Classic Contender Invasor Nominated to BC Program

(Edited press release)
Officials of Breeders' Cup Ltd. have confirmed that the 4-year-old Invasor, a top contender for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I), has been nominated to the Breeders' Cup program as a horse of racing age.

Pam Blatz-Murff, senior vice president of Breeders' Cup Operations, confirmed today receipt of a $250,000 payment from Invasor's owners, Shadwell Stable. This payment places Invasor, whose sire, Candy Stripes, was not nominated to the Breeders' Cup Program for the 2001 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, into the Breeders' Cup Program for his entire racing career, including earning full purse monies in Breeders' Cup Stakes program races.

Should Shadwell enter Invasor in the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at the Breeders' Cup World Championships on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, the owners will pay the standard $125,000 fees to start in the race. Had Invasor not been nominated to the Breeders' Cup under the horses of racing age program, his supplemental fee to start in the Classic would have been $750,000.

Bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan, Invasor is unbeaten in three starts in the U.S. this year for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Last year, Invasor won all five of his starts in Uruguay and was named that country's Horse of the Year. In March, Invasor suffered his only career defeat when he finished fourth in the UAE Derby (UAE-II) in Dubai.

Invasor becomes the fourth horse to be nominated to the Breeders' Cup through the horses of racing age program and the first whose sire was not nominated to the Breeders' Cup.

In April, Ballygallon Stud's 4-year-old Aragorn, ranked No. 1 in the NetJets Mile Division of the Breeders' Cup World Championships Poll, became the first horse of racing age to be nominated to the program. Jay Em Ess Stable's 3-year-old Declan's Moon was nominated to the program on August 17. Earlier this month, STD Racing and Jason Wood's 5-year-old gelding Lava Man became the third horse to join the program. All three horses were not nominated to the Breeders' Cup Program as foals. Their owners each paid Breeders' Cup Ltd. $150,000 to join the program.

Breeders' Cup Ltd. announced revised rules to its nomination program on April 21 of this year, following approval by its board of directors. Under the revised system, after Dec. 15 of the foal's first year, owners of a non-nominated horse sired by a Breeders' Cup, European Breeders' Fund, or Common Fund stallion nominated in the year of conception, may now pay a one-time, $150,000 late nomination fee to place that horse into the Breeders' Cup program for its entire racing career. Owners of a Thoroughbred sired by a non-nominated Breeders' Cup, EBF, or Common Fund stallion in the year of conception may also secure nomination into the Breeders' Cup program with a one-time, $250,000 late nomination payment to Breeders' Cup Ltd.

In both late nomination scenarios, owners of these horses will pay standard pre-entry and entry fees to run in Breeders' Cup World Championships races and will be eligible for full purse and award monies in the Breeders' Cup Stakes Program, a series of 145 added money races conducted at 42 U.S. and Canadian tracks. Breeders' Cup is enhancing this program with $8 million in Breeders' Cup Funds this year.