Breeders' Cup Announces August Challenge Races

The August schedule of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, headlined by three automatic qualifiers for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and three "Win and You're In" starting positions at York's Ebor Festival in Britain, was announced July 1 by Breeders' Cup.

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 the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland. 

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 Whitney Stakes (G1), which will give the winner an automatic starting position into the Classic, as well as the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), providing the winner with a spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1). On Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its "Win and You're In" for the Distaff, the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

The first Challenge race for a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) will be on the line in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 8.

On Aug. 15 at Saratoga, the winner of the Alabama Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies will earn a free bid into the Distaff. The Alabama will be televised live on NBC as a part of the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In—presented by America's Best Racing." 

The scene will then shift to Europe for the next four Challenge races. On Aug. 16, France's historic racing venue, Deauville, will host the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard-Jacques Le Marois (G1), granting an automatic berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

In Great Britain Aug. 19, York Racecourse will open its Yorkshire Ebor Festival, which will be home to three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. On the first day of the meet, the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) will offer Europe's only free berth into the Classic. Fillies and mares will be in the spotlight for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) Aug. 20, with the winner awarded a free spot in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).  A "Win and You're In" position for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) will be at stake Aug. 21 in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes Presented by Racing TV (G1).

Back in the U.S., three Breeders' Cup Challenge races will be held Aug. 22. Saratoga will host the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T), earning the winner a free spot in the Mile. Del Mar will host two Challenge races: the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) for the year's sixth automatic berth into the Classic, and the Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T), a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).   

On Aug. 23, the second "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) will be offered at Deauville in the Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds. 

The month of Challenge Series races will close with two events Aug. 29: the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga for a free berth into the Turf, and the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, which offers an automatic starting position into the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

As part of the enhanced 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 be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards, and those rewards must be used in the year they are earned.

Breeders' Cup also will provide a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America who are stabled outside of Kentucky and a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside North America.