2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge series

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consists of horse races from around the world that provide the respective winners with an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2020 Breeders' Cup, to be held on November 6 and 7. Races are chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and include key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions. The Breeders' Cup organization pays the Breeders' Cup entry fee for the challenge race winners, provided they had been nominated as foals.

Summary

The selected races vary somewhat from year to year as the Breeders' Cup attempts to attract the best horses in each division. The Breeders' Cup organization normally makes an announcement in April about the races that it will add or remove from the previous year's schedule for the new year. Because of the disruption to the racing schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Breeders' Cup organization has instead made several adjustments to the normal series throughout 2020.[1][2] The races for September and October have not yet been confirmed.

The 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consisted of 86 races from across 11 countries, which included seven new races.[3] New races for 2020 include the Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse (Filly & Mare Turf), Carter Handicap at Belmont Park (Sprint) and Alabama Stakes at Saratoga (Distaff).

The following races were removed from the 2020 series: Gran Premio Criadores, Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella, Grande Prêmio Brasil, Gran Premio Pamplona, Princess Rooney Handicap, John A. Nerud, Beverly D. and Arlington Million.

Challenge Series races

The following table shows the Breeders' Cup Challenge races for 2020 and the respective winners through August 15.[4] The races shown for September and October assume the same races will be used as in 2019 and are subject to change. The status column shows if a horse has been subsequently been injured or retired from racing.

Month Race Track Location Division Winner Status
December Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini San Isidro Argentina Breeders' Cup Turf Nao Da Mais (BRZ)
January Paddock Stakes Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Queen Supreme (IRE)
January Queen's Plate Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Mile Vardy (SAF)
February February Stakes Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Classic Mozu Ascot (JPN)
May Victoria Mile Tokyo Racecourse Japan Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Almond Eye (JPN)
May Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Raging Bull (FR)
June Carter Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Vekoma
June Yasuda Kinen Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Mile Gran Alegria (JPN)
June Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Distaff She's a Julie
June Queen Anne Stakes Royal Ascot England Breeders' Cup Mile Circus Maximus (Ire)
June Prince of Wales's Stakes Royal Ascot England Breeders' Cup Turf Lord North (IRE)
June Norfolk Stakes Royal Ascot England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint The Lir Jet
June Diamond Jubilee Stakes Royal Ascot England Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Hello Youmzain (FR)
June Jaipur Invitational Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Oleksandra (AUS)
June Fleur de Lis Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff Midnight Bisou
June Stephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Tom's d'Etat
June Takarazuka Kinen Hanshin Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Chrono Genesis (JPN)
July Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Vekoma
July Haskell Invitational Monmouth New Jersey Breeders' Cup Classic Authentic
July King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot England Breeders' Cup Turf Enable (GB)
July Sussex Stakes Goodwood England Breeders' Cup Mile Mohaather (GB)
August Personal Ensign Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Vexatious
August Whitney Handicap Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Classic Improbable
August Bing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Collusion Illusion
August Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Distaff Fighting Mad
August Ballerina Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Serengeti Empress
August Alabama Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Swiss Skydiver
August Prix Jacques Le Marois Deauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Palace Pier
August Juddmonte International York England Breeders' Cup Classic
August Yorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
August Nunthorpe Stakes York England Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
August Del Mar Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Turf
August Fourstardave Handicap Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Mile
August Pacific Classic Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Classic
August Prix Morny Deauville France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
August Sword Dancer Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Turf
August Pat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
The Challenge Series races for September and October have not yet been announced. The following races were used in the 2019 series
September Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Kentucky Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
September Jockey Club Derby Belmont New York Breeders' Cup Turf
September Juvenile Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
September Matron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
September Irish Champion Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf
September Iroquois Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile
September Pocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
September Woodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile
September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
September Flying Five Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
September Natalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
September Summer Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
September Cotillion Stakes PARX Pennsylvania Breeders' Cup Distaff
September American Pharoah Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile
September Chandelier Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
September Rockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
September Royal Lodge Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
September Vosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint
September Jockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Classic
September Rodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
September Awesome Again Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Classic
September Sprinters Stakes Nakayama Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
September Zenyatta Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Distaff
October Phoenix Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Sprint
October Alcibiades Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
October First Lady Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
October Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
October Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile
October Breeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile
October Champagne Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile
October Santa Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Sprint
October Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
October Prix de l'Opéra Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
October Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
October Prix Marcel Boussac Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
October Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Turf
October Indian Summer Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
October Bourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf
October Spinster Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff
October Belmont Futurity Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
October Frizette Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
October Flower Bowl Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
October Speakeasy Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
October Jessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Television coverage

Most of the Challenge Series races were televised, either by NBC, NBC Sports, TVG or Fox Sports.[5]

gollark: I guess I can just expose both, yes.
gollark: Stat-tracky ones seem more boring.
gollark: Also, it would be `achieve_achievement(ctx, name)` but meh.
gollark: I guess I could just expose an `achieve_achievement(name)` function but that seems inelegant somehow.
gollark: For example, one achievement will be maybe "set a reminder for over 3 years".

See also

References
  1. "Breeders' Cup Announces June, July Challenge Races". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. "Breeders' Cup Announces August Challenge Races". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. "Breeders' Cup Announces Challenge Series Schedule". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  4. "The Breeders' Cup Challenge Schedule". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series 2020: How to watch, schedule". NBC Sports. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
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