Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series 2024: Key Details and Highlights

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The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In is a series of 82 horse races in 12 countries. Each winner gets a spot in a race at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, with no fees to pay.

This year is the 18th edition of the series. It ends with the 41st World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, on November 1-2. The event will have offtrack betting for fans who cannot attend in person.

Horses from around the world will race in the Win and You’re In program. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will have 14 top-level races with total prizes of $33 million. Fans can check the horse racing schedule to stay updated on all the races before the Championships.

Dora Delgado, a top officer at Breeders’ Cup Limited, talked about the benefits of the Challenge Series for getting spots in the World Championships.

Domestic Challenge Races Begin

The first U.S. Challenge races were on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course during the Belmont Stakes Festival. Three races offered spots in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

International Schedule Expansion

Forty-one international races are part of the schedule, held in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, South Africa, and South Korea. New races include the Korea Cup and Sprint on September 8 at Seoul Racecourse, offering spots in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Three new races in England are also part of the schedule. The Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York on August 21 offers a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The William Hill Prestige Stakes at Goodwood on August 24 offers a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot on October 19 gives a spot in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

The 2024 series in the U.S. has a regional program to balance competition across the country. In 10 of the 14 race divisions, there will be one Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race per region—East, Midwest, and West. This program promotes regional rivalries on the road to the World Championships.

High Stakes and Increased Purses

Eight automatic spots will be awarded for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The first horse to qualify was Peptide Nile, who won the February Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse. Prize money in 2024 has increased, with the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic now worth $7 million and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf worth $5 million.

The Breeders’ Cup has allocated $5,485,000 in free entry fees for this year’s Challenge Series. Winners will have their entry fees paid and are guaranteed a spot in a championship race. Horse Racing Odds for this event will be based on the performance of the horses all year.  Additionally, a $10,000 travel allowance is provided for North American starters stabled outside California, and a $40,000 travel allowance for international starters.