The Breeders' Cup and NBC Sports have announced the 2022 “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” television schedule, consisting of nine live programs across NBC, CNBC and Peacock, featuring 18 automatic qualifying races from the nation's premier racetracks on the road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Now in its ninth year on NBC Sports, the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” spotlights the country's top horses as they compete for an automatic starting position, and free entry, into a corresponding divisional race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 4-5.
“We are delighted again to partner with NBC Sports to bring the most comprehensive and innovative coverage of horse racing to viewers across the country leading up to the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. “We also thank our presenting partner, America's Best Racing, for their support of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and ongoing efforts to promote the excitement and entertainment of our sport in so many creative ways.”
“We are excited to work with our longtime partners at Breeders' Cup on another compelling summer and fall of Challenge Series racing, culminating with the world's best horses competing in the World Championships at Keeneland in November,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Vice President, Programming & Owned Properties.
NBC Sports coverage of the 2022 Challenge Series begins on Saturday, June 11 during Belmont Stakes Day programming. Belmont Park will host three Win and You're In races: the Hill 'n' Metropolitan Handicap (G1), which will provide the winner with an automatic starting position in the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), the Ogden Phipps (G1), which awards an invitation into the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), and the Jaipur Stakes (G1), which is a Win and You're In for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1). NBC Sports Belmont Stakes Day coverage will begin at 3 p.m. ET on CNBC and move to NBC from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Post times for the three Breeders' Cup Challenge races are still to be determined.
The series continues July 2 on NBC and Peacock at 4 p.m. ET from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., with the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2), which is the first of four Win and You're In races for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to be televised during this year's series. The July 2 program will also include live coverage of the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2), for fillies and mares.
On July 23, CNBC (5 p.m. ET) will televise live the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., where the nation's top 3-year-olds will vie for a free qualifying position into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.
Historic Saratoga Racecourse in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will be the site for the Whitney (G1) on NBC and Peacock on Aug. 6 (5 p.m. ET), which will give the winner an automatic spot into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Last year, Knicks Go gained a Win and You're In berth for the Classic when he won the Whitney going wire to wire. Knicks Go won the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar and was later crowned the 2021 Horse of the Year and 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse.
The series will be back in Saratoga on Sept. 3 on NBC and Peacock (4:30 p.m. ET) for The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and The Flower Bowl (G1). The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Win and You're In for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, while the Flower Bowl will provide the winner a free starting position in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
On Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., CNBC (5 p.m. ET) will televise two automatic qualifiers into the World Championships. The Calumet Turf Cup (G2) offers an invitation into the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Turf Sprint (G2) is a Win and You're In for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
Two-year-olds will take center stage at Belmont Park on Oct. 1 when NBC and Peacock (4:00 p.m. ET) present The Champagne (G1) and the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2). The Champagne winner will receive a free starting spot in the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the Miss Grillo winner will gain an invitation into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
The “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” schedule will conclude with two blockbuster CNBC telecasts on Oct. 8 and 9 from Keeneland. The Oct. 8 program will be highlighted by the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), which is a Win and You're In for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). The program will also include the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), which gives the winner a free berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), providing the winner with an invitation into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).
On Oct. 9 (5 p.m. ET), the CNBC telecast will feature the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1), the Castle and Key Bourbon Stakes (G2) and the Indian Summer Stakes. The Spinster will offer an automatic starting position in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the Bourbon Stakes will give the winner a free spot into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and Indian Summer is a Win and You're In for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
The complete Challenge Series television schedule can be viewed here.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series coverage on NBC and CNBC will be live-streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
| “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In presented by America's Best Racing” | |||||
| (Television schedule subject to change) | |||||
| Date | Platform | Time (ET) | Event | Track | Challenge Division |
| Saturday, June 11 | NBC, Peacock | 5:00 – 7:00 PM (TBD) | Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont Park | Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile |
| (TBD) | Ogden Phipps | Belmont Park | Longines Distaff | ||
| (TBD) | Jaipur Stakes | Belmont Park | Turf Sprint | ||
| Saturday, July 2 | NBC, Peacock | 4:00 – 6:00 PM | Stephen Foster Stakes | Churchill Downs | Longines Classic |
| Fleur de Lis Stakes* | Churchill Downs | Longines Distaff | |||
| Saturday, July 23 | CNBC | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | TVG.com Haskell Stakes | Monmouth Park | Longines Classic |
| Saturday, Aug. 6 | NBC, Peacock | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | The Whitney | Saratoga | Longines Classic |
| Saturday, Sept. 3 | NBC, Peacock | 4:30 – 6:00 PM | Jockey Club Gold Cup | Saratoga | Longines Classic |
| Flower Bowl | Saratoga | Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf | |||
| Saturday, Sept. 10 | CNBC | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | FanDuel Turf Sprint | Kentucky Downs | Turf Sprint |
| Calumet Turf Cup | Kentucky Downs | Longines Turf | |||
| Saturday, Oct. 1 | NBC, Peacock | 4:00- 6:00 PM | The Champagne | Belmont Park | TVG Juvenile |
| Miss Grillo | Belmont Park | Juvenile Fillies Turf | |||
| Saturday, Oct. 8 | CNBC | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Thoroughbred Club of America | Keeneland | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| Claiborne Breeders Futurity | Keeneland | TVG Juvenile | |||
| Coolmore Turf Mile | Keeneland | FanDuel Mile | |||
| Sunday, Oct. 9 | CNBC | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Juddmonte Spinster Stakes | Keeneland | Longines Distaff |
| Castle and Key Bourbon Stakes | Keeneland | Juvenile Turf | |||
| Indian Summer Stakes | Keeneland | Juvenile Turf Sprint | |||
*Fleur de Lis is not a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race.
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