Breeders' Cup Announces Expanded Challenge Series Slate

Breeders' Cup Limited announced April 10 an expanded schedule for the 2025 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, which will feature 93 races in 15 countries—the most in Breeders' Cup history. Each winner will receive an automatic qualifying position, with fees paid, into a corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Horses from around the globe will qualify through the Win and You're In program, now in its 19th year, for the 42nd running of the World Championships. The two-day international festival of racing, consisting of 14 grade 1 races and a strong undercard worth purses and awards of more than $34 million, will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

This year, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series will be hosted at premier tracks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dubai, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the United States, and Uruguay. All races included in the Challenge Series have graded or group status. The complete 2025 schedule is available here.

"It is immensely gratifying to see trainers and owners leverage the many opportunities offered by the Challenge Series, the leading pathway to a coveted spot in the World Championships," said Dora Delgado, chief racing officer at Breeders' Cup. "We thank the racing authorities close to home and abroad for their crucial partnerships, and look forward to watching the world's best competitors prioritize the Challenge Series as their path to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar."

With the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series already underway featuring a record 49 races, the 44-race domestic portion of the series kicks off June 6-7 at Saratoga Race Course when the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) offers an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) provides a starting spot in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) grants an automatic starting position in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) as part of a blockbuster Belmont Stakes (G1) weekend in upstate New York.

As part of the benefits to horsemen, Breeders' Cup has allocated a record $6.51 million in free entry fees and $480,000 in domestic foal nominator awards for this year's Challenge Series and will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for all Challenge Series race winners. If not already nominated, the Challenge race winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20 to receive the rewards.

In addition, Breeders' Cup will provide a $10,000 travel allowance for all starters within North America that are stabled outside of California, and a $40,000 travel allowance to the connections of all Championship starters based outside of North America.

Ten automatic berths will be awarded for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), the marquee race of the World Championships. In addition to the Feb. 22 Saudi Cup (G1) won by Forever Young , the Feb. 23 February Stakes (G1) won by Costa Nova, and the April 5 Dubai World Cup (G1) won by Hit Show , contenders may qualify through the June 28 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, the July 19 Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, the Aug. 2 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the Aug. 20 Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York, the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, the Aug. 31 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, and the Sept. 27 Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

Last year, 44 Breeders' Cup Challenge winners competed in the World Championships at Del Mar and five won their respective divisional races: Moira  in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T); Citizen Bull  in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Immersive  in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Lake Victoria  in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), and Soul of an Angel  in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). 

GLOBE TREKKING

"International competition is fundamental to the Breeders' Cup, and the Challenge Series continues to offer the best avenue for horsemen around the world to earn automatic entry into the World Championships," Delgado said.

The 2025 Challenge Series kicked off in December 2024 with Intense for Me securing a qualifying berth for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) in the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini Stakes (G1) in Argentina. In January in South Africa, Double Grand Slam took the Paddock Stakes (G1), an automatic qualifier for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, while South Africa-bred One Stripe won the King's Plate (G1), offering a free berth to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). The action then moved to Saudi Arabia, where reigning Eclipse champion male sprinter Straight No Chaser  secured a return spot in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) with a victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2).

Danon Decile  won the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) to earn a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, Dubai Turf (G1T) winner Soul Rush  qualified for the Breeders' Cup Mile, and Dark Saffron  upset the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) to secure his spot in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The next international Challenge race is the May 1 Gran Premio Criadores (G1) in Argentina, which offers an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).