CTBA Executive vice president and general manager Doug Burge said Nov. 14 that the date was changed in large part to better accommodate California owners and trainers who wanted to give their horses enough time to run in both the Cal Cup and Breeders’ Cup. The 2008 Breeders’ Cup will be held Oct. 24-25, which gives horses 19 or 20 days between the two events.
This year the Cal Cup, which is always run at Santa Anita, was held Nov. 3, one week after the Breeders’ Cup.
“This gets us far enough away from the Breeders’ Cup that it won’t be a burden with things like marketing and such,” Burge said. “Secondly, now California-breds who want to can run in both events. I’m very happy with the solution.”
The Breeders’ Cup has been held three times at Santa Anita, most recently in 2003. That year, the Breeders’ Cup was held Oct. 25, 14 days before the Nov. 8 Cal Cup.
“That really hurt us,” Burge said. “It was difficult to get people to come back (for the Cal Cup). With almost three weeks between the two, we should have a better representation of our horses.”
Burge said that the Breeders’ Cup prep races would also be moved up earlier in the Oak Tree meet.