Record 221 Pre-Entries for 2018 Breeders' Cup

While Triple Crown winner Justify  retired before this year's Breeders' Cup, pre-entries announced Oct. 24 for the World Championships Nov. 2 and 3 at Churchill Downs still include plenty of star power.

Led by multiple grade 1 winner Accelerate , two-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Enable, Coral-Eclipse (G1) and Irish Champion Stakes (G1) winner Roaring Lion, Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Monomoy Girl, and Juvenile standout Game Winner, a record 221 horses—including 51 from overseas—have been pre-entered for the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The 35th Breeders' Cup, Thoroughbred racing's prestigious two-day international event, will include 14 races and 13 grade 1 events with purses and awards totaling a record $30 million. The event will be held for a record-tying ninth time at Churchill in Louisville, Ky. 

There will be five Breeders' Cup races on Championship Friday and nine are scheduled for Championship Saturday. The Breeders' Cup will be televised live by NBCSN and NBC. The $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) will be broadcast live Nov. 3 at 5:44 p.m. ET on NBC.

Click here for pre-entries for all 2018 Breeders' Cup races.

• New to this year's Breeders' Cup is "Future Stars Friday" in which all five races exclusively for 2-year-olds will be run on opening day of the World Championships.
• A 14th race has been added to the program—the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, at 5 1/2 furlongs, which will open the Friday program.
• The $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) will be run on Championship Saturday this year after being contested on Friday in recent years.
• Among the statistical highlights in this year's pre-entries? Twelve races are oversubscribed with more than 14 pre-entered in 11 races, and more than the maximum 12 in the pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. The Classic saw 19 horses pre-entered.
• There are 48 individual horses pre-entered after qualifying for automatic starting positions through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
• Irish-based trainer Aidan O'Brien has pre-entered 18 horses, the most among trainers.
• Partnerships affiliated with John Magnier's Coolmore lead all owners with 20 horse pre-entered.
• There are five former or defending champions pre-entered: Mendelssohn , 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T); Oscar Performance , 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T); Roy H, 2017 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1); Stormy Liberal, 2017 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T); and Talismanic, 2017 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).