The 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 Longines.
Grade I race | |
Location | North America |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1984 |
Race type | Thoroughbred |
Website | Breeders' Cup Turf |
Race information | |
Distance | 1+1⁄2 miles |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | 3-year-olds and up |
Weight | Weight-For-Age 4-year-olds & up: 126 lb (57.2 kg) Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 lb (55.3 kg) Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 lb (53.1 kg) |
Purse | US$4 million (2020) |
The race is run at the European Classic distance of 1+1⁄2 miles, making it one of the most internationally appealing races on the Breeders' Cup lineup. One of the biggest moments in the race's history came in 2018 when Enable became the first horse to win both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year.[1]
The forerunner for this race was the Washington, D.C. International Stakes at Laurel Park Racecourse. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced on turf at 1+1⁄2 miles and drew the best horses from North America and Europe.
Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed the Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has multiple qualifying races. Note though that one horse may win multiple challenge races, while other challenge winners will not be entered in the Breeders' Cup for a variety of reasons such as injury or travel considerations.
In the Turf division, runners are limited to 14 and there are up to 11 automatic berths. The 2022 "Win and You're In" races were:[2]
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
† Indicates filly/mare