Breeders Cup Challenge was launched

Officials of Breeders’ Cup Limited and six of the nation’s premier racetracks launched the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, a series of 24 officially sanctioned qualifying stakes races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, highlighted by its “Win and You’re In” format, will for the first time, automatically place the winners of the 24 stakes held between July 28 and Oct. 8 into a corresponding divisional race for the 11-race, $23 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held at Monmouth Park Oct. 26 and Oct. 27.

The first of the six Challenge events comes July 28 at Saratoga with a stakes buffet of the Whitney Handicap, Go for Wand Handicap, Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Diana Handicap that promises to attract some of the East Coast's best horses. ABC-TV will air all four races in a 4-6 p.m. broadcast.

The Challenge then shifts to Arlington Park on Aug. 11, when ABC will present the Arlington Million, Beverly D and Secretariat in a 4-6 p.m. program.

After that the scene shifts to Del Mar (Aug. 19), followed by Belmont Park (Sept. 30), Keeneland (Oct. 6) and Oak Tree at Santa Anita (Oct. 7). Each leg of the Challenge will be aired on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.

Click here to check out the schedule of these races.

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