The Breeders’ Cup Classicis a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older….which is run at a distance of 11⁄4 miles (2,000 m) on dirt….while it is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in late October or early November. All of the races to date have been held in the United States….except for the 1996 edition held at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Classic is considered by many to be the premier thoroughbred horse race of the year in the U.S., although the Kentucky Derby is more widely known among casual racing fans….as it was once the richest race in the world, in more recent years, only the Pegasus World Cup, Dubai World Cup, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe have had consistently higher purses. Often, the winner of the Classic goes on to win U.S. Horse of the Year honors….which includes the four winners of the race between 2004 and 2007….respectively Ghostzapper, Saint Liam, Invasor, and Curlin.
Due to the extremely high quality of horses in the event….the race is notoriously hard to predict. One notable example of an underdog winning the Classic is the victory of Arcangues in 1993. This was the biggest upset in Breeders’ Cup history….as his $269.20 payoff for a $2 wager still remains a Breeders’ Cup record.
The Classic is now regarded as the fourth leg of horse racing’s Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing ….along with the traditional Triple Crown of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. After American Pharoah‘s Triple Crown win earlier in 2015….the term, Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing began being used more and more…..becoming more and more popular….since the colt became the first horse to ever accomplish this feat.
