NEWS
Breeders' Cup adds three more races to Friday card
Posted: Monday, December 10, 2007 10:02 AM
by Jeff Lowe
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships will expand again in 2008 with the addition of three more races for the Friday program on October 24 at Santa Anita Park.
After ushering in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and Breeders’ Juvenile Turf in 2007, the company board of directors voted on December 7 to add the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Marathon.
The additions will push the two-day program to 14 races worth a total of $25.5-million.
The Breeders’ Cup board was encouraged by handle and attendance results for the first Friday card on October 26 at Monmouth Park. The program drew an announced crowd of 27,803 and total handle of $30,796,414, despite soggy conditions.
Officials from Breeders’ Cup Ltd. consulted with a committee of racing secretaries led by Martin Panza of Hollywood Park over the last few months in devising recommendations for the expansion.
The Turf Sprint will be 6 ½ furlongs, and the Juvenile Fillies Turf will be one mile, mirroring the conditions of the Juvenile Turf.
The committee and Breeders’ Cup officials hope the Dirt Marathon at 1 ½ miles will lead to the creation of a pattern of long distance races on the main track.
The expansion continues a long line of changes since Bill Farish’s election as board chairman in January 2006, which coincided with the reduction of the company board to 13 non-executive members.
Purses for the eight traditional Breeders’ Cup races were boosted from $14-million to $20-million starting with the 2006 edition at Churchill Downs.
D. G. Van Clief Jr. retired as company president in July 2006. He was eventually replaced by Greg Avioli. The board decided in January to install the Friday program and launched the Breeders’ Cup Challenge as a promotional vehicle this summer and fall.
“The establishment of the three new races continues our aggressive expansion of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships as a preeminent international sports and entertainment property for our fans, sponsors and television viewers around the globe,” Avioli said. “These new races also continue our mission in providing more opportunities for horsemen to compete at the highest levels over the two-days of the Championships.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
