Best Places to Watch the Breeders’ Cup

Fans on the rail cheering at Santa Anita Park. (Photo by Penelope Miller/America's Best Racing)
While everyone would love to attend the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course this year, the sold-out “Super Bowl of horse racing” can be enjoyed in a number of different ways away from the Lexington, Ky. track.
For those without a ticket in hand (as of this writing, ticket site StubHub had general admission tickets selling for no less than $130 and grandstand seats starting at a shade under $700 a piece), you can still watch the Breeders’ Cup at a different track, a sports bar or from home.
Alternate options for watching the Breeders’ Cup will afford you luxuries like more personal space, food and drink for less money, easier access to betting and, perhaps most importantly, a clearer view of the actual races. As someone who has taken in the Breeders’ Cup on-track, at a different track, at a bar in New York City last year and at home on most years, I can attest to a variety of enjoyable ways to watch the Breeders’ Cup.
If there is a local track near you, check out their website. Most tracks across the country will be hosting Breeders’ Cup events and offering promotions of their own. In 2004, when the Breeders’ Cup was held at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, (no way was this New Yorker going to be able to make it out there), I planned a trip to Finger Lakes Racetrack. Admission was free, there was a commemorative Breeders’ Cup shirt giveaway and I enjoyed the races from a comfortable seat in front of a slew of large TV screens.
In 2013, I took in the Breeders’ Cup (which was held at Santa Anita in California) from Laurel Park in Maryland. Just like my experience nearly a decade earlier at Finger Lakes, I had my own personal viewing space and access to as many betting windows as anyone could ever want - meaning no long lines to get your bets in and no fears about getting shut out of any races. Additionally, Laurel Park offered a spectacular all-day buffet, which featured signature Maryland dishes. I won’t get into how many crab cakes and oysters I ate that day, other than to say it compensated for any gambling losses I might’ve incurred.
FANS WATCH A RACE AT BELMONT PARK

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
This year, Belmont Park will be celebrating Breeders’ Cup with an Oktoberfest festival, featuring chili and beer. There will also be a haunted house and other Halloween activities for children.
In California, Del Mar will be hosting a series of special events surrounding Breeders’ Cup, including a fashion contest on Oct. 29, Daybreak at Del Mar on Oct. 31 and newcomer seminars all weekend long. ABR blogger Sara Dacus just wrote this piece about going to the track as a Breeders’ Cup alternative, and you’ll find a lot more by looking under the “events” section of your local racetrack’s website.
Another great way to watch the Breeders’ Cup is at a sports bar. The Breeders’ Cup is televised on NBC (for full schedule and race times, click here), so just about any bar should be able to flip the dial to accommodate you. If you do a little research, you might even be able to find a horse-friendly bar in your neighborhood. Wherever you end up, you can still bet the races on your phone or iPad.
In Chicago, Derby Bar and Grill has partnered with America’s Best Racing for events in the past and is a great place to watch the Breeders’ Cup. In New York, Triple Crown Ale House, Paddy Maguire’s Ale House and Central Bar are all great options. In fact, I spent last year's Breeders’ Cup at Central Bar with a group of racing fanatics and we all had a great time. Remember, since it’s on a Saturday, you might also find college football game-day food and drink specials at your local bar.
DERBY BAR AND GRILL

Photo courtesy of Derby Bar and Grill
Finally, one of the best ways to watch the Breeders’ Cup is at home with family, friends or by yourself. Seriously, if you want to learn about the horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders and everyone else associated with the racing on Breeders’ Cup day, you’ve got to watch the races on NBC with the audio turned up. The only place you’re going to get that is at home.
The other positives of having a Breeders’ Cup “at your crib” party are homemade food, your choice of beverages, no traffic hassles commuting anywhere and a variety of ways to bet the races. You can pull up your laptop or laptops, follow developments on Twitter (especially the @ABRLive feed and these must-follow accounts for Breeders’ Cup) and make your wagers on your computer, tablet or cell phone, armed with more information than most people at the track.
Of course, we wouldn’t discourage you from being social, as well, and inviting over a few friends. If you’re looking for tips for throwing the ultimate Breeders’ Cup watch party, we’ve got you covered with a new blog by ABR brand ambassador Mike Johnson. Ultimately, when you’re right about your hunch that American Pharoah is going to bounce back and win the Breeders’ Cup by 10 lengths - or perhaps that Beholder is going to make easy work of him - you want to have friends around so that you can say “I told you so!” Good company can only make a great day of racing even better.