Excitement Mounts for Breeders’ Cup Weekend
The 2014 Breeders’ Cup events will be held at Santa Anita on October 31 and November 1, starting with the $1 million Juvenile Turf at 2:25 pm Friday, and concluding with the much anticipated $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at 5:35 pm on Saturday. The Breeders’ Cup weekend is widely considered to be the highlight of the year in horseracing circles and is the richest in North America, with $24.5 million in prize money distributed over thirteen races…
Twelve of the thirteen races will feature a maximum of fourteen horses, with the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile being limited to twelve starters.
Pre-entries for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic include Bayern, Candy Boy, Cigar Street, Imperative, Moreno, Majestic Harbor, Prayer for Relief, Shared Belief, Tonalist, Toast of New York, V.E.Day, Zivo, Big Cazanova and the very popular California Chrome. As winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes this year, California Chrome looked likely to claim the Triple Crown, but finished in a tie for fourth place with Wicked Strong. Winner of the Belmont Stakes, Tonalist, is among the competitors California Chrome will come up against in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Although Shared Belief missed the Triple Crown series due to injury, he is reportedly in top form and considered to be a serious contender in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Following knee replacement surgery in July, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is expected to return to the track aboard Irish horse Sivoliere in the Juvenile Filly Turf event. As one of his many career achievements, Stevens rode Macho Man to victory in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Although times and race orders are subject to change, the program for the Breeders’ Cup is as follows:
Friday, October 31, 2014:
Juvenile Turf @ 2:25 PM PDT
Dirt Mile @ 3:05 PM PDT
Juvenile Fillies Turf @ 3:50 PM PDT
Longines Distaff @ 4:35 PM PDT
Saturday, November 1, 2014:
14 Hands Winery Juveniles Fillies @ 12:05 PM PDT
Filly & Mare Turf @ 12:43 PM PDT
DraftKings Fille & Mare Sprint @ 1:21 PM PDT
Turf Sprint @ 2:05 PM PDT
Sentient Jet Juvenile @ 2:43 PM PDT
Longines Turf @ 3:22 PM PDT
Xpressbet Sprint @4:-1 PM PDT
Breeders’ Cup Mile @ 4:40 PM PDT
Breeders’ Cup Classic @ 5:35 PM PDT
