Future Breeders' Cup Host Sites to be Announced

A series of announcements regarding host sites for the next three years of the Breeders' Cup World Championships are expected Aug. 17 at Santa Anita Park, Keeneland, and Del Mar.

Del Mar issued a release that its news conference is indeed regarding, "Breeders' Cup future dates at the seaside track." The other two tracks issued releases Aug. 16 stating intentions to make "major racing announcements" Friday. Keeneland noted the announcement would be about a "world-class racing event."

A story in the Los Angeles Times published Thursday reported that Breeders' Cup intends to announce Santa Anita as the host site for 2019, Keeneland for 2020, and Del Mar for 2021. Santa Anita's news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT Friday, with Keeneland set to hold its press conference at 3 p.m. ET, and Del Mar from 2:30-3 p.m PT.

Breeders' Cup has not yet announced the upcoming sites for its World Championships.

Churchill Downs is hosting the 2018 Breeders' Cup Nov. 2-3, the ninth time the Louisville track has put on the event. The last time the Breeders' Cup was held at a track outside of Kentucky or California came in 2007, when Monmouth Racetrack hosted the event in the first year it was expanded to a two-day format.

Santa Anita would be hosting the Breeders' Cup for a record tenth time, having last held the World Championships in 2016. Keeneland hosted its first Breeders' Cup in 2015 and Del Mar held the event for the first time in 2017.

Despite concerns going in about logistical issues at the seaside venue, Del Mar's initial Breeders' Cup outing was well received and well executed. The track reported on-track wagering of $25,181,317 for two days of Breeders' Cup races, a record for the event.. The on-track total was a 21.4% increase over the two-day total of $20,742,847 in 2016, when the event was at Santa Anita.

All-sources wagering for the two days at Del Mar was $166,077,486, an increase of 5.9% over the 2016 total of $156,861,811. The total handle was the highest since the 2010 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs, when there were two additional Breeders' Cup races.

Because of its smaller capacity, Del Mar capped its attendance for the Breeders' Cup to 37,500 for each day.

As for Keeneland, after drawing a Friday Breeders' Cup record crowd of 44,947 to the track in 2015, another 50,155 showed at the Lexington track for its Saturday card, which was capped by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah 's victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).