77 races make up the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. (Photo credit: Breeders’ Cup Ltd.).
The 2016 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series schedule was announced this week, which will include 77 races throughout the world with the winner of each stamping their ticket to this year’s championship event which will be held at Santa Anita on Nov. 4-5.
17 of the races will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. The “Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In Series presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing,” features Challenge races across nine shows in the U.S. starting in June.
There are 49 Challenge races that will be contested in U.S. and Canada while there are 28 races around the globe, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Peru and South Africa.
A total of 39 horses that won Challenge races last year went on to compete in the Breeders’ Cup and six won.
Seven of the races are qualifiers for the premier event, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The first is the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs on June 18.
The others for the Classic are the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Park on June 25; the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31; the Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 8; the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20; the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1; and The Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 8.
The Challenge series on national television starts with the Ogden Phipps Handicap (G1) from Belmont Park on June 11 which will be on the NBC Sports Network at 2:30 ET. The action then will shift to NBC the same day at 5:00 ET for the Metropolitan Handicap (G1).
For the complete television schedule for the Challenge Series click here.
Road to the Breeders’ Cup Package
Get Michael’s Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday which will include all of the U.S. based Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races from now to Oct. 12 and Michael Dempsey’s 2-Day Breeders’ Cup Report.
Michael’s two day Breeders’ Cup Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for every race on the two-day championship event from Santa Anita on Nov. 4-5.
2016 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Schedule:
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9 | Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes | Kenilworth | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Jan 9 | L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate | Kenilworth | Mile |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2 | The Star Doncaster Mile | Randwick | Mile |
| Apr 2 | Darley T. J. Smith Stakes | Randwick | Turf Sprint |
| Apr 9 | Coolmore Legacy Queen of the Turf Stakes | Randwick | Filly & Mare Turf |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | Gran Premio Criadores | Palermo | Longines Distaff |
| May 22 | Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella | Club Hípico de Santiago | Mile |
| May 25 | Gran Premio 25 de Mayo | San Isidro | Longines Turf |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4 | Shoemaker Mile | Santa Anita Park | Mile |
| Jun 11 | Ogden Phipps Stakes | Belmont Park | Longines Distaff |
| Jun 11 | NYRA.com Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont Park | Dirt Mile |
| Jun 12 | Gran Premio Brasil | Hipódromo da Gávea | Longines Turf |
| Jun 18 | Stephen Foster H. | Churchill Downs | Classic |
| Jun 18 | Fleur de Lis Handicap | Churchill Downs | Longines Distaff |
| Jun 25 | The Gold Cup at Santa Anita | Santa Anita Park | Classic |
| Jun 26 | Gran Premio Pamplona | Hipódromo de Monterrico | Filly & Mare Turf |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2 | Princess Rooney Handicap | Gulfstream Park | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Jul 2 | Smile Sprint Handicap | Gulfstream Park | Sprint |
| Jul 9 | Belmont Oaks Invitational | Belmont Park | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Jul 23 | King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Ascot | Longines Turf |
| Jul 27 | Qatar Sussex Stakes | Goodwood | Mile |
| Jul 30 | Clement L. Hirsch Handicap | Del Mar | Longines Distaff |
| Jul 31 | William Hill Haskell Invitational | Monmouth Park | Classic |
| Jul 31 | Bing Crosby Stakes | Del Mar | Sprint |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6 | The Whitney | Saratoga | Classic |
| Aug 13 | Beverly D. Stakes | Arlington Park | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Aug 13 | Arlington Million | Arlington Park | Longines Turf |
| Aug 14 | Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois | Deauville | Mile |
| Aug 17 | Juddmonte International Stakes | York | Longines Turf |
| Aug 18 | Darley Yorkshire Oaks | York | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Aug 19 | Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes | York | Turf Sprint |
| Aug 20 | Del Mar Handicap | Del Mar | Longines Turf |
| Aug 20 | TVG Pacific Classic | Del Mar | Classic |
| Aug 27 | Pat O’Brien Stakes | Del Mar | Dirt Mile |
| Aug 27 | Personal Ensign H. | Saratoga | Longines Distaff |
| Aug 27 | Ballerina Stakes | Saratoga | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Aug 27 | Forego Handicap | Saratoga | Sprint |
| Aug 27 | Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes | Saratoga | Longines Turf |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3 | T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis | Baden Baden | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Sep 3 | Spinaway Stakes | Saratoga | Juvenile Fillies |
| Sep 4 | Longines Grosser Preis Von Baden | Baden Baden | Longines Turf |
| Sep 10 | Willis Champions Juvenile Stakes | Leopardstown | Juvenile Turf |
| Sep 10 | The Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes | Leopardstown | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Sep 10 | QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes | Leopardstown | Longines Turf |
| Sep 11 | Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes | Curragh Racecourse | Turf Sprint |
| Sep 11 | Moyglare Stud Stakes | Curragh Racecourse | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Sep 17 | Iroquois Stakes | Churchill Downs | Sentient Jet Juvenile |
| Sep 17 | Canadian Stakes | Woodbine | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Sep 17 | Ricoh Woodbine Mile | Woodbine | Mile |
| Sep 17 | Pocahontas Stakes | Churchill Downs | Juvenile Fillies |
| Sep 18 | Natalma Stakes | Woodbine | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Sep 18 | Summer Stakes | Woodbine | Juvenile Turf |
| Sep 23 | Shadwell Rockfel | Newmarket | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Sep 24 | Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes | Newmarket | Juvenile Turf |
| DATE | RACE NAME | TRACK | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Oct 1 | Vosburgh Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | Sprint |
| Oct 1 | FrontRunner Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Sentient Jet Juvenile |
| Oct 1 | Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational | Belmont Park | Longines Turf |
| Oct 1 | Zenyatta Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Longines Distaff |
| Oct 1 | Chandelier Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Juvenile Fillies |
| Oct 1 | Rodeo Drive Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Oct 1 | Awesome Again Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Classic |
| Oct 2 | Total Prix Marcel Boussac | Chantilly | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| Oct 2 | Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere | Chantilly | Juvenile Turf |
| Oct 2 | Longines Prix de L’Opera | Chantilly | Filly & Mare Turf |
| Oct 7 | Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes | Keeneland | Sprint |
| Oct 7 | Darley Alcibiades Stakes | Keeneland | Juvenile Fillies |
| Oct 8 | Frizette Stakes | Belmont Park | Juvenile Fillies |
| Oct 8 | Foxwoods Champagne Stakes | Belmont Park | Sentient Jet Juvenile |
| Oct 8 | Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational | Belmont Park | Classic |
| Oct 8 | Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes | Keeneland | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Oct 8 | Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity | Keeneland | Sentient Jet Juvenile |
| Oct 8 | Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes | Keeneland | Mile |
| Oct 8 | Santa Anita Sprint Championship | Santa Anita Park | Sprint |
| Oct 9 | Dixiana Bourbon Stakes | Keeneland | Juvenile Turf |
| Oct 9 | Juddmonte Spinster Stakes | Keeneland | Longines Distaff |
| Oct 12 | JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes | Keeneland | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
