Breeders' Cup Challenge Series

Having played with a crop of 3-year-old fillies unable to stay within hailing distance of her so far this year, Ballydoyle's fast-ascending starlet Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has a proper examination awaiting her on York's Knavesmire on Thursday as Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) squares up in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks. Thoroughly scintillating in the June 4 G1 Epsom Oaks and impressive as the widest-margin winner of the G1 Irish Oaks on record at The Curragh July 17, she even has course form having kickstarted her illustrious...

NBC Sports will provide live coverage of this week's Royal Ascot meeting, beginning Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Daily telecasts of the full five-day Royal Meeting will air on NBCSN through Friday and conclude Saturday on NBC (9 a.m. ET) and CNBC (11 a.m. ET). In total, NBC Sports will present nearly 25 hours of coverage over the five days. This week's Royal Ascot meeting includes four "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series--Win and You're In" races: Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne S., Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S., Thursday's G1 Norfolk S., and...

The 2021 "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In--presented by America's Best Racing" television schedule, consisting of 12 live programs featuring more than 20 automatic qualifying races and other major stakes from six of the nation's premier racetracks on the road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships, was announced by the Breeders' Cup and NBC Sports Wednesday. Now in its eighth year on NBC Sports, the series showcases the top horses as they vie for a coveted automatic berth, and free entry, into the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships,...

The 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series schedule will consist of 84 automatic qualifying stakes races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships, it was announced Tuesday. This year's series, which includes a record nine "Win and You're In" races for the $6-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic division, will take place in 10 countries.  The complete 2021 schedule can be viewed here. Horses from around the globe will be qualifying through the Challenge Series for the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Del Mar racetrack...

Strengthened by victories from She's a Julie (Elusive Quality), Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Essential Quality (Tapit), Godolphin has won its third consecutive John Deere Award, honoring the outstanding breeder of the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. The John Deere Award, presented by Breeders' Cup Limited and NTRA Advantage, emphasizes the contributions of breeders to the Breeders' Cup program. The industry's breeders provide funding for the purses for the World Championships through the annual nominations of foals and stallions. NTRA Advantage and John...

Led by the 145th GI Preakness S., the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a total of 44 automatic berths into the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be up for grabs over the next two months as Breeders' Cup Ltd. released its schedule of Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races for September and October. The Breeders' Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid for a corresponding race in...

Headlined by three automatic qualifiers for the $7-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and three "Win and You're In" starting positions at York's Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders' Cup announced its August schedule of Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races Wednesday. There will be 16 Breeders' Cup Challenge races in August, beginning Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the GI Whitney S., which will give the winner an automatic berth into Classic, as well as the GI Personal Ensign...

The Breeders' Cup has announced its June and July schedule of races for the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, with highlights that include a pair of automatic qualifiers for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and four berths on offer at the Royal Ascot meeting. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting spots and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held this year on Nov. 6-7...

Officials at Breeders' Cup Limited and the Japan Racing Association have announced that the $2.1-million G1 Victoria Mile, to be held next Sunday, May 17, at Tokyo Racecourse, has been added to the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge series and will offer the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland Nov. 7. A total of 19 horses have been nominated to the 1600-meter event, led by 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who is scheduled...

Sunday's G1 February S. marks the return of Group 1 action to Japan, and while the February-one of just two dirt Group 1s in the country-is missing last year's G1 Champions Cup winner and Dirt Horse of the Year Chrysoberyl (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), who will fly the flag in Saudi Arabia next weekend, the 1600-metre contest sees Inti (Jpn) (Came Home) look to go back to back in a race that offers automatic entry into the $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of...