Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Classic Races - The Breeders' Cup

By Simon M Skinner

The Breeders' Cup Classic is the crowning moment of the two days of the Breeder's Cup.

This Grade I stakes race is for Thoroughbreds three years old and older. The race is a 1 miles and is considered to be the premier Thoroughbred race of the year. The purse is a whopping $5 million.

Since there is such a large prize to be won, competitors enter the race from every corner of the world. There are some restrictions in place on weight and age in order to make sure the race is a fair one.

Three year olds born in the northern hemisphere and having an official birthday of January 1st are required to carry 122 pounds. Three year olds born in the southern hemisphere and having an official birthday of August 1st are required to carry 117 pounds. Horses born in the southern hemisphere are considered to be younger than horse's born in the northern hemisphere due to the difference in foaling seasons below the equator.

The horse which wins the Breeder's Cup Classic very often will go on to also win the U.S. Horse of the Year. The last four winners of the Breeder's Cup Classic have all done this - Curlin, Invasor, Saint Laim and Ghostzapper, respectively.

This is a race which is difficult to predict the winner of. There is such a high level of competition that it's hard to tell who ca win. There have been big upsets in the Breeeder's Cup Classic before - the biggest in the history of the race was in 1993, when the underdog Arcangues won. The payoff for a bet on this horse was $269.20 on a $2 bet!

Not only do horseracing fans see the best of the best in today's horses, but they also see the world's top trainers and riders. However, due to the popularity of the race and the tough competition, it is not uncommon to see a new trainer take the win.

D. Wayne Lukas, a winner of many other races has only won the Breeder's Cup Classic once in 1999 with Cat Thief. The best jockeys are also on display, with names like Jerry Bailey, Pat Day and others having won this race several times.

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