The 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In presented by America's Best Racing will consist of 82 automatic qualifying stakes races into corresponding Breeders' Cup World Championship races at Churchill Downs Nov. 2-3, Breeders' Cup announced Wednesday. The series includes 66 Grade I/Group 1 events, with at least 49 races to be run in the U.S. and Canada and 33 happening outside of North America, including four during the Royal Ascot meeting.
The series, now in its 12th year, will be held at racetracks in the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Japan, Ireland, Peru and South Africa. As part of the benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 22 to receive the rewards.
In addition, Breeders' Cup will provide a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America and a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of Kentucky.
“As international participation increases for Thoroughbred racing on a global scale, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series continues to support horsemen and racing stables with important incentives, such as automatic starting positions and free entry fees, to qualify for the World Championships,” said Craig Fravel, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. “We also recognize the outstanding work by our 28 racetrack and racing association partners around the world who conduct these Challenge races and thank them for their support and commitment to the series.”
In addition to the Breeders' Cup, NBC Sports Group will televise 11 live broadcasts of Challenge qualifiers in the U.S. from June to October. The full 2018 television schedule can be found here.
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