On November 4th, 2022, the legendary Keeneland Race Course will host one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This will be the 39th edition of the Championship, and will feature the best thoroughbreds from around the world.
Despite the competition not being as popular as Triple Crown championships, like the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup is still highly respected in the horse racing world. In fact, the competition has been touted as the hardest to predict, especially the Classic cup. That’s why TVG betting for the Breeders’ cup classic is one of the most exciting and unpredictable forms of horse race betting.
With the 2022 edition of the competition fast approaching, we’ll disclose some of the important things you need to know, from the competition’s history to its schedule and some of the best predictions.
History Of The Breeders’ Cup World Championships
John R. Gaines proposed this tournament at the Kentucky Derby awards luncheon in 1982. He felt the sport needed to expand and appeal to a more international audience. The horse racing community didn’t like the idea of another major competition and vehemently pushed back against it.
However, Gaines gathered the support of icons like John Nerud, and the competition went ahead. Now, the Cup features thoroughbreds from over 6 continents and 16 countries, and is one of the most popular horse race events in the world. The 2022 edition will be the 39th, and features a purse worth $31 million.
When & Where Is The Breeders’ Cup?
Following tradition, the Breeders cup will move from Del Mar in California to the iconic Keeneland Race Course. This will be the third time the competition will be held in Lexington and the second time in three years.
Many fans will be expecting Keeneland to host another classic. When it hosted the Cup for the first time in 2015, it saw American Pharoah become the first thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup Classic in the same year. Unofficially called the Grand Slam of horse racing, American Pharoah is the only horse to have achieved this feat.
The competition was held on the 4th and 5th of November, with the 14 races spread across the fun-filled days. Fans can also buy tickets at the official Breeders Cup site.
Fans can watch the competition at home on NBC and NBCSN. Here’s the official schedule.
NBCSN – Sat., Nov. 5, 11:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET – Championship Saturday.
NBC – Sat., Nov. 5, 5:00 PM ET – Breeders’ Cup Classic – NBC (post time 6:30 PM ET).
The official airtime for each race will be announced in early November. They’ll be announced with the races post positions, morning line odds, and jockeys.
Key Races
The Championship comprises 14 insane races, but here are the major ones to watch out for.
1. Breeders’ Cup Classic
The Classic is widely regarded as the world’s most competitive thoroughbred horse race. With the 2022 edition’s purse set at 6.1 million, the Classic is one of the world’s richest races. Over the years, it has grown to become the fourth and final leg of the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.
To qualify for the Classic, the thoroughbred must be at least 3 years old. U.S. horses usually win the race. Last year, Knicks Go under Joel Rosario won the race at Del Mar. The 5-year-old thoroughbred is one of the oldest to win the classic and finished the race in 1:59.57.
2. Breeders’ Cup Turf
With a purse of $4 million, the Breeders Cup Turf is the second richest race in the Championship. The race was created for international fans and features a distance of 1.5 miles, the standard European classic distance.
Recently, European-bred horses have dominated this race, with four of the last five winners from Europe. The 2021 edition saw British-bred Yibir Dubawi win the competition for the first time. Irish-bred Conduit and High Chaparral are the only horses to have won the Cup twice. They both won it consecutively in 2008/2009 and 2002/2003.
3. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
The Juvenile Turf is raced on dirt and only features male two-year-olds. With a purse of $2 million, it is one of the richest two-year-old competitions in the world.
The race is famous for showcasing upcoming superstars because most horses participating in the Juvenile Turf always come back to run as 3-year-olds in the following edition. Last year, Corniche under Mike E. Smith won the race in 1:42.50.
How Do Horses Qualify?
The Breeders Cup is very competitive; dozens of horses around the world fight for a spot, and they do it by participating in Challenge Races called ‘Win and You’re In.’
These challenges are held throughout the season in different courses worldwide to allow for wider participation. Winning a Challenge race will grant the horse an automatic starting spot in the Championship race. The BCL will also handle the horse’s entry and pre-entry fees.
Championship horses based outside Kentucky will be awarded a travel bonus of $10,000 if the horse is based in the North and $40,000 for horses outside the country.
Here are some of the major Challenge races held across the world.
South America: Gran Premio Club Hípico Falabella and Gran Premio Criadores.
The Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini was the first qualifier held in 2021. Village King won the race and automatically qualified for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Japan: Takarazuka Kinen and Yasuna Kinen.
Europe: Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Juddmonte International Stakes.
These are not the only Challenge races in those locations; they are just the biggest. Furthermore, most of the Challenge races are held in the U.S. Winners of the Whitney Stakes, Pacific Classic, and Haskell Stakes are given automatic qualifications for the Breeders Cup Classic.
Some Amazing Breeders’ Cup Stats
The Breeders Cup Classic is open to male and female horses, but since its inception in 1984, only male horses have won until 2010. In the 2009/2010 season, a beautiful female horse named Zenyatta broke that long-standing record.
She started with her trademark slow pace but unleashed her speed in an incredible late run that beat all other male horses to become the first female winner of the richest race in America.
The biggest upset in the competition’s history came in 1993 when Arcangues won the Cup Classic, having run at 133-1 odds. The luckiest post position in the history of the Breeders’ Cup is gate Number 4. 36 winners have started from that position.
The Bottom Line
November always comes with good tidings for fans of horse racing. They get to witness one of the most competitive events in the sport. The 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championship will be held in the Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, from November 4th to November 5th.
It will be the 39th edition of the prestigious race and will feature the best thoroughbreds from around the world. The competition comes with a purse worth $31 million. The Breeders’ Cup Classic, at $6 million, is the richest race in the Championship.
Photo: Pexels, Jean van der Muelen
