On November 5-6, 2021, the 38th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships return to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. With 14 Championship races and total purses and awards exceeding $31 million, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships are the premiere horse racing event of the year. The 2021 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series consists of 84 automatic qualifying stakes races into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This year’s series, which includes a record 9 “Win and You’re In” races for the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic division, takes place across 10 countries and awards each winner an automatic free entry into the 201 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. It’s simple: they win and they’re in.
As we explained how to handicap the Breeders Cup in one of our posts below for the Breeders Cup 2020 (https://www.sportsbettingace.com/prediction-for-breeders-cup-2020/) , now we will talk a bit for the history of this extremely exiting happening which this year as many other events is happening in a Covid19 pandemic conditions.
Conceived in 1982 by horseman John Gaines to market Thoroughbred racing to a wider audience and made a reality two years later at Hollywood Park, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships has almost four decades showcased the very best the sport has to offer and a forum for the finest in international competition.
Originally a one-day, seven-race event, the Breeders’ Cup has expanded to a 14-race extravaganza with virtually every division represented over two days. The center piece is the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the country’s premier weight-for-age event, for three-year-olds and up over 1 1/4 miles.
From the controversial, ding-dong battle between Wild Again, slew o’ Gold, and Gate Dancer in its 1984 inaugural, the Classic has arguably provided the Breeders’ Cup with its largest share of memorable moments. Hall of Fame colt Alysheba was involved in two, losing by a nose to Ferdinand at Hollywood Park in 1987 in a rare meeting between Kentucky Derby winners, but returned the next year to win at Churchill Downs and retire as North America’s all-time leading money winner.
Sunday Silence and Easy Goer culminated their epic, four-race rivalry in the 1989 Classic at Gulfstream Park, with Sunday Silence prevailing for a third time, while in 1995 Cigar capped off a 10-for-10 campaign winning at Belmont Park. It was the 12th of 16 consecutive wins for the horse that ultimately eclipsed Alysheba’s earnings record.
The legendary Zenyatta had a lengthy win streak of her own, scoring for the 14th consecutive time in the 2009 Classic at Santa Anita. The only mare thus far to win the Classic, she sustained her only career loss (in 20 starts) in the 2010 renewal at Churchill Downs by a diminishing head to Blame.
While the Classic has also seen the biggest payout in Breeders’ Cup history (Arcangues returned $269.20 at Santa Anita in 1993), recent editions have showcased American Pharoah, who completed the “Grand Slam” of a Triple Crown sweep and a Classic score at Keeneland in 2015, and the sensational finish a year later by Arrogate over California Chrome, both of whom also held the leading money winner title.
2021 Breeders Cup Classic Preview
The Breeders Cup Classic is the highlight of the breeders’ cup weekend with a purse of $6m making it the richest race at the breeders’ cup. The race is open to runners who are three-years-old or older with the race being run over ten furlongs (2,000m) on the dirt track. Along with the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes & Belmont Stakes), this is the final leg of the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:59.02 was set by Ghostzapper in 2004, that is the quickest time over that period, the runner was trained by Robert Frankel and ridden by Javier Castellano. The slowest winning time was set in 2011 when Drosselmeyer won in a time of 2:04.27, booked to ride was Mike E Smith on this William Mott trained runner.
These are the top three quickest run Breeders Cup Classic over the last 20 renewals:
2004 – Ghostzapper (1:59.02)
2020 – Authentic (1:59.19)
2008 – Ravens Pass (1:59.27)
2021 Breeders Cup Distaff Preview
The Breeders Cup Distaff inaugural running was in 1984, between 2008-2012 it was known as the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic. Part of the Breeders Cup World Championships this race is run over nine furlongs on the dirt and open to fillies & mares (3yo+). The OLBG tipsters do love a ‘Laddies’ race so head over to the Breeders Cup Predictions page to see what runner they are wagering on. There have only been two runners to retain their crown in this race, Bayakoa (1989-90) and Royal Delta (2011-12) whilst 2018 winner Monomoy Girl also won the 2020 renewal.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was the John Shirreffs trained Zenyatta ridden by Mike E Smith who has set the fastest winning time in the Breeders Cup Distaff, the runner won the race in a time of 1:46.85 which was set when winning the race in 2008. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer William Mott and jockey Jose Lezcano with Royal Delta who set the slowest winning time, the race-winning time was 1:50.78 in the 2011 renewal.
These are the top three quickest run Breeders Cup Distaff over the last 20 renewals:
2008 – Zenyatta (1:46.85)
2013 – Beholder (1:47.77)
2020 – Monomoy Girl (1:47.84)
Friday
To celebrate Future Stars Friday, something that seems like a Breeders’ Cup tradition moving forward, all of the juvenile races are on the same day.
These races are open to 2-year-old horses, and they’re typically the most anticipated races of the season. It is only the second time in the Breeders’ Cup’s history that this has happened.
These races will then lead up to the TVG Juvenile, a $2 million race that will determine a favorite for the next Kentucky Derby.
You can expect to see the biggest names in horse-racing all-in attendance. Many major stars in racing made their debut at the Breeders’ Cup: Nyquist, Uncle Mo, Unbridled’s Song and Street Sense are a few examples.
Each horse has run in a different juvenile race over the years, and nearly all of them have achieved greater fame.
Saturday
Saturday is where the action begins to heat up. The Breeders’ Cup will start with several races on this day:
- The 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies
- The Breeders’ Cup Classic
- The Filly and Mare Sprint
- The Filly and Mare Turf
- Longines Turf
- The Mile
- The Sentient Jet Juvenile
- TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint
- The Turf Sprint
When we said that the Breeders’ Cup delivered a truly loaded selection of races, we certainly weren’t kidding. Many present and future stars will be made at these races, so you won’t want to miss any of them.
Naturally, plenty of profit could potentially be made taking a punt on any of them. But, that’s hardly the extent of the revelry and fun.