The 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2018 Breeders' Cup, held on November 2 and 3. The Breeders' Cup also pays the entry fee and provides a travel allowance for the connections of the challenge race winners. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.
On April 18, 2018, the Breeders' Cup announced the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races. The main change was the addition of four "win and you're in" races from Royal Ascot: the Queen Anne Stakes provides a berth in the Mile division; the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) in the Turf; the Norfolk Stakes in the new Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in the Turf Sprint.[1] The Jaipur Invitational was also added as a qualifier for the Turf Sprint. The following races were removed from the series: the TJ Smith (Turf Sprint), the Smile Sprint (Sprint), the T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis (Filly & Mare Turf) and the Grosser Preis von Baden (Turf).[2] On June 25, three more races were added to the challenge series as qualifiers for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. These were the Futurity at Belmont Park, the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland and a new race at Santa Anita,[3] subsequently named the Speakeasy Stakes.
A record 221 pre-entries were taken on October 24. Twelve races, including the Classic, were over-subscribed, meaning more than 14 horses (12 in the Juvenile Turf Sprint) wished to enter. Forty-eight of the pre-entries were automatic qualifiers through the Challenge series.[4]
The following automatic qualifiers also won their division of the Breeders' Cup:
The winners of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge races are shown below. The status column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup division and if so, if they won. The status column also shows a few horses that had been sidelined by injury or retired prior to the running of the Breeders' Cup.
| Month | Race | Track | Location[5] | Division | Winner | BC Status | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Paddock Stakes | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Oh Susanna (AUS) | not entered | ||||||
| January | Queen's Plate | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Mile | Legal Eagle (SAF) | not entered | ||||||
| February | February Stakes | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Classic | Nonkono Yume (JPN) | not entered | ||||||
| April | Doncaster Mile | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Mile | Happy Clapper | not entered | ||||||
| April | Legacy Stakes | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Alizee (AUS) | not entered | ||||||
| May | Gran Premio Criadores | Palermo | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Sinfonia Fantastica (ARG) | not entered | ||||||
| May | Santiago | Chile | Breeders' Cup Mile | Nuevo Maestro (CHI) | not entered | |||||||
| May | San Isidro | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Turf | La Extrana Dama (ARG) | not entered | |||||||
| May | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Mile | Hunt (IRE) | ill[6] | |||||||
| June | Yasuda Kinen | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Mile | Mozu Ascot | not entered | ||||||
| June | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Abel Tasman | pre-entered | |||||||
| June | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Disco Partner | pre-entered | |||||||
| June | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Bee Jersey | retired due to injury[7] | |||||||
| June | Hipódromo da Gávea | Brazil | Breeders' Cup Turf | Quarteto De Cordas (BRZ) | pre-entered | |||||||
| June | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Classic | Pavel | pre-entered | |||||||
| June | Fleur de Lis Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Blue Prize (ARG) | pre-entered | ||||||
| June | Queen Anne Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Accidental Agent (GB) | not entered | ||||||
| June | Prince of Wales's Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Poet's Word (IRE) | injured[8] | ||||||
| June | Norfolk Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Shang Shang Shang | pre-entered | ||||||
| June | Diamond Jubilee Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Merchant Navy (AUS) | not entered | ||||||
| June | Monterrico | Peru | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Smart Choice (ARG) | pre-entered | |||||||
| June | Takarazuka Kinen | Hanshin | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf | Mikki Rocket (JPN) | not entered | ||||||
| June | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Long On Value | not entered | |||||||
| June | Gulfstream Park | Florida | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Stormy Embrace | pre-entered | |||||||
| July | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Limousine Liberal | pre-entered | |||||||
| July | King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Poet's Word (IRE) | injured[9] | ||||||
| July | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Ransom the Moon | not entered | |||||||
| July | Haskell Invitational | New Jersey | Breeders' Cup Classic | Good Magic | retired[10] | |||||||
| July | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Unique Bella | retired due to injury[11] | |||||||
| August | Sussex Stakes | Goodwood | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Lightning Spear (GB) | pre-entered | ||||||
| August | Whitney Handicap | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Diversify | bypassed[12] | |||||||
| August | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Turf | Robert Bruce (CHI) | pre-entered | |||||||
| August | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Sistercharlie (IRE) | won | |||||||
| August | Prix Jacques le Marois | France | Breeders' Cup Mile | Alpha Centauri (IRE) | retired due to injury[13] | |||||||
| August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Accelerate | won | |||||||
| August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Turf | Fashion Business (GB) | not entered | |||||||
| August | Juddmonte International | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Roaring Lion | pre-entered in Classi | |||||||
| August | England | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Sea of Class (IRE) | not entered | ||||||||
| August | Nunthorpe Stakes | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Alpha Delphini (GB) | not entered | |||||||
| August | Personal Ensign Stakes | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Abel Tasman | pre-entered | |||||||
| August | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Marley's Freedom | pre-entered | ||||||||
| August | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Whitmore | pre-entered | ||||||||
| August | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Glorious Empire (IRE) | pre-entered | ||||||||
| August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Catalina Cruiser | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Sippican Harbor | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Madhmoon (IRE) | not entered | |||||||
| September | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Laurens (FR) | bypassed[14] | |||||||
| September | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Turf | Roaring Lion | pre-entered in Classic[15] | |||||||
| September | Iroquois Stakes | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Cairo Cat | not entered | ||||||
| September | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Serengeti Empress | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Mile | Oscar Performance | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Curragh | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Skitter Scatter | not entered | |||||||
| September | Curragh | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Havana Grey (GB) | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | La Pelosa (IRE) | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Fog of War | not entered | |||||||
| September | Rockfel Stakes | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Just Wonderful | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Mohawk (IRE) | not entered | ||||||||
| September | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Imperial Hint | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Channel Maker | pre-entered | ||||||
| September | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Discreet Lover | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Game Winner | won | |||||||
| September | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Bellafina | pre-entered | |||||||
| September | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Vasilika | not entered | |||||||
| September | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Accelerate | won | |||||||
| September | Nakayama | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Fine Needle (JPN) | not entered | |||||||
| September | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Vale Dori (ARG) | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Promises Fulfilled | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Restless Rider | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | A Raving Beauty (GER) | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Golden Mischief | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Mile | Next Shares | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Knicks Go | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Complexity | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Speakeasy Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | It's Gonna Hurt | pre-entered | ||||||
| October | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Roy H | won | |||||||
| October | Prix de l'Opéra | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Wild Illusion | pre-entered | ||||||
| October | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Royal Marine | not entered | ||||||||
| October | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Lily's Candle (FR) | pre-entered | ||||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Strike Silver | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Current | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Blue Prize | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Uncle Benny | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Jaywalk | won | |||||||
| October | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Fourstar Crook | pre-entered | |||||||
| October | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Concrete Rose | pre-entered | |||||||