The Breeders' Cup World Championships is a Grade I Thoroughbred horse race series organized by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company founded in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event held annually at various racetracks in the United States. All sites have been in the U.S. except for the 1996 event held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Since 2007, the Breeders' Cup World Championships are schedule for two days, the first featuring Juvenile Races and the second consisting of all remaining World Championship races. It is now held annually at a single location, rotating to different racetracks around the country.
The location of the Breeders' Cup changes every year, but some of the more popular venues have been Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Santa Anita Park, and Arlington Park. The event was created to attract top-flight horses from all over the world to North America and to generate year-end championship racing excitement comparable to that of European football's Champions League. It has succeeded in doing so, with international participation growing every year.
The first Breeders' Cup took place at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California, on November 10, 1984. The event consisted of seven races and attracted 43 entrants total. The first day's attendance was reported at 42,134 and the handle (total amount bet on the races) was $5,859,957.
The following year, the event was moved to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, where it has been held a total of 10 times (1984, 1986-1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012). Santa Anita Park was the first racetrack to host all seven Breeders' Cup races on a single day and remains the only track to have done so twice (1993, 2003).
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, has hosted the Breeders' Cup eight times (1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000-2002), more than any other venue. The track is best known for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby – the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown – but it also has a rich history of hosting some of the biggest races in the sport.
In addition to the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs has also played host to the Breeders' Cup Classic – the richest and most prestigious race in the event – a total of four times (1988, 2000-2002). The track will once again host the Classic in 2020, as well as the Juvenile Fillies Turf, making it the first time in history that two Breeders' Cup races will be run on the same day at the same venue.
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