Santa Anita to Host Breeders' Cup for 11th Time in 2023

The Breeders' Cup, one of Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious international events, announced July 21 that Santa Anita Park will host the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record 11th time. Next year will mark the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup, which began as a one-day championship, international event before expanding to its current two-day format. 

Located against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains in Arcadia, Calif., the Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 grade 1 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million, will be held at 1/ST RACING's Santa Anita Park on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. 

"Santa Anita Park is an integral part of Breeders' Cup history and is the perfect venue for our landmark 40th running," Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup president and CEO, said in a release. "Since our founders conceived this season-ending championship four decades ago, the Breeders' Cup has consistently been one of the leading global events in Thoroughbred racing. Santa Anita's outstanding reputation and scenic venue provide us with the ideal setting to continue to grow our audience by combining the best that racing, hospitality, and entertainment have to offer." 

"1/ST RACING is delighted to welcome back the Breeders' Cup to Santa Anita Park for the special 40th running of these extraordinary World Championships," added Craig Fravel, CEO of 1/ST RACING and former president and CEO of Breeders' Cup. "1/ST RACING looks forward to showcasing Santa Anita Park for a record 11th time as California's premier racing venue committed to delivering the best backdrop for world-class racing, entertainment, and hospitality, and to being part of the unique excitement that comes with the Breeders' Cup."

Reaction to the announcement was largely positive on social media, though critics expressed a desire to see more variety in which tracks host the two-day event. Since 2008, the Breeders' Cup has been staged in Kentucky at Churchill Downs and Keeneland and in California at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

New Jersey's Monmouth Park in 2007 was the last eastern track to host a Breeders' Cup.

Breeders' Cup expects the 2023 World Championships to have a nearly $100 million impact on the Southern California economy, based on a 2017 study. Given the World Championships' 40th running and the beautiful backdrop of Santa Anita, fans and guests from around the world are expected to attend races and patronize local hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. Breeders' Cup World Championships held at Santa Anita have consistently set the standard for both attendance and wagering over the years. The 2016 World Championships at Santa Anita holds the event's all-time attendance record, with 118,484 fans. When the World Championships were last held at Santa Anita in 2019, a new wagering record of more than $175 million was set.

The 2019 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park followed a suspension of racing earlier that spring at the Southern California track after a spate of equine fatalities there. That fall, 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar  took the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and 2019 champion older male dirt horse Vino Rosso   captured the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in a race that included a fatal injury to longshot Mongolian Groom.

Led by equine welfare rules and procedures introduced in 2019 and expanded in subsequent years, California has become one of the safest jurisdictions for racing in the country.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Breeders' Cup back to Santa Anita Park for a record 11th time next November," said Kathryn Schloessman, president & CEO of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. "This signature event will once again deliver a memorable experience for guests and significant economic impact for the greater Los Angeles region."

Breeders' Cup has established a sign-up process for ticketing and other information about the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships at BreedersCup.com/2023.

The 39th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held on Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland near Lexington and will be televised live by NBC Sports. Limited tickets are still available.