The 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consists of horse races from around the world that provide the respective winners with an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2020 Breeders' Cup, to be held on November 6 and 7. Races are chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and include key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions. The Breeders' Cup organization pays the Breeders' Cup entry fee for the challenge race winners, provided they had been nominated as foals.
The selected races vary somewhat from year to year as the Breeders' Cup attempts to attract the best horses in each division. The Breeders' Cup organization normally makes an announcement in April about the races that it will add or remove from the previous year's schedule for the new year. Because of the disruption to the racing schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Breeders' Cup organization instead made several adjustments to the normal series throughout 2020.[1] [2] [3]
The 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consisted of 86 races from across 11 countries.[4] New races for 2020 include the Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse (Filly & Mare Turf), Carter Handicap at Belmont Park (Sprint), Alabama Stakes at Saratoga (Distaff) and the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico (Classic).
The following races were removed from the 2020 series: Gran Premio Criadores, Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella, Gran Premio Pamplona, Princess Rooney Handicap, John A. Nerud, Beverly D., Arlington Million, Jockey Club Derby, Cotillion and Sprinters Stakes.
On October 28, a total of 201 pre-entries were taken for the Breeders' Cup races, of which 48 horses were automatic qualifiers through the Challenge series races.[5]
Five winners from the challenge series went on to win at the 2020 Breeders' Cup:
The following table shows the Breeders' Cup Challenge races for 2020 and the respective winners.[6] The status column shows if the winner was entered at the Breeders' Cup, and if so, whether they finished in the top three.[7] [8] [9]
Month | Race | Track | Location | Division | Winner | Status | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December | Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini | San Isidro | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Turf | Nao Da Mais (BRZ) | bypass | ||||||
January | Paddock Stakes | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Queen Supreme (IRE) | bypass | ||||||
January | Queen's Plate | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Mile | Vardy (SAF) | bypass | ||||||
February | February Stakes | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Classic | Mozu Ascot (JPN) | bypass | ||||||
May | Victoria Mile | Tokyo Racecourse | Japan | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Almond Eye (JPN) | bypass | ||||||
May | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Mile | Raging Bull (FR) | entered | |||||||
June | Carter Handicap | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Vekoma | scratched | ||||||
June | Yasuda Kinen | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Mile | Gran Alegria (JPN) | bypass | ||||||
June | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | She's a Julie | retired[10] | |||||||
June | Queen Anne Stakes | Royal Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Circus Maximus (Ire) | second | ||||||
June | Prince of Wales's Stakes | Royal Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Lord North (IRE) | entered | ||||||
June | Norfolk Stakes | Royal Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | The Lir Jet | entered in Juvenile Turf | ||||||
June | Diamond Jubilee Stakes | Royal Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Hello Youmzain (FR) | retired[11] | ||||||
June | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Oleksandra (AUS) | entered | |||||||
June | Fleur de Lis Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Midnight Bisou | retired[12] | ||||||
June | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Classic | Tom's d'Etat | entered | |||||||
June | Takarazuka Kinen | Hanshin | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf | Chrono Genesis (JPN) | bypass | ||||||
July | Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Vekoma | scratched from the Sprint | ||||||
July | Haskell Invitational | New Jersey | Breeders' Cup Classic | Authentic | entered | |||||||
July | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Enable (GB) | retired[13] | |||||||
July | Sussex Stakes | Goodwood | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Mohaather (GB) | retired | ||||||
August | Personal Ensign Stakes | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Vexatious | injured[14] | |||||||
August | Whitney Handicap | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Improbable | second | |||||||
August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Collusion Illusion | entered | |||||||
August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Fighting Mad | bypass | |||||||
August | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Serengeti Empress | second | ||||||||
August | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Swiss Skydiver | entered | ||||||||
August | Prix Jacques Le Marois | France | Breeders' Cup Mile | Palace Pier | bypass | |||||||
August | Juddmonte International | England | Breeders' Cup Classic | Ghaiyyath (IRE) | retired[15] | |||||||
August | England | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Love (IRE) | bypass | ||||||||
August | Nunthorpe Stakes | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Battaash (IRE) | bypass | |||||||
August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Turf | Red King | entered | |||||||
August | Fourstardave Handicap | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Mile | Halladay | entered | ||||||
August | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Maximum Security | entered | |||||||
August | Deauville | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Campanelle | entered Juvenile Fillies Turf |
Most of the Challenge Series races were televised, either by NBC, NBC Sports, TVG or Fox Sports.[19]