested on dirt at a distance of 1½ miles in its inaugural running. For 2009,...
(gr. II) - $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile TurfBreeders' Cup Juvenile TurfThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses, run on a grass course at a distance of one mile. It is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing...
(gr. IT) - $1.5 million Breeders' Cup SprintBreeders' Cup SprintThe Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
(gr. I) - $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf SprintBreeders' Cup Turf SprintThe Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is a part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing...
(gr. IIT) - $2 million Breeders' Cup JuvenileBreeders' Cup JuvenileThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
(gr. I) - $2 million Breeders' Cup MileBreeders' Cup MileThe Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
(gr. IT) - $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt MileBreeders' Cup Dirt MileThe Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and is run on a dirt course...
(gr. I) - $3 million Breeders' Cup TurfBreeders' Cup TurfThe Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
(gr. IT) - $5 million Breeders' Cup ClassicBreeders' Cup ClassicThe Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
(gr. I)
The Filly & Mare Sprint, Juvenile Turf, and Dirt Mile were not eligible to be graded stakes in 2007 or 2008. Similarly, the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Marathon, and Turf Sprint were ineligible for grading in 2008 and 2009. The American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the body that controls grading of North American stakes races, requires that a race be run under the same conditions for at least two years before it can be graded.
Starting in 2009, the Filly & Mare Sprint and Dirt Mile became Grade I races, while the Juvenile Turf was Grade II. Although the latter event was the first Breeders' Cup race not to receive Grade I status, it is in a racing category which then had no US Grade I events (2-year-olds on turf).
For 2010, the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Turf Sprint received Grade II status, with the Marathon becoming Grade III. All other races retained their previous grading. For 2011, the Juvenile Turf was upgraded to Grade I and the Marathon to Grade II.
The 2007 Dirt Mile was run over 1 mile and 70 yards, while the 2007 Filly & Mare Sprint was run over six furlongs. These distances were required because of the configuration of the dirt track at the 2007 Breeders' Cup site of Monmouth Park.
The 2008 and 2009 Turf Sprints were contested on Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
's signature El Camino Real “downhill” turf course, with a maximum of 14 starters. In future years, the distance will depend on track configurations.
Beginning in 2007, the qualifying process was changed to grant winners of certain races automatic entry to the event in their respective divisions.
In 2011 the Juvenile Sprint was added.
History
The all-time leaders in Breeders' Cup wins are:- JockeyJockeyA jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
:- Jerry D. Bailey - 15
- Mike E. Smith - 15
- TrainerHorse trainerIn horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
:- D. Wayne LukasD. Wayne LukasDarrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
- 18 - Claude R. McGaughey III - 9
- D. Wayne Lukas
- Leading money winning owner:
- Allen E. PaulsonAllen E. PaulsonAllen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...
- $8,730,000
- Allen E. Paulson
The following horses have won the same Breeders' Cup race at least twice:
- Classic: TiznowTiznowTiznow is an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse owned by Michael L. Cooper and Cee's Stable.-Pedigree:...
(2000, 2001) - Filly & Mare Turf: Ouija Board (2004, 2006)
- Ladies' Classic: BayakoaBayakoaBayakoa was a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse bred in Argentina. A descendant of the very important sire Nearco through both her sire and dam, after racing successfully in Argentina, Bayakoa was sold to Americans Janis and Frank Whitham....
(1989, 1990) - Mile: MiesqueMiesqueMiesque was a champion Thoroughbred racemare, best known as the first horse to win two consecutive Breeders' Cups and racing awards in Europe and America. She was a Group one winner at two, three and four-years-old, for a total of 10 G1 wins. She produced five stakes winners.-Breeding:Miesque was...
(1987, 1988), LureLure (horse)Lure is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, he is a son of the leading stallion Danzig, who in turn was sired by Hall of Famer and prominent sire Northern Dancer...
(1992, 1993), Da HossDa HossDa Hoss by Gone West out of Jolly Saint is a bay Thoroughbred gelding best known for twice winning the Breeders' Cup Mile. He was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables.Bought for only $6,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland...
(1996, 1998), GoldikovaGoldikovaGoldikova is a champion Thoroughbred racemare based in France, although she has raced in North America and England. She has won fourteen group one races, with nine victories over colts and geldings. This puts her above the great Miesque as the only European-trained horse to have won more than 10...
(2008, 2009, 2010) - Sprint: Midnight LuteMidnight LuteMidnight Lute is an American Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He is owned by Michael E. Pegram and Watson and Weitman Performance, LLC, and was named for Lute Olson, the University of Arizona basketball coach....
(2007, 2008) - Turf: High ChaparralHigh ChaparralHigh Chaparral is a racehorse, winner of the Epsom Derby in 2002, and the winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2002 and 2003 .-2001: Two-year-old season:...
(2002, 2003), ConduitConduit (horse)Conduit is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In a career that lasted from August 2007 to November 2009 he won seven of his fifteen starts, including four at Group One/Grade I level....
(2008, 2009)
The only horse to win two different Breeders' Cup races is Zenyatta
Zenyatta
Zenyatta is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of 19 consecutive races in a 20-race career and American record-holder for consecutive victories without defeat in unrestricted races....
, winner of the Ladies' Classic in 2008 and Classic in 2009.
The only horse to win three Breeders' Cup races is Goldikova
Goldikova
Goldikova is a champion Thoroughbred racemare based in France, although she has raced in North America and England. She has won fourteen group one races, with nine victories over colts and geldings. This puts her above the great Miesque as the only European-trained horse to have won more than 10...
, who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three years in a row (2008, 2009, 2010).
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
has hosted the race card six times, more than any other track. It hosted the card most recently in 2010, and will do so again in 2011.
On August 11, 2009 the Breeders' Cup announced that it will use the standard colored saddle towel system starting with the 2009 event. The new color-coded system (which has been used at many North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n racetracks since the mid-1990s) replaces the standard purple saddle towels which had been used since 1985. The first Breeders' Cup in 1984 used yellow saddle towels.
2002 betting scandal
The 2002 betting scandal2002 Breeders' Cup betting scandal
The 2002 Breeders' Cup betting scandal was an incident that arose when computer programmer Chris Harn conspired with two friends, Derrick Davis and Glen DaSilva, to manipulate bets in the 2002 Breeders' Cup, held at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. This enabled him to arrange a $3...
was an incident that arose when computer programmer Chris Harn conspired with two friends, Derrick Davis and Glen DaSilva, to manipulate bets in the 2002 Breeders' Cup, held at Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
. This enabled a $3 million USD payout to the conspirators
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
. The scam was exposed when a 43-to-1 longshot won the Breeders' Cup Classic, resulting in Davis being the only winner of the jackpot. Eventually, Harn, Davis and DaSilva pleaded guilty.
Television
NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
had broadcast every Breeders' Cup from its inception in 1984 through 2005. Starting in 2006, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
took over the television contract for eight years. On June 2, 2008, it was announced that ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
would televise a portion of the Saturday card from 1-3:30 PM Eastern before moving back to ESPN. ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
airs the Friday Card.
Trevor Denman
Trevor Denman
Trevor Denman is an American sportscaster and public-address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing.Denman was born in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa...
is the voice of the Breeders' Cup. He began in 2006. All previous Breeders' Cup races were called by Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin is an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was the race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010....
from 1984 through 2005.
Race tracks
Past and Future Breeders' Cup sites:- 2012 - Santa Anita ParkSanta Anita ParkSanta Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
- 2011 - Churchill DownsChurchill DownsChurchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
- 2010 - Churchill Downs
- 2009 - Santa Anita Park
- 2008 - Santa Anita Park
- 2007 - Monmouth Park
- 2006 - Churchill Downs
- 2005 - Belmont ParkBelmont ParkBelmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
- 2004 - Lone Star ParkLone Star ParkLone Star Park is a horse racing track located in Grand Prairie, Texas.-History:Lone Star Park opened in 1997. The track offers separate meets for Thoroughbred racing and Quarter Horse racing. In October 2002, Magna Entertainment Corp. , based in Aurora, Ontario, leased the facility and acquired...
- 2003 - Santa Anita Park
- 2002 - Arlington ParkArlington ParkArlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
- 2001 - Belmont Park
- 2000 - Churchill Downs
- 1999 - Gulfstream ParkGulfstream ParkGulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
- 1998 - Churchill Downs
- 1997 - Hollywood Park
- 1996 - WoodbineWoodbine RacetrackWoodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
- 1995 - Belmont Park
- 1994 - Churchill Downs
- 1993 - Santa Anita Park
- 1992 - Gulfstream Park
- Nov. 2, 1991 - Churchill Downs
- Oct. 27, 1990 - Belmont Park
- Nov. 4, 1989 - Gulfstream Park
- Nov. 5, 1988 - Churchill Downs
- Nov. 21, 1987 - Hollywood Park
- Nov. 1, 1986 - Santa Anita Park
- Nov. 2, 1985 - AqueductAqueduct RacetrackAqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
- Nov. 10, 1984 - Hollywood Park
The 2008 and 2009 events at Santa Anita were the first time that the annual event was held in consecutive years at the same track. These also mark the first times that the event was held on an artificial racing surface.
See also
- American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended EventsAmerican thoroughbred racing top attended eventsThis is a listing of the top attended stakes race for thoroughbred racing in North America by year. This chart will list the paid attendance to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; the Kentucky Oaks at...
- Breeders CrownBreeders CrownThe Breeders Crown is an annual series of Harness races covering each of the sport's twelve traditional categories of age, gait and gender. The series was initiated by the Hambletonian Society, promoters of the Hambletonian Stakes, in 1984 to enhance the Standardbred breeding industry and to...
- The Grand NationalBreeders' Cup Grand National SteeplechaseThe Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase is an American Grade I NSA sanctioned steeplechase race run each fall over the rolling hills of Moorland Farms in Far Hills, New Jersey. Set over a 2⅝ mile course during the one day Far Hills Races, it has 14 national fences, and a purse of $300,000...
- Breeders' StakesBreeders' StakesThe Breeders' Stakes is a Canadian stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses first run in 1889. Since 1959 it has been the third race in the Canadian Triple Crown for three-year-olds...
- 2008 Breeders' Cup2008 Breeders' CupThe 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 25th edition of thoroughbred racing's season ending premier event, and took place on October 24 and 25 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.-Female Championship Friday:...
- List of horse races
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingTriple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingThe Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...