Breeders' Cup Reports Record World Championships Handle

Total all-sources common-pool handle for the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar reached $182,908,409, a record for the two-day event. 

The total represents a 4.7% increase over the prior record of $174,628,986 set when the event was held at Santa Anita Park in 2019 and a 14% increase from the total handle of $160,472,893 at the 2020 event at Keeneland. 

Total common-pool handle on the 12-race Breeders' Cup card Saturday Nov. 6 was a record $121,562,392. All sources common-pool handle on Breeders' Cup's 10-race Future Stars Friday card Nov. 5 reached $61,346,017, a record for a Breeders' Cup Friday. This is the fourth consecutive year that Breeders' Cup grouped all its juvenile races together on Friday. 

"We had an extraordinary two days of racing showcasing the best Thoroughbreds from around the world and we want to thank our partners here at Del Mar, who did an amazing job, and the greater San Diego community, our gracious hosts this week," said Breeders' Cup president and CEO Drew Fleming. "The Breeders' Cup is a truly global event with winners this weekend bred, raised, and raced on three different continents." 

On-track handle for the two days was $19,032,307. On-track attendance for the two days was 47,089. Both of those numbers were impacted by precautions related to COVID-19 as Breeders' Cup and Del Mar reduced ticket capacity for the 2021 event. 

"Our team at Del Mar was thrilled to host this year's renewal of the Breeders' Cup," said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar's president and COO. "We want to extend our congratulations to all of this weekend's participants. They put on an amazing display of world-class competition." 

This year's event marked the second time Del Mar hosted Breeders' Cup. In 2017 at Del Mar, Breeders' Cup reported $166,077,486 in handle and two-day attendance of 70,420. That year featured 13 World Championships races, compared with 14 this year.

The Breeders' Cup will return to Keeneland in 2022.