2023 Breeders' Cup Grade 1 Races
There are 14 Grade 1 races in all at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, spread across the two days.
Friday is the day for two-year-old horses to shine and is often referred to as "Future Stars Friday." The feature is the Juvenile, an extended mile dirt race that crowns the best dirt juvenile horse. It can also signal a potential Classic contender for the following year.
Here are Friday's races, as well as their most recent winners:
Saturday's slate builds up to a huge crescendo with the $6M Breeders' Cup Classic, the central race of the entire meeting. The 10f Classic features the world's best dirt horses going around two turns and is regarded as the ultimate test of a thoroughbred.
The $4M Turf is the second most valuable race at the meeting. It's become a stage for the European horses to shine as it is run over their Classic distance of a mile and a half.
Here are Saturday's races and their most recent winners:
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Classic is the big one. Not only is it one of the premier dirt races of the meeting, it is one of the most important dirt races run anywhere in the world. The Classic is now regarded as the unofficial fourth leg of the Triple Crown, horse racing's Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.
It carries a purse of $6M and attracts the best horses on the planet and has been won by some of the greatest names.
2022 winner and 2023 betting favorite Flightline (3/5) is widely regarded as a horse of the generation. His eight-and-a-quarter-length success is the largest winning margin in the Classic. A notable trend from the last ten Breeders' Cup Classic renewals is that every winner had either won or been beaten less than a length on their previous outing.
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
The Filly & Mare Sprint was run for the first time in 2007, on the first day of the expanded Breeders' Cup, and is a seven-furlong Grade 1 dirt race for three-year-olds and up. It's regarded as one of the most important races of its type for fillies and mares who don't really stay beyond a mile.
Because it's a dirt race, the Filly & Mare Sprint has been dominated by U.S.-trained contenders. All 16 winners have been trained in the U.S.
Groupie Doll (2012 & 2013) is so far the only filly to have won the race more than once, but 2022 winner Goodnight Olive will attempt to match that achievement when she returns in 2023.
She won the 2023 Madison Grade 1 race at Keeneland and came in second in the Ballerina Grade 1 race at Saratoga, so she will head to Santa Anita as a leading candidate to repeat as the Filly & Mare Sprint winner.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
First run in 2008, the Turf Sprint is one of the youngest Breeders' Cup races. The distance of this Grade 1 contest varies depending on the track's configuration. At Santa Anita the Turf Sprint is run over exactly five furlongs.
The Turf Sprint is incredibly competitive; barrier position plays a big role in how the contest pans out, especially if a "go forward" horse is drawn wide.
As the name suggests, the Turf Sprint is a championship race for the fastest turf sprinters, some of whom come over from Europe to compete, like British-trained Glass Slippers, who win the race in 2020.
Caravel provided trainer Brad Cox with his first Turf Sprint winner at Keeneland in 2022. The prolific mare has looked at the top of her game in 2023, so she could be back for a shot at becoming the third horse to complete a Turf Sprint repeat.
Only two other horses have won the Turf Sprint twice, Mizdirection (2012 & 2013) and Stormy Liberal (2017 & 2018).
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
The Dirt Mile was introduced as a Breeders' Cup race in 2007 as a dirt equivalent to the Breeders' Cup Mile, which is run on turf.
A Grade 1 contest with a $1M purse, the Dirt Mile is the most prestigious mile race run on dirt all year and pits together the best three-year-olds against the best of the older milers.
The Dirt Mile can produce horses that go on to compete for the Classic itself, like 2022 winner Cody's Wish, who is a betting favorite for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic.
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is one of the most prestigious contests for fillies and mares. The $2M Grade 1 race is run at either 1 1/4 miles (2,000 meters) or 1 3/8 miles (2,200 meters), depending on the turf course configuration at the Breeders' Cup host track.
It's a race that has been dominated by overseas racer in recent years, so much so that every one of the last seven winners was trained in Europe or Japan. That most recent of those was Tuesday, who ended Aidan O'Brien's drought in the race.
Nashwa is 2023's betting favorite to win this race at 5/2 odds.
Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Established in 1984, the Sprint is a hugely prestigious dirt contest for three-year-olds and older. As with the Turf Sprint, the actual distance of the Sprint can vary depending on track configuration but at Santa Anita, it is six furlongs.
Look out for 2023 odds-on favorite Jackie's Warrior (4/5) as a top contender this year.
The $2M contest has been dominated by older horses in recent years, with no three-year-old successful since Drefong in 2016. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is the man to follow in this race because he's won it a record five times.
Breeders’ Cup Mile
The Mile is another prestigious turf contest that can create stallions or broodmares for the future. Modern Games is favored to win the Breeders' Cup Mile at 7/2 odds.
The $2M, one-mile contest for horses aged 3+, has been dominated by Europeans in recent years. A British or Irish-trained contender has scored in four of the last five years, the last two of which were trained by Charlie Appleby in Newmarket. (It's worth noting Modern Games is trained by Appleby this year.)
The Mile has been won by some superstars of Turf racing, notably French-trained mare Goldikova won it three years in a row from 2008 to 2010.
Breeders' Cup Distaff
The Distaff is also referred to as the "Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic" because, as a little sister race to the Classic, it's run over the same surface and distance as the main event.
It is the top-ranked race for fillies and mares in North America and often decides the title for champion three-year-old and/or champion older filly or mare.
Malathaat is this year's betting favorite to win the Distaff at 3/1 odds.
Four fillies have won the Distaff twice, most recently Monomoy Girl in 2018 and 2020, while 2022 winner Malathaat provided Bob Baffert with a third victory in the Grade 1 race, 18 years after his first.
Breeders’ Cup Turf
With a purse of $4M, the Turf is the second most valuable race of the meeting behind the Classic.
The hugely prestigious Grade 1 contest is run over the European Classic distance of one and a half miles, making it now of the most appealing races for international challengers.
It shouldn't come as a surprise then that overseas horses have dominated in recent years, winning seven of the last eight editions of the race, including the last three. Aidan O'Brien has won the race a remarkable six times.
In 2018, mare Enable became the first horse to win both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year. 2022 winner Rebel's Romance provided English trainer Charlie Appleby with a second successive Turf win after Yibir won in 2021.
Rebel's Romance is the favorite to repeat in this race at 3/1 odds.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Races: 2-Year-Olds
The Juvenile races crown the best young colts in the sport and are often a pointer to future Breeders' Cup contests. Therefore, Cave Rock (4/5) should be on everyone's watch list as the favored juvenile in this competition.
The two-year-olds don't go further than the extended mile of the Juvenile contest, which can elevate Triple Crown contenders for the following season before heading to the Classic.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Races: Fillies
There are two Breeders' Cup championship races that are restricted to fillies: Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf. They are run over similar trips but the Juvenile Fillies is a dirt contest.
These races determine the best-staying fillies of that year and often produce winners that come back the following year to contest races like the Filly & Mare Turf or Breeders' Cup Turf.
Juvenile Fillies races will contain fillies that have already either won or run well in Graded races, while Grade 1 winners will nearly always go into a Breeders' Cup contest as a leading candidate.
2022 Breeders' Cup
The undoubted star of the 2022 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland was Classic winner Flightline, who capped a stunning racing career by taking his record to perfect six from six.
Flightline was sent off one of the shortest-priced Classic favorites ever. Bettors never had a moment's worry as the colt powered clear off the home turn under Flavien Prat to score by a commanding eight and a quarter lengths.
Here are the results of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic:
- ⭐️ Flightline (Trainer: John W Sadler)
- Olympiad (Trainer: William I Mott)
- Taiba (Trainer: Bob Baffert)
- Rich Strike (Trainer: Eric Reed)
- Life is Good (Trainer: Todd Pletcher)
- Hot Rod Charlie (Trainer: Doug O'Neill)
- Happy Saver (Trainer: Todd Pletcher)
Two horses, Forte and filly Wonder Wheel, likely wrapped up Eclipse Awards by winning the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies, respectively. Forte, who had previously won the Hopeful Stakes and Breeders' Futurity, beat the heavily favored Cave Rock with a come-from-behind stretch drive.
Similarly, Wonder Wheel was well back in the early run but closed well to win by three lengths—the largest winning margin in the day's Breeders' Cup races.
All three turf races were won by Irish-bred horses. Trainer Aidan O'Brien picked up two prizes for the Coolmore team, the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Meditate and the Juvenile Turf with Victoria Road. Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby won the Juvenile Turf Sprint with Mischief Magic.
The total common-pool handle on Saturday's 12-race Breeders' Cup card was a record $122,918,607. All source's common-pool handle on Breeders’ Cup’s 10-race Future Stars Friday card was $66,141,766, also a new record for a Breeders’ Cup Friday.
Breeders' Cup History
The idea for the Breeders' Cup was proposed at the 1982 awards luncheon for the Kentucky Derby Festival by pet food heir John R. Gaines, a leading thoroughbred owner and breeder who wanted to clean up the sport's image.
The Cup was initially faced with much skepticism in the racing community. However, with the vocal support of legendary trainer John Nerud and others, the Breeders' Cup was born, with tremendous popularity domestically and abroad. While the event was created as a year-end championship for North American Thoroughbred racing, it now attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe.
The races are operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. The first event was in 1984. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event. Starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. All sites have been in held the United States, except in the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada in 1996.
Past Breeders' Cup Winners
Here are the last five winners of the Breeders' Cup:
- 🥇 2022: Flightline (3-5)
- 🥇 2021: Knicks Go (5-2)
- 🥇 2020: Authentic (6-1)
- 🥇 2019: Vino Rosso (4-1)
- 🥇 2018: Accelerate (5-2)
Best Breeders' Cup Jockeys & Trainers in History
Darrell Wayne Lukas is the most successful Breeders' Cup trainer with 20 wins, while Mike Smith is by far the most decorated jockey at the meeting with 27 winners (eight more than anyone else):
- 🏆 Darrell Wayne Lukas: 20 wins
- 🏆 Bob Baffert: 18 wins
- 🏆 Aidan O'Brien: 16 wins
- 🏆 Chad Brown: 16 wins
- 🏆 Todd A. Pletcher: 14 wins
Six female trainers have won Breeders' Cup races, the first in 1996 when Jenine Sahadi won the Breeders' Cup Sprint with Lit de Justice. In 2009, Carla Gaines also won the Sprint with Dancing in Silks. In 2013 Kathy Ritvo became the first woman to train a Classic winner, Mucho Macho Man. More recently, Maria Borell saddled 2015 Sprint winner Runhappy.
Julie Krone became the first woman to win a Breeders' Cup race when she guided Halfbridled to a historic victory in the 2003 renewal of the Juvenile Fillies. Rosie Napravnik is the only other female rider to at the Breeders' Cup having scored in the Juvenile in 2012 on Shanghai Bobby and the Distaff in 2014 on Untapable.
Breeders' Cup Records
The Breeders' Cup has played host to some of the biggest stars in the sport of horse racing.
Several horses have won two Breeders' Cup races but only Tiznow (2000 & 2001) has won the Classic on two occasions. Mare Zenyatta, a Breeders' Cup Classic winner herself in 2009, has won more prize money ($4,680,000) at the two-day event than any other horse.
Indeed there have been some dominant Breeders' Cup performances over the years, but none more so than that of 1995 Distaff winner Inside Information. A 13.5-length success remains the biggest winning margin achieved by any horse at the meeting.
2023 Breeders' Cup FAQ
The 2023 Breeders' Cup takes place over the weekend of Friday November 3 and into Saturday November 4. The 40th edition of the world championships of thoroughbred horse racing will take place at Santa Anita Park, California. 2024's race will be held in Del Mar, California.
The Breeders' Cup is a big deal because it's regarded as the World Championship of horse racing. Furthermore, the Classic is now seen by many as the unofficial fourth leg of the traditional Triple Crown. The race comes month after the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
Yes, you can bet on the 2023 Breeders' Cup in all states that have legal pari-mutuel horse betting and at the track. Check your local regulations to make sure that you are eligible to place your wagers and redeem your winnings.
Odds are available for many of the Breeders' Cup races, even at this stage of the year. Those odds will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook so it's best to shop around for the best value on any long-range fancies.
Cody's Wish is the long-range favorite for the Brewers' Cup Classic. Last year's Breeders' Cup Mile winner has to prove he can go two turns in a championship race but plenty think he will see the ten-furlong distance out fine.
Cody's Wish is the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Classic, while Equinox is the favorite in the Turf. Emily Upjohn is one to watch in the Filly & Mare Turf. Paddington looks like a threat in the Mile, and Clairiere in the Distaff are just some of the long-range 2023 favorites. Remember, prices will vary across different sportsbooks.
The bigger the odds, the bigger the prize. Put your $100 Breeders' Cup wager on a $20 outsider and you will win a cool $2000! If you like to play safe and prefer to back a shortie, then a $100 bet on a $1.50 shot, like Flightline last year, and you will turn that $100 into $150.
NBC Sports is the home of the Breeders' Cup, and that's where you can catch all the action, including the Challenge Series races throughout the year. The two-day championship event will also be shown live on Peacock, USA Network, and FanDuel TV.
Flightline stole the show with a stunning eight-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Forte and the filly Wonder Wheel were the picks of the juvenile winners on the opening day while British raiders had a great time on Saturday thanks to Rebel's Romance, Modern Games (both Charlie Appleby) and Tuesday (Aidan O'Brien).
Author
Gavin Beech is a writer and contributor for BetKentucky.com and has worked in the betting industry for almost 20 years. Gavin is an experienced horse racing journalist, sports betting content writer and tipster. He has worked for some of the biggest online operators around, notably MailOnline and the Racing Post, where he is a regular on the Live Tipster slot.
