2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge series

The 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2017 Breeders' Cup. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key prep races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.

Summary

On April 12, 2017, the Breeders Cup organization announced that the 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge would consist of 81 races from 13 countries. Compared to the 2016 Challenge Series, three races were added: the Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes, the Highlander Stakes and the First Lady Stakes.[1] The Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Belmont Oaks and Canadian Stakes were discontinued from the series.

Fifty pre-entrants in the 2017 Breeders' Cup qualified via the Challenge series, which was particularly important as seven of the Breeders' Cup races were oversubscribed. A maximum of 14 horses (12 in the Turf Sprint) are allowed to start in each race. Winners of the Challenge races are given automatic entries, while other pre-entries are ranked by a points system and the judgement of a panel of experts.[2][3]

A few challenge series winners could not compete at the 2017 Breeders' Cup due to injury or retirement. Two-time Eclipse Award winner Songbird qualified for the Distaff by winning the Ogden Phipps Stakes but was retired in August due to injury. [4] Bal a Bali, winner of the Shoemaker Mile Stakes, was retired in October because he was not training at a high enough level.[5] Ulysses was a late scratch due to an ankle injury.[6]

Five winners of Challenge series races went on to win their respective division at the Breeders' Cup:[7][8]

  • Gun Runner, who won the Classic, qualified by winning both the Stephen Foster and Whitney Handicap
  • Forever Unbridled won the Distaff after automatically qualifying with victories in both the Fleur de Lis and Personal Ensign
  • Rushing Fall qualified in the Jessamine Stakes then went on to win the Juvenile Turf
  • Roy H won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Sprint
  • World Approval won both the Woodbine Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile

Winners

The winners of the 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races are shown below.[9][10] The last column shows if the winner was subsequently pre-entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup race[11] and if so, whether they finished in the top three positions.[7][8]

Month Race Track Location Division Winner BC Status
January Paddock Stakes Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Bela Bela not entered
January Queen's Plate Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Mile Legal Eagle not entered
February February Stakes Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Classic Gold Dream not entered
April Doncaster Mile Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Mile It's Somewhat not entered
April TJ Smith Stakes Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Chautauqua not entered
April Queen of the Turf Stakes Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Foxplay not entered
May Gran Premio Criadores Palermo Argentina Breeders' Cup Distaff Kiriaki not entered
May Gran Premio 25 de Mayo San Isidro Argentina Breeders' Cup Turf Sixties Song not entered
May Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella Santiago Chile Breeders' Cup Mile Top Casablanca not entered
June Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Bal a Bali injured[5]
June Yasuda Kinen Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Mile Satono Aladdin not entered
June Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Songbird injured[4]
June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Mor Spirit entered
June Gran Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea Brazil Breeders' Cup Turf Voador Magee not entered
June Stephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Gun Runner won
June Fleur de Lis Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff Forever Unbridled won
June Gran Premio Pamplona Monterrico Peru Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Birdie Gold entered
June Takarazuka Kinen Hanshin Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Satono Crown not entered
July Princess Rooney Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Curlin's Approval entered
July Smile Sprint Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Sprint Imperial Hint second
July Highlander Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Green Mask not entered
July Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Mind Your Biscuits third
July Bing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Ransom the Moon entered
July King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot England Breeders' Cup Turf Enable not entered
July Haskell Invitational Monmouth New Jersey Breeders' Cup Classic Girvin not entered
July Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Distaff Stellar Wind entered
August Sussex Stakes Goodwood England Breeders' Cup Mile Here Comes When not entered
August Whitney Handicap Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Classic Gun Runner won
August Beverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Dacita entered
August Arlington Million Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Turf Beach Patrol second
August Pacific Classic Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Classic Collected second
August Del Mar Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Turf Hunt entered
August Prix Jacques Le Marois Deauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Al Wukair not entered
August Juddmonte International York England Breeders' Cup Turf Ulysses scratched
August Yorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Enable not entered
August Nunthorpe Stakes York England Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Marsha entered
August Personal Ensign Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Forever Unbridled won
August Ballerina Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint By the Moon entered
August Sword Dancer Invitational Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Turf Sadler's Joy entered
August Forego Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Drefong entered
August Pat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Giant Expectations entered
September T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Ashiana not entered
September Spinaway Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Lady Ivanka scratched
September Grosser Preis von Baden Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Turf Guignol not entered
September Juvenile Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nelson withdrawn[12]
September Matron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Hydrangea not entered
September Irish Champion Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Decorated Knight entered
September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Happily entered
September Flying Five Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Caravaggio not entered
September Pocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Patrona Margarita not entered
September Iroquois Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Tabulator entered
September Woodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile World Approval won
September Natalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Capla Temptress entered
September Summer Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Untamed Domain second
September Rockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Juliet Capulet entered
September Royal Lodge Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Roaring Lion not entered
September Vosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Takaful entered
September Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Turf Beach Patrol second
September FrontRunner Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Bolt d'Oro third
September Zenyatta Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Distaff Paradise Woods third
September Chandelier Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Moonshine Memories entered
September Rodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Avenge entered
September Awesome Again Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Classic Mubtaahij entered
September Sprinters Stakes Nakayama Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Red Falx not entered
October Prix de l'Opéra Chantilly France Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Rhododendron second
October Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère Chantilly France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Happily entered Fillies Turf
October Prix Marcel Boussac Chantilly France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Wild Illusion not entered
October Phoenix Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Sprint Whitmore entered
October Alcibiades Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Heavenly Love entered
October Champagne Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Firenze Fire entered
October Jockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Classic Diversify withdrawn[13]
October First Lady Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Zipessa entered
October Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Finley'sluckycharm entered
October Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile Suedois entered
October Breeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Free Drop Billy entered
October Santa Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Sprint Roy H won
October Flower Bowl Invitational Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf War Flag entered
October Frizette Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Separationofpowers entered
October Bourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Flameaway entered
October Spinster Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff Romantic Vision entered
October Jessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Rushing Fall won

References
  1. "Del Mar to Host Five Breeders' Cup Challenge Races During Summer Meeting". www.dmtc.com. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  2. "Nine Previous Winners Pre-Entered in 2017 Breeders' Cup". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  3. "ARROGATE, GUN RUNNER, STELLAR WIND, HIGHLAND REEL (IRE), ULYSSES (IRE), LADY ELI AND BOLT D'ORO LEAD 187 HORSES PRE-ENTERED FOR 2017 BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT DEL MAR | Breeders' Cup". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  4. "Champion Songbird Retired". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  5. "Bal a Bali Retired to Calumet Farm". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  6. "Ulysses Scratched From Breeders' Cup Turf". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  7. "Charts for the 2017 Breeders Cup - Friday" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  8. "Charts for the 2017 Breeders Cup - Saturday" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  9. "Breeders' Cup Challenge Races - North American winners". www.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  10. "Breeders' Cup Challenge". www.drf.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  11. "Breeders' Cup Pre-entries for 2017" (PDF). BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  12. "Nelson Likely Done Racing for the Year". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  13. "Diversify to Skip Breeders' Cup Classic". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
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