Like the Melbourne Cup, Kentucky Derby and a limited number of other iconic races that take place beyond these isles, the Breeders’ Cup captures the imagination of UK and Irish racing fans. The Breeders’ Cup is actually a series of races but many in the UK refer to the key contest, technically the Breeders’ Cup Classic, as simply the Breeders’ Cup. Whatever we call it, this race is hugely valuable, offering up $6m in total prize money. It is run on dirt, though the venue changes, with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships using a number of different hosts. Santa Anita Park, in California, has hosted the championships, and the Classic itself, more than any other course.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a Grade 1 contest, run over a mile and a quarter. It is a weight for age race, whilst there are also allowances for fillies/mares and differing weights for Northern and Southern Hemisphere horses too. That said, the race is open to horses aged at least three with no other restrictions, and is considered by many to be the classiest race to take place in the US. Past winners include American Pharoah, who also won the US Triple Crown in 2015, when he claimed this one, and Tiznow, the only horse to win it more than once.
2022
- 1st - Flightline 4/9F, Jockey: Flavien Prat, Trainer: John W. Sadler
- 2nd - Olympiad 10/1, Jockey: Junior Alvarado, Trainer: William I. Mott
- 3rd - Taiba 33/4, Jockey: Mike E. Smith, Trainer: Bob Baffert
2021
- 1st - Knicks Go 16/5, Jockey: Joel Roasario, Trainer: Brad Cox
- 2nd - Medina Spirit 68/10, Jockey: John Velazquez, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 3rd - Essential Quality 19/10F, Jockey: Luis Saez, Trainer: Brad Cox
2020
- 1st - Authentic 9/5, Jockey: John Velazquez, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 2nd - Improbable 5/2F, Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 3rd - Global Campaign 20/1, Jockey: Javier Castellano, Trainer: Stanley Hough
2019
- 1st - Vino Rosso 4/1, Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- 2nd - McKinzie 3/1F, Jockey: Joel Rosario, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 3rd - Higher Power 6/1, Jockey: Flavien Prat, Trainer: John Sadler
2018
- 1st - Accelerate 3/1F, Jockey: Joel Rosario, Trainer: John Sadler
- 2nd - Gunnevera 6/1, Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., Trainer: Antonio Sano
- 3rd - Thunder Snow (IRE) 13/2, Jockey: Christophe Soumillon, Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
2017
- 1st - Gun Runner 9/5F, Jockey: Florent Geroux, Trainer: Steve Asmussen
- 2nd - Collected 6/1, Jockey: Martin Garcia, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 3rd - West Coast 6/1, Jockey: Javier Castellano, Trainer: Bob Baffert
2016
- 1st - Arrogate 11/4, Jockey: Mike Smith, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 2nd - California Chrome 5/6F, Jockey: Victor Espinoza, Trainer: Art Sherman
- 3rd - Keen Ice 16/1, Jockey: Javier Castellano, Trainer: Todd Pletcher
2015
- 1st - American Pharoah 6/5F, Jockey: Victor Espinoza, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 2nd - Effinex 30/1, Jockey: Mike Smith, Trainer: James Jerkens
- 3rd - Honor Code 6/1, Jockey: Javier Castellano, Trainer: Claude McGaughey III
2014
- 1st - Bayern 13/2, Jockey: Martin Garcia, Trainer: Bob Baffert
- 2nd - Toast of New York 12/1, Jockey: Jamie Spencer, Trainer: Jamie Osborne
- 3rd - California Chrome 7/1, Jockey: Victor Espinoza, Trainer: Art Sherman