The Breeders’ Cup World Championships brings horses from around the world to compete in one last major weekend of the season. For many, the Breeders’ Cup is the Olympics of horse racing and getting a coveted spot is an honor for the connections.
Related: How to watch the 2024 Breeders’ Cup
There are several ways for horses to get into the Breeders’ Cup.
All thoroughbred foals are eligible to be nominated before October 15 of the year they were born. A $400 fee ensures that the foal will be eligible for the Breeders’ Cup when they reach racing age. If a racehorse isn’t nominated within a year of its birth, its owner can supplement it into the race by paying a fee based on their age and whether their sire was nominated.
However, just because a horse is nominated doesn’t mean they’ll run in the Breeders’ Cup.
The “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is a series of Breeders’ Cup qualifying races that gives the winner an automatic entry into the relevant Breeders’ Cup race. The Breeders’ Cup also provides a $40,000 travel allowance to the connections of all Championship starters outside of North America and a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of Kentucky. There were 80 Challenge Series races held in 2024 in 11 countries across the world.
Related: What to know about the 2024 Breeders’ Cup
Horses who didn’t get in through a Challenge Series race accumulate points throughout the season by finishing graded races in the money, and the horses with the most points at the end of the season will fill the remaining spots. The final spots in each race will be filled via selection by a panel of experts.
Don’t miss the 2024 Breeders’ Cup with coverage beginning on Friday, Nov. 1 from 4 to 8 p.m. ET on USA Network and resuming on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network before jumping to NBC and Peacock until 6 p.m. ET and finishes on USA until 8 p.m. ET.
