A Guide to the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Races

Breeders’ Cup Races:

The 14 races are run over the course of 2 days and the event is usually held in early November. To qualify for any of the Breeders’ Cup events, horses either have to have put together a string of good performances over the season up until that point, or they can win one of the “Win and You’re In” races.

Juvenile Turf

The Juvenile Turf race in the Breeders Cup is a Grade 1 race that is run by 2 year old colts and geldings over the distance of 1 mile. It has a purse of $1 million. 14 contestants can enter the competition, 5 of these enter automatically through the "Win and You're In" races. The "Win and You're In" races are the Juvenile Stakes, Summer Stakes, the Royal Lodge Stakes, Bourbon Stakes, and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

This race is the fillies’ version of the Juvenile Turf race. It is a Grade 1 race that is also run over the course of 1 mile and has a purse of $1 million. For the fillies to qualify for this race, they also have to either have a number of good runs at different races preceding the event, or they can qualify automatically by winning one of the five "Win and You're In" races. These are the Moyglare Stud Stakes, Natalma Stakes, Rockfel Stakes, Prix Marcel Bouusac, and the Jessamine Stakes.

Juvenile Turf Sprint

This Grade 1 race is open to 2-year-old colts, geldings and fillies, and is run over the length of 1 1/4 miles to 1 3/8 miles, varying from year to year. To make the race fair, the weight requirements are slightly higher for colts and geldings. The purse for this event is also $1 million, and it has the same number of runners as the other juvenile races. The five "Win and You're In" races are the Norfolk Stakes, Prix Morny, Belmont Futurity Stakes, Speakeasy Stakes, and the Indian Summer Stakes.

Dirt Mile

This race is open to all horses aged three years and older, and is run on a dirt course over the length of 1 mile. This race also has weight for age conditions to ensure that there is fair competition, and the cash prizes are distributed from a purse of $1 million. A total of 12 horses can enter this race, with two contestants who receive automatic berths by winning the Metropolitan Handicap, and the Pat O'Brien Stakes.

Filly & Mare Sprint

This is a 1 3/4 sprint that is run by fillies and mares aged 3 years old and older, and has a purse of $1 million. It is a Grade 1 race that is run on a dirt course, and has a limit of 14 runners. There are three "Win and You're In" races: the Princess Rooney Stakes, the Ballerina Stakes, and the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.

Turf Sprint

This is a Grade 1 race that is run over a distance of 1 5/8 miles and is open to all horses aged 3 years old and older. It has a purse of $1 million and uses weight for age conditions. The 7 "Win and You're In" races that can secure automatic berths amongst the 14 contestants are the: Jaipur Invitational, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, the Nunthorpe Stakes, the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, the Flying Five Stakes, the Sprinters Stakes, and the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.

Sprint

This Grade 1 race is one of the classic Breeders’ Cup races and is run over the distance of 3/4 of a mile on a dirt track. It is open to all horses aged 3 years old and older, with weight for age conditions, and has a purse of $2 million. Of the 14 runners, five can qualify by winning any of the following races: the John A. Nerud Stakes, the Bing Crosby Handicap, the Vosburgh Stakes, the Phoenix Stakes, and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Mile

This is a 1 mile race for horses aged 3 years old and up, who run on a grass course. This Grade 1 race has a purse of $2 million, and the runners are limited to 14, with up to 10 automatic berths. The races from which horses can secure automatic berths are the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella, the Shoemaker Mile,the Yasuda Kinen, the Queen Anne Stakes, the Sussex Stakes, the Fourstardave Handicap, the Prix Jacques Le Marois, the Woodbine Mile, and the Shadwell Turf Mile.

Distaff

This race is also known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic, as it is run between fillies and mares aged 3 years old and up. This Grade 1 race has a purse of $2 million and is run over the course of 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track. A maximum of 14 horses can enter the race, with up to 8 securing automatic berths through the Gran Premio Criadores, Ogden Phipps Stakes, Fleur de Lis Handicap, Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, Personal Ensign Handicap, Cotillion Stakes, Zenyatta Stakes, and the Spinster Stakes.

Juvenile Fillies

This is a Grade 1 race run on a dirt track over the course of 1 1/16 miles. It is open to 2 year old fillies and has a purse of $2 million. 4 of the 14 contestants can secure berths by winning any of the following races: The Pocahontas Stakes, Chandelier Stakes, Alcibiades Stakes, and the Frizette Stakes.

Filly & Mare Turf

This race is open to fillies and mares aged 3 years old and older. It has a purse of $2 million and uses weight for age conditions. The race is run on a dirt track, and the distance of the race depends on where the Breeders' Cup is held, it can be 1 1/14 miles long, 1 3/8 miles long, although on two occasions it has been 1 3/16 and 1 1/8 miles long. A total of 14 horses can enter the race, and there are 9 "Win and You're In" races, which are the Paddock Stakes, the Gran Premio Pamplona, the Beverly D. Stakes, the Yorkshire Oaks, the Matron Stakes, the Rodeo Drive Stakes, the Prix de l'Opera, the First Lady Stakes, and the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes.

Juvenile

This is the only Grade 2 race in the Breeders' Cup, It has a purse of $2 million and is open to 2 year old colts and geldings, who race on a dirt track for a distance of 1 1/16 miles. There are 4 races that the 14 entrants can secure automatic berths from, which are the Iroquois Stakes, the American Pharoah Stakes, the Champagne Stakes, and the Breeders' Futurity.

Turf

This is one of the key races in the Breeders' Cup, and it has the second largest purse at $4 million. The Grade 1 race is open to horses aged 3 years old and older, who run on a turf track for a total of 1 1/2 miles, which is the classic European distance for horse racing. The runners are limited to 14 entries, of which a total of 11 can secure automatic berths if they win any of the following races: the Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pelligrini, the Grande Premio Brasil, the Prince of Wales's Stakes, the Takarazula Kinen, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Arlington Million, the Del Mar Handicap, the Sword Dancer Invitational, the Jockey Club Derby, the Irish Champion Stakes, or the Prix de l'Arc Triomphe.

Classic

This is the marquee race in the whole Breeders' Cup, and it has the biggest purse with $6 million. It is a Grade 1 race that is open to all horses aged 3 years old and older, with weight for age conditions. It is run on a dirt track over a distance of 1 1/4 miles. This race is also limited to 14 runners, with 8 "Win and You're In" races, the February Stakes, the Stephen Foster Handicap, the Haskell Invitational, the Whitney Handicap, the Pacific Classic, the International Stakes, the Awesome Again Stakes, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.