Drew Fleming

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...

The 2021 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series races will be run without Lasix, it was announced Wednesday. Breeders' Cup officials also revealed that graded stakes points for the purposes of selection by committee into a Breeders' Cup race will only be awarded for graded races that are contested Lasix-free. Horses that raced on the 'Future Stars Friday' program of the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships were forbidden from running on Lasix, in addition to a large number of juvenile races across the country over the course of...

Ticket sales for the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held at Del Mar Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6, are being delayed "until we have clarity on the ever-changing landscape," Drew Fleming, the chief executive officer of Breeders' Cup Limited, said in an email distributed Monday afternoon. "With the COVID-19 vaccine now being rolled out across the country and internationally, we at the Breeders' Cup remain optimistic for the year ahead, and specifically for the 2021 World Championships," the email read, in part. "We are working closely...

Members of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Steering Committee voted unanimously to adopt four new medical and operational reforms to further reduce the use of medication in racing, enhance consistency across racing jurisdictions and promote transparency, according to a press release from the organization Monday. The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition is an industry-led effort to advance safety measures in Thoroughbred racing. "These new reforms set the stage for another productive year of advancing meaningful changes to strengthen the culture of safety in thoroughbred racing," said the release. The following recommended reforms have...

Total all-sources handle for the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course was $160,472,894, the sixth-highest total since the Breeders' Cup expanded to a two-day event in 2007 and an 8% decrease from the 2019 record handle of $174,000,574 at Santa Anita. The two-day total handle represented a 7% increase from the 2015 Championships, the first time the event was held at Keeneland. Attendance figures for the 2020 Championships at Keeneland were not reported since attendance was restricted to participants and essential personnel only due to COVID-19 safety...

In his first year as President and CEO of the Breeders' Cup, 38-year-old Drew Fleming has found himself trying to stage a global event in the midst of a global pandemic. In a socially-distanced phone call with TDN Publisher Sue Finley, he discusses the challenges and the triumphs of Breeders' Cup 2020. SF: You picked a heck of a year for this to be your first Breeders' Cup. DF: Well, this is my first Breeders' Cup as the CEO, but I've been working for the company since 2016. And then...

Breeders' Cup Limited outlined a detailed set of health and safety protocols put in place to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 for the limited staff, participants and essential personnel who will be onsite at the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course Nov. 6-7. This plan was developed in consultation with Keeneland, local and state government officials, and public health experts, including Dr. Richard Greenberg--Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine. The plan closely follows the guidance established by...

The Breeders' Cup has unveiled #MyBreedersCup, a multi-pronged digital and social program designed to bring the best of the upcoming Breeders' Cup World Championships to fans around the world. Created in response to the recent decision to conduct the 2020 event without fans on-site due to COVID-19, the program provides fans with new opportunities to interact with the championship event remotely, from innovative digital viewing experiences to a virtual fashion contest and more. The 37th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships is scheduled to take place Friday, Nov. 6...

Officials at Breeders' Cup Limited and The Stronach Group have announced that the Oct. 3 GI Preakness S., the final leg of this year's reconstituted Triple Crown, has been added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series and will offer the winner an all-expenses-paid berth in the starting gate for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 7. It will mark the first time that a Triple Crown races is part of the series. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional first leg of the Triple Crown was postponed...

FanDuel, America's premier gaming destination, will become the title sponsor of the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Mile at this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships. In addition, two of FanDuel Group's major charity partners will be incorporated into its naming rights for this year's event--the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF and the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The Breeders' Cup, one of Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious international events, consisting of 14 races and purses and awards totaling $35 million, is scheduled to be held...

The Breeders' Cup has launched a T-Shirt design contest designed to support industry workers in need while simultaneously building momentum for the organization's 2020 World Championships. Fans are invited to create a T-Shirt design to be produced and sold on BreedersCupShop.com. Breeders' Cup will donate all its proceeds from sales of the winning T-Shirt design to support the various backstretch communities and other industry stakeholders across the country who have been most heavily impacted by COVID-19. Submissions will be accepted until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The top five...