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Chasing the Cup - 2012 BC Challenge Races

Win a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, and you're in the Breeders' Cup. We honor those who have won challenge races.

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Joha Holds Off Rivals in Breeders' Futurity

Breaking from the rail, Joha withstood numerous challenges to score a front-running victory in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 6.

West Hills Giant Returns to Turf for Pilgrim

Several promising maiden winners on turf including Cerro, Noble Tune, and Quinzieme Monarque will challenge New York-bred stakes winner West Hills Giant in the Pilgrim Stakes.

Aruna Primed for Juddmonte Spinster Defense

Flaxman Holdings' Aruna seeks back-to-back wins in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 6, facing 12 rivals as she attempts to become just the fourth horse to accomplish the feat.

Belmont Moves Juvenile Turf Stakes to Monday

The New York Racing Association has moved the Pilgrim and Miss Grillo Stakes, a pair of juvenile stakes races scheduled for the turf, to the Oct. 8 card due to weather concerns.

Wise Dan Runs Back in Shadwell Turf Mile

Morton Fink's Woodbine Mile winner Wise Dan is the star attraction of a power-packed $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 6 at Keeneland, where he'll take on 11 other starters 20 days after his most recent score.

Darley Alcibiades Draws Overflow Field

An overflow field of juvenile fillies will get the autumn meet at Keeneland off and running, with 16 entered for the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) opening day Oct. 5.

Jersey Town Stands Tall in Kelso

Charles Fipke's homebred Jersey Town, a 6-year-old son of Speightstown, blows by Shackleford in the stretch of the one-mile Kelso Handicap (gr. II). Favored To Honor and Serve finishes fourth.

Belmont Cancels Sept. 28 Card

Due to anticipated heavy rain in the Elmont, N.Y., area, live racing at Belmont Park has been canceled Sept. 28 to ensure the track surfaces are in optimal condition for the following day's "Super Saturday" card.

Joe Hirsch: Point of Entry Meets Little Mike

Point of Entry must clear his final hurdle before the Breeders' Cup in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Sept. 29 at Belmont Park, and that hurdle could be Arlington Million winner Little Mike.

Royal Delta, It's Tricky Are Beldame Stars

Royal Delta and It's Tricky look to recover from an Aug. 26 Personal Ensign (gr. I) upset and eye year-end honors when they meet for a fifth time Sept. 29 in the $400,000 Beldame Invitational (gr. I) at Belmont Park.

Pacific Classic Field Begins to Take Shape

The field for Del Mar's $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, the fourth of six "Win and You're In" races for the Breeders' Cup Classic, is beginning to come together.

Redeemed Posts Record Greenwood Cup Victory

Jay Em Ess Stable's Redeemed held off a nagging pressure from Not Abroad to win the $200,000 Greenwood Cup (gr. III) in track-record time at Parx Racing July 14.

Redeemed Seems Well-Spotted in Greenwood Cup

Jay Em Ess Stable's Redeemed, a 10-length winner of the Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) in his last start, looms a tough customer in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup (gr. III) at Parx Racing July 14.

The Factor to Face Five in Ancient Title

George Bolton and Fog City Stable's The Factor will continue his preparations for the Breeders' Cup World Championships when he takes on five challengers in the Ancient Title Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 8 at Santa Anita Park.

Imports Add Intrigue to Shadwell Turf Mile

A European import coming off a difficult trip at Woodbine is among the classy turf runners seeking to keep Gio Ponti from winning his second consecutive Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) Oct. 8 at Keeneland.

Flashpoint Tackles Elders in Phoenix Stakes

Peachtree Stable's Flashpoint will hope the inside post is kinder to him this time around when he faces six competitors in the $175,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) Oct. 7, opening day of the Keeneland meet.

Ben's Cat is a Turf Monster

A gelded son of Parker's Storm Cat swept Pennsylvania's top turf sprints when he captured the $350,000 Turf Monster Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Parx Racing.

Quick Juvenile Colts to Battle in Hopeful

Two-year-old males will be in the spotlight in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 5 when Saratoga brings the curtain down on its 2011 meet.

A.U. Miner Earns Second Trip to Breeders' Cup

For the second straight year, A. U. Miner earned an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. II) at Churchill Downs by winning the Greenwood Cup Stakes July 16 at Parx Racing.

Del Cap Offers Key Battle in Filly Division

Delaware Park will host what could be the matchup of the year so far when Blind Luck and Havre de Grace square off in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at 1 1/4 miles July 16.

BC Marathon Spot on Line in Greenwood Cup

Birdrun, Ponzi Scheme, and A.U. Miner are among the horses entered in the Greenwood Cup, a 1 1/2-mile stakes to be run July 16 at Parx Racing.

Breeders' Cup Challenge Program Expands

Fifteen new grade/group I races have been added to the schedule for the 2011 Breeders' Cup Challenge, an international series of 68 automatic qualifying races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Filly Serious Attitude Beats Boys in Nearctic

Serious Attitude, the lone filly in the field of 12, rallied from off the pace and rolled home at a price to win the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (Can-IT), a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event, at Woodbine Oct. 16.

Breeders' Cup Q&A on Nominations Changes

Questions and answers provided by Breeders' Cup Limited on changes to nominations.

Breeders' Cup Revamps Nominations Programs

In an effort to attract more horses, especially those from overseas, to participate in its World Championships, Breeders' Cup Limited is making major changes to its nominations programs.

Hangin' With Haskin: Win and You're What?

We all know, it is not really a Win and You're In, as much as it is a Win and You're In if you're willing to pay the fees and travel expenses.

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Breeders' Cup Challenge Expands to 65

The Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, will increase expansion with a record 65 races taking place in seven countries, it was announced June 24.

Fatal Bullet Takes Aim as Keeneland Opens

Bear Stables' Fatal Bullet, second in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), returns to a synthetic surface in the grade III Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland for its Oct. 9 opening-day program.

'Win and You're In' Races Begin at Monmouth

The $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) and the $250,000 Salvator Mile (gr. III), both run at Monmouth Park on July 4, represent the first state-side races in this year's international "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge series.

BC Challenge Series Adds Four British Races

The Breeders' Cup announced June 22 that the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by Sony (Eng-I), Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile (Eng-I) and Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Eng-II) at Ascot on Sept. 26, and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket on Oct. 17, have been selected to the 2009 Breeders' Cup Challenge series.

Pacific Classic Now on Labor Day Weekend

The $1-million, grade I Pacific Classic will be repositioned to Labor Day weekend as the highlight of the 70th season of racing at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which will offer 31 stakes with purses totaling nearly $7 million. The meet begins Wednesday, July 22 and runs through Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Mauralakana Exceeding Expectations

Mauralakana's owner had expected his mare to be in a Southern Hemisphere breeding shed in October, not the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The 5-year-old mare is Robert Scarborough's first Breeders' Cup contender.

And They're Off: Oct 8 (Video)

Hosted by Lenny Shulman and Steve Haskin, "And They're Off" is a bi-monthly online video series sponsored by Darby Dan Farm. This week's topics include the Win & You're In system, suitors for the Magna tracks, and a tie story from Lenny.

Elusive Bluff, Maram Win Graded Stakes

Elusive Bluff came running late to catch pacesetter Show Me the Cash at the wire in the Pilgrim Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park Oct. 1. One race earlier, Maram got up just in time to defeat Freedom Rings by a neck in the $164,200 Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. IIIT).

Princess Rooney Goes to O'Neill's 'Plan

J. Paul Reddam's Mistical Plan upset even-money favorite Dream Rush to win the $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares at Calder Race Course July 12 as part of the Florida track's Summit of Speed program.

Suffolk Offers Big Brown, Curlin $5M

Suffolk Downs has announced that the purse for this year's Massachusetts Handicap will be $5 million if Big Brown wins the Triple Crown and both he and 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Curlin remain unbeaten in 2008 and go on to start in the MassCap against one another. The $5 million would include a $1-million participation bonus for each.

Keeneland Fall Stakes Worth $5.4 Million

Keeneland will offer a record $5.4 million in stakes purses, one of the richest stakes programs in North America, for its 2008 fall race meeting to be held Oct. 3-25, the Lexington oval announced June 3.

Good Ba Ba First Home, First 'In'

John Yuen's 6-year-old gelding Good Ba Ba solidified his reputation as the top miler in the Far East Sunday by capturing the HK$1-million Champions Mile (HK-I) at Sha Tin and becomes the first horse to qualify for the 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships through the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge series.

Breeders' Cup Focus: Unbridled Belle

Unbridled Belle has lived in the shadow of her more illustrious stablemates for most of her career. But when Todd Pletcher trainees Rags to Riches, Indian Vale, Panty Raid, and Octave stepped out of the spotlight, the grade I-winning Broken Vow filly got her chance to shine.

Purim Snatches Shadwell Turf Mile Win at Wire

Jamie Theriot, aboard Purim, had no idea if he'd get there. Julien Leparoux, on Cosmonaut, was doing his best to power under the wire. In the stands, 24,480 racegoers strained to see the photo. They saw Purim prevail by a neck in the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 6.

Vacare Is First Lady of Keeneland

She was second in her last start, the Aug. 23 Baslton Spa Handicap (gr. IIT) at Saratoga, but Vacare would not be denied victory Oct. 6, when she wore down Precious Kitten in the $400,000 First Lady Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland.

TVG Oak Tree Coverage Features Final 'Win and You're In Races'

TVG, America's Horseracing Network, will provide live coverage of the entire fall season from Oak Tree at Santa Anita, including four grade I stakes on opening weekend, and the year's final "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races.

More Tracks Interested in 'Win and You're In' Scheme

More racetracks have expressed an interest in being part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" program next year.

Diana Stakes Looks M-M-M-M-M Good

Five of the eight runners in Saturday's Diana Stakes (gr. IT) not only have names that start with the letter "M"; they all have a big chance in the first "Win and You're In" race from Saratoga.

Breeders' Cup Launches 'Win and You're In' Series

Breeders' Cup and some of the top racetracks in the country have repackaged major stakes for 2007 in the hope of promoting the World Championships. The scheme includes guaranteed berths in the Breeders' Cup for horses that win stakes on six big-event days in the summer and early fall.