Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a 1-mile (1.6 km) Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and is run on a dirt course (either natural dirt or a synthetic surface such as Polytrack). This contrasts with the similar Breeders' Cup Mile, run on grass. All Breeders' Cups to date have been conducted in the United States, with the exception of the 1996 event in Canada.

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile
Grade I race
LocationUnited States
Inaugurated2007
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Websitebreederscup.com/worldchampionships.aspx
Race information
DistanceOne mile (8 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree-years-old & up
WeightWeight for Age
PurseUS$1,000,000

The race was run for the first time in 2007 during the first day of the expanded Breeders' Cup at that year's host track, Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. It became a Grade I event in 2009.[1]

Occasionally, various track configurations require minor changes in the distance of the race. The 2007 race at Monmouth Park was held at a distance of 1 mile 70 yards (1673 m) instead of the normal distance of 1-mile (1.6 km). The 2015 Breeders' Cup was held at Keeneland, which does not regularly hold 1–mile dirt races. To get the proper distance, the starting gate was set 70 yards (64 m) in front of the one-mile pole, where the timer would start, and the finishing line was set at the track's alternate finish line at the 1⁄16 mile pole. Thus the race was slightly longer than a mile for the horses.[2]

Automatic berths

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In 2007, the Breeders' Cup has developed the Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has multiple qualifying races. Note though that one horse may win multiple challenge races, while other challenge winners will not be entered in the Breeders' Cup for a variety of reasons such as injury or travel considerations.

In the Dirt Mile division, runners are limited to 12 and there are three automatic berths. The 2022 "Win and You're In" races were:[3]

  1. the Metropolitan Handicap, a Grade 1 race run in June at Belmont Park in New York
  2. the Pat O'Brien Stakes, a Grade 2 race run in August at Del Mar Racetrack in California
  3. the Ack Ack Stakes, a Grade 3 race run in October at Churchill Downs in Kentucky

Records

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Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time Purse Grade
2024 Full Serrano (ARG) 5 Joel Rosario John W. Sadler Kosta, Stephanie and Pete Hronis' Hronis Racing 1:35.48 $1,000,000 I
2023 Cody's Wish 5 Junior Alvarado William I. Mott Godolphin 1:35.97 $1,000,000 I
2022 Cody's Wish 4 Junior Alvarado William I. Mott Godolphin 1:35.33 $1,000,000 I
2021 Life Is Good 3 Irad Ortiz Jr. Todd A. Pletcher WinStar Farm & China Horse Club 1:34.12 $1,000,000 I
2020 Knicks Go 4 Joel Rosario Brad H. Cox Korea Racing Authority 1:33.85 $1,000,000 I
2019 Spun to Run 3 Irad Ortiz Jr. Juan Carlos Guerrero Robert P. Donaldson 1:36.58 $1,000,000 I
2018 City of Light 4 Javier Castellano Michael W. McCarthy William K. & Suzanne Warren Jr. 1:33.83 $1,000,000 I
2017 Battle Of Midway 3 Flavien Prat Jerry Hollendorfer Don Alberto Stable & WinStar Farm 1:35.20 $1,000,000 I
2016 Tamarkuz 6 Mike Smith Kiaran McLaughlin Shadwell Stable 1:35.72 $1,000,000 I
2015 Liam's Map 4 Javier Castellano Todd A. Pletcher Teresa Viola Racing Stables 1:34.54 $1,000,000 I
2014 Goldencents 4 Rafael Bejarano Leandro Mora W. C. Racing Inc. 1:35.19 $1,000,000 I
2013 Goldencents 3 Rafael Bejarano Doug O'Neill W. C. Racing Inc., RAP Racing & Dave Kenney 1:35.12 $1,000,000 I
2012 Tapizar 4 Corey Nakatani Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds 1:35.34 $1,000,000 I
2011 Caleb's Posse 3 Rajiv Maragh Donnie K. Von Hemel McNeil Stables & Cheyenne Stables 1:34.59 $1,000,000 I
2010 Dakota Phone 5 Joel Rosario Jerry Hollendorfer Halo Farms, Jerry Hollendorfer, John Carver & George Todaro 1:35.29 $1,000,000 I
2009 Furthest Land 4 Julien Leparoux Michael J. Maker Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey 1:35.50 $1,000,000 I
2008 Albertus Maximus 4 Garrett Gomez Vladimir Cerin Brandon Chase & Marianne Chase 1:33.41 $1,000,000
2007 Corinthian 4 Kent Desormeaux James A. Jerkens Centennial Farms 1:39.06 $1,000,000

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Six New Grade I Races for 2009 – bloodhorse.com
  2. ^ Angst, Frank (9 October 2015). "Jockeys Find Keeneland Mile Race Challenging". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. ^ "BC announces 2022 "Win and You're In' schedule". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
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