Breeders’ Cup announced Jan. 22 that Grey Goose Vodka will sponsor the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies this year, and has secured exclusive rights as the official spirit of the Breeders’ Cup and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Under the multi-year agreement, Grey Goose Vodka becomes the name-in-title sponsor of the Grey Goose Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, one of the 11 races in the $23-million Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held Oct. 26-27 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles will be run Oct. 27 and televised live on ESPN.
A Breeders’ Cup partner since 2005, Grey Goose Vodka has been given exclusive title to the “Grey Goose Vodka Clubhouse” at Monmouth during the Breeders’ Cup, which includes signage in high visibility areas and the Grey Goose Vodka logo printed on all Breeders’ Cup seat tickets. In addition, the company will continue to be title sponsor of the Grey Goose Vodka Breeders’ Cup VIP Party Oct. 25 and an official sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Charity Gala Oct. 26.
“As a premier international brand, Grey Goose Vodka is a perfect marketing partner for the Breeders’ Cup, and we are excited that it is expanding its commitment to work with us,” Breeders’ Cup president and chief executive officer Greg Avioli said in a statement. “The Breeders’ Cup World Championships and the new Breeders’ Cup Challenge in the weeks leading up to it allow us to create unprecedented marketing opportunities where partners can access an affluent audience and associate with the very best in Thoroughbred racing.”
“Grey Goose Vodka is proud to support Thoroughbred racing, the sport of kings,” said Monsell Darville, vice president and group director of Grey Goose Vodka. “We look forward to encouraging the NTRA through its long-term growth and development.”
NTRA president Alex Waldrop said the organization hopes to extend the Grey Goose Vodka brand “across a broad spectrum of NTRA-member partners.” The NTRA, through an affiliate agreement, handles sponsorship activities for Breeders’ Cup.
The Juvenile Fillies was the only one of eight Breeders’ Cup races without a sponsor last year. Other sponsors of the grade I events are Dodge (Classic), John Deere (Turf), Emirates Airline (Distaff and Filly & Mare Turf), NetJets (Mile), TVG (Sprint), and Bessemer Trust (Juvenile). Three $1-million Breeders’ Cup races were added for this year: the Filly & Mare Sprint, the Juvenile Turf, and the Dirt Mile.
