Breeders Cup Races 2018 at Churchill Downs

The 2018 Breeders Cup races are 12 days away, being run on Friday and Saturday, 2 and 3 November at Churchill Downs, outside of Lexington, Kentucky.  This year, the schedule has been shaken up a bit - I used to get angry because they ran all the fillies and mares races on Friday, when there was less attendance and a smaller betting handle.  This year, the races for the juvenile horses, all 2-year-olds, will all take place on Friday, and Friday is now designated as "Future Stars Friday" at the Breeders Cup.
   On Friday, 2 November, the first Breeders Cup race will be the Juvenile Turf Sprint.   Listed below are the post times (Eastern Daylight Time), the name of the race, the length of the race, and the amount of the guaranteed purse.
 3:21 p.m.      Juvenile Turf Sprint         5.5 furlongs        $1 million
 4:00 p.m.      Juvenile Fillies Turf          1 mile                $1 million
 4:40 p.m.      Juvenile Fillies                   1 1/16 mile       $2 million
 5:22 p.m.      Juvenile Colts Turf            1 mile                $1 million
 6:05 p.m.      Juvenile Colts                     1 1/16 mile       $2 million

  Two other stakes races will be run on Friday, the Street Smart Stakes, for 3-year-olds, run at 8 furlongs (1 mile); and the Marathon Stakes, a Grade II event, for 3-year-olds and up, run at 14 furlongs (1 3/4 miles),

On Saturday, nine Breeders Cup races will be run, all for 3-year-olds and up, starting at 12 noon EDT.  Listed below are the post times, the name of the race, the length of the race, and the amount of the guaranteed purse.
 12:00 p.m.     Fillies and Mares Sprint     7 furlongs          $1 million
 12:38 p.m.     Turf Sprint                          5.5 furlongs       $1 million
  1:16 p.m.      Dirt Mile                              1 mile               $1 million
  2:04 p.m.      Fillies and Mares Turf          1 3/8 miles       $2 million
  2:46 p.m.      Sprint                                  6 furlongs          $ 2 million
  3:36 p.m.      Turf Mile                              1 mile               $2 million
  4:16 p.m.      Distaff  (Fillies & Mares)     1 1/8 miles       $2 million
  4:50 p.m.      Turf                                       1 1/2 miles       $4 million
  5:44 p.m.      Classic                                  1 1/4 miles       $ 6 million
Of course, Justify, the colt who won the Triple Crown this year, has been retired and will not compete in the BC Classic, which is a disappointment.  However, he was retired due to a recurrent filling of fluid in his foreleg, and was retired to avoid a possibly life-threatening injury....

  Two other stakes races will be run on Saturday, the Runhappy Stakes, for 3-year-olds, run at 7 furlongs on the main track, and the Chilukki Stakes, for fillies and mares, aged 3 and up, at 8 furlongs (1 mile) on the main track.

  As these races get closer, I'll write more about who is entered, jockeys, trainers, etc.

Breeders Cup Racing on Friday and Saturday Next

It's time again for our yearly treat of seeing some of the best race horses in the world compete against each other at the Breeders Cup Championships.  The races will take place on Friday, 30 October, and on Halloween, Saturday, 31 October.  This year there will be no Marathon or Juvenile Sprint races.  The fields are restricted to the top 14 horses in each race that qualify for the Championships.  For several years all the races for the female horses were run on Friday, with only the boys (and the few girls competing against the boys) running on Saturday.  I complained about that a lot - I felt that the fillies and mares were being down-graded racing them on a Friday and not on Saturday.  That happens no longer, although the Distaff, the female Championship race is still run on Friday.
   This year, the Breeders Cup will take place at Keeneland Race Track in Lexington, Kentucky.  Following are the race start times (all Eastern Daylight Time) as currently planned, with the title of the race, the length of the race and the total purse money.
   The Friday afternoon, October 30 races are:
3:30     Juvenile Turf           8 furlongs (1 mile) on the grass course    $1 million   (2-year-old boys)
4:10     Dirt Mile                 8 furlongs (1 mile) on the dirt course       $1 million   (all sexes, 3 & up)
4:50     Juvenile Fillies Turf    8 furlongs (1 mile) on the grass            $1 million   (2-year-old girls)
5:35     Distaff                     9 furlongs (1 1/8 miles) on the dirt           $2 million   (females, 3 & up)

   The Saturday afternoon races on All Hallows Eve, October 31, are:
12:05   Juveniles Fillies    8.5 furlongs (1 1/16 miles) on the dirt      $2 million   (2-year-old girls)
12:45   Turf Sprint            5.5 furlongs  (11/16 miles) on the grass   $1 million   (all sexes, 3 & up)
1:25     Fillies & Mares Sprint    7 furlongs  (7/8 mile) on the dirt     $1 million   (females, 3 & up)
2:10     Fillies & Mares Turf    9.5 furlongs (1 3/16 mile) on grass    $2 million   (females, 3 & up)
2:50     Sprint                     6 furlongs (3/4 mile) on the dirt course    $1.5 million (all sexes, 3 & up)
3:30     Mile Turf               8 furlongs (1 mile) on the grass                $2 million   (all sexes, 3& up)
4:10     Juvenile Colts        8.5 furlongs (1 1/16 miles) on the dirt      $2 million   (2-year-old boys)
4:50     Turf                      12 furlongs (1 1/2 miles) on the grass        $3 million   (all sexes,3 & up)
5:35     Classic                  10 furlongs (1 1/4 miles) on the dirt          $5 million   (all sexes, 3 & up)

At this point in time. American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown Champion, is scheduled to run in the Classic on Saturday.