Breeders' Cup Ltd., and France Galop are once again proud to announce that five Group 1 races at ParisLongchamp for the world-renowned Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day on Oct. 4 will be part of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid for corresponding races in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.
The 1 ½-mile Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is the centrepiece of the international spectacle on the ParisLongchamp program. For the second consecutive year, the winner of Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will receive an automatic berth into the US$4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), which will also be run at 1 ½ mile at Keeneland. Prince Khalid Abdullah's Enable (GB) became the first horse to win the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year, which she accomplished in 2018.
Top turf sprinters will be in action in the 5-furlong Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, with the winner receiving a “Win and You're In” position into the 5 ½ furlongs, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
An automatic berth into the 1 3/16-mile, US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l'Opéra Longines.
There will also be two “Win and You're In” races for 2-year-olds on the Arc day program. The 7-furlong Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère will give the winner a free placement into the 1-mile, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and the winner of the 1-mile Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, for 2-year-old fillies, will earn an automatic starting position into the 1-mile, US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
“We are extremely pleased to partner again with the great teams of France Galop and ParisLongchamp, who each year host international Thoroughbred racing at the highest level,” said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer. “To align the Breeders' Cup World Championships with these prestigious races on the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day program provides a clear path for Europe's finest horsemen, and we look forward to their participation in the World Championships at Keeneland Race Course.”
“Once again this year, France Galop is delighted to associate five Group1 races from this Sunday's program with the Breeders'Cup Challenge Series 2020. The winners of the most prestigious races of the weekend of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will have the chance to automatically qualify to run to one other International largest thoroughbred racing weekend in the world, the Breeders'Cup World Championship”, said Olivier Delloye, France Galop Chief Executive.
As part of the enhanced benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards, and those rewards must be used in the year they are earned.
Breeders' Cup also will provide a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America.
The five Arc day races are among the seven total Breeders' Cup Challenge races in France this year.
Two “Win and You're In” races were held at Deauville. On Aug. 16, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's 3-year-old Palace Pier won the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) and earned an automatic berth into the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1). On Aug. 23, Stonestreet Stables' 2-year-old filly Campanelle (IRE) captured the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville and secured a free starting position into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2).
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