Breeders' Cup Classic
| Grade I race | |
 The first turn in the 2007 Classic | |
| Location | North America |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1984 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Website | Breeders' Cup Classic |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1¼ miles |
| Track | Dirt, Left-handed |
| Qualification | 3-year-olds and up |
| Weight | 4-year-olds and up: 126 lb (57.2 kg) Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 lb (55.3 kg) Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 lb (53.1 kg) |
| Purse | US$5 million |
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup.
Weights for the race are:
- 4-year-olds and up: 126 pounds (57.2 kg)
- Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 pounds (55.3 kg)
- Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 pounds (53.1 kg)
- The reason for the difference in weight between 3-year-olds is that thoroughbreds foaled in the Northern Hemisphere increase in age for racing purposes on January 1, while Southern Hemisphere thoroughbreds do not increase in age until July 1.
The Classic is considered by many to be the premier thoroughbred horse race of the year, and for 2008 only the Dubai World Cup surpassed its $5 million purse. Often, the winner goes on to win U.S. Horse of the Year honors, as have the four winners of the race between 2004 and 2007—respectively Ghostzapper, Saint Liam, Invasor, and Curlin. Due to the extremely high quality of horses in the event, the race is notoriously hard to predict. One notable example of an underdog winning the Classic is the victory of Arcangues in 1993. This was the biggest upset in Breeders' Cup history and his $269.20 payoff for a $2 wager remains a Breeders' Cup record.
Automatic berths
Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup developed "The Breeders' Cup Challenge," a series of races in each division that alloted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has between three and six of these "Win and You're In" qualifiers. In the Breeders' Cup Classic Division there are four automatic berths. In 2009, the Win and You're In races are: the Whitney Handicap, a Grade I race at Saratoga Race Course; the Washington Park Handicap, a Grade III race at Arlington Park; the Pacific Classic Stakes, a Grade I race at Del Mar; and the Goodwood Stakes, a Grade I race at Santa Anita Park.
Records
Most wins:
- 2 - Tiznow (2000, 2001)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 5 - Chris McCarron (1988, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2001)
- 5 - Jerry Bailey (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2005)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 2 - Charlie Whittingham (1987, 1989)
- 2 - Jay M. Robbins (2000, 2001)
Most wins by an owner:
- 2 - Stronach Stables (1998, 2004)
Winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic
See also
- Breeders' Cup Classic "top three finishers" and starters
- Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (sister race)