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Breeders’ Cup Announces 16 Challenge Series Races For August

Headlined by two automatic qualifiers for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and three “Win and You're In” starting positions at York's Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders' Cup today announced its August schedule of races as 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 a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

There will be 16 Breeders' Cup Challenge races in August, beginning on Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the 1 1/8-mile Whitney (G1), which will give the winner an automatic starting position into the 1 ¼-mile, $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign (G1), providing the winner with a “Win and You're In” for the 1 1/8-mile, $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the 6-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes (G1). The following day, Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its “Win and You're In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

On Aug. 8, the first “Win and You're In” for a spot in the 7-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) will be on the line in the 7-furlong Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

One week later, on Aug. 15 at Saratoga, the winner of the 1 ¼-mile Alabama Stakes (G1), for 3-year-old fillies, will earn a free bid into the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. The Alabama will be televised live on NBC as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

The scene will then shift to Europe for the next four Breeders' Cup Challenge races. On Aug. 16, France's historic racing venue, Deauville, will host the 1-mile Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (G1), granting an automatic berth into the 1-mile, $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on turf.

On Aug. 19 in Great Britain, York Racecourse will open its Yorkshire Ebor Festival, which will be home to three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. On the first day of the meet, the 1 ¼-mile Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) will offer Europe's only free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. On Aug. 20, fillies and mares will be in spotlight for the 1 ½-mile Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1), with the winner awarded a free spot in the 1 3/16-mile, $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). A “Win and You're In” position for the 5 ½-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) will be at stake the following day, Aug. 21, in the 5-furlong Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1).

Back in the U.S., three Breeders' Cup Challenge races will be held on Aug. 22. Saratoga will host the 1-mile Fourstardave (G1), earning the winner a free spot in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile. Del Mar will host two Breeders' Cup Challenge races: the 1 ¼-mile TVG Pacific Classic (G1) for the year's sixth automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, and the 1 3/8-mile Del Mar Handicap – presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2), a “Win and You're In” for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

On Aug. 23, the second “Win and You're In” for the 5 ½ -furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) will be offered at Deauville in the 6-furlong Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds.

The month of Challenge Series races will close with two events on Aug. 29: the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga for a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, which offers an automatic starting position into the 1-mile, $2 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

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 $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of Kentucky, and a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America.

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Travers Moved to Aug. 8 in Newly Released Saratoga Stakes Schedule

The GI Runhappy Travers S. Has been moved up to Aug. 8 as one of the headliners of the 2020 Saratoga stakes schedule released Friday morning. Originally slated for Aug. 29, the Midsummer Derby was moved due to the rescheduled GI Kentucky Derby which is now Sept. 5.

The 2020 Saratoga meet will feature 71 stakes worth $14.45 million, encompassing 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade Is from Thursday, July 16 through Monday, Sept. 7.

“We’re thrilled to be racing at Saratoga this summer, and we thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for his support and the support of horsemen who have worked with us to navigate the many challenges,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said. “While this will be anything but a traditional Saratoga season, we hope to provide a semblance of normalcy for both the local community as well as racing fans across the country.”

The Whitney card will also feature the GI Personal Ensign S. and GI H. Allen Jerkens S., as well as the GII Bowling Green S. The Travers undercard will include the GI Ballerina S., GI Test S., GIII Troy S. and GIII Waya S.

The opening day card will feature the GIII Schuylerville S. for juvenile fillies and the GIII Peter Pan S., traditionally held at Belmont Park in May as a local prep for the GI Belmont S. The first Grade I will be the CCA Oaks on Saturday, July 18, and the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. is also that day. The following Saturday July 25 will be highlighted by the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. and GII Ballston Spa S.

New to the Saratoga stakes schedule are a pair of New York-bred races for older grass horses with the Lubash set for July 22 and the Dayatthespa for fillies and mares July 29, both offering a purse of $85,000 for the 1 1/16-mile turf tests. The $100,000 Perfect Sting, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares, moves from Belmont to Aug. 14 at the Spa.

The GI Alabama S. will be held Aug. 15, which is the same day as the $500,000 Saratoga Derby. The female counterpart, the Saratoga Oaks, is Aug. 16. The GI Fourstardave S. is slated for Aug. 22 and the GI Diana S. is the following day.

A pair of stakes for sophomore state-breds originally scheduled at Aqueduct, the NYSSS Times Square and NYSSS Park Avenue, will now be contested at Saratoga Aug. 27 and Sept. 3 respectively, both offering a purse of $100,000 for the 6 1/2-furlong main-track sprints.

The GI Forego S. remains on what was supposed to be Travers day Aug. 29, as does the GI Sword Dancer S. The final Saturday of the meet, Sept. 5, will feature the GI Woodward S., the GII Jim Dandy S. (traditionally a Travers prep run in July), the GII Prioress S. and the GII Glens Falls S.

The GI Spinaway S. headlines the Sept. 6 card, which includes the GII Honorable Miss H., and the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. keeps its traditional spot on Labor Day Sept. 7, which, as always, is closing day of the meet.

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Saratoga Releases 2020 Stakes Schedule; Travers Set For Aug. 8

The 2020 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will feature 71 stakes worth $14.45 million, encompassing 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade 1s from Thursday, July 16 through Monday, September 7.

“We're thrilled to be racing at Saratoga this summer, and we thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for his support and the support of horsemen who have worked with us to navigate the many challenges,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke said. “While this will be anything but a traditional Saratoga season, we hope to provide a semblance of normalcy for both the local community as well as racing fans across the country.”

Under current New York state guidelines, Saratoga Race Course will open on July 16 without spectators in attendance. The 40-day meet will feature at least one stakes race every live racing day, highlighted by the 151st renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on August 8 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney on August 1, as the anchors of two of the biggest racing days in North America.

After opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays.

Whitney Day, set for Saturday, August 1, will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the historic Whitney, a handicap at 1 1/8 miles with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland on the line.

The card is bolstered by the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November; and the Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial presented by Runhappy for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs.

The stakes-laden card also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for 4-year-olds and up on the turf and the $200,000 Caress, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares.

The Runhappy Travers, traditionally contested at the end of August, will be held this year on August 8 to properly account for the schedule adjustments and overall calendar for 3-year-olds in training due to the health and safety measures instituted to mitigate risk and combat the spread of COVID-19.

The “Mid-Summer Derby” will still be contested at 1 1/4 miles for the country's most talented 3-year-olds and is one of three Grade 1s on the day, joining the $300,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going seven furlongs in a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

The day will also see sophomore fillies compete in the prestigious Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Test at seven furlongs, with the card bolstered by the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older males, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya , a 1 ½-mile turf route for older fillies and mares.

The Saratoga meet will commence on Thursday, July 16 with a strong Opening Day card fortified by the Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan. The 1 1/8-miles test for sophomores was moved from its traditional home at Belmont Park to the Spa. Also on tap for the Saratoga lid-lifter is the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies going six furlongs.

The meet's first Grade 1 will be on the opening Saturday, July 18, when the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for sophomore fillies going 1 1/8 miles takes center stage, supported by the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

A pair of graded stakes feature on Saturday, July 25, topped by the Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, a handicap for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs, and including the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa for older fillies and mares on the turf.

New to the Saratoga stakes schedule are a pair of New York-bred races for older grass horses with the Lubash set for July 22 and the Dayatthespa for fillies and mares on July 29, both offering a purse of $85,000 for the 1 1/16-mile turf tests.

The $100,000 Perfect Sting, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares, moves from Belmont to August 14 at the Spa.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies going 1 ¼ miles is slated for Saturday, August 15, which will also see the second running of the $500,000 Saratoga Derby, part of the Turf Triple Series for 3-year-olds. Its filly counterpart, the $500,000 Saratoga Oaks for sophomores, will be run the next day.

Saturday, August 22 will run the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave, a handicap for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the turf. The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana for fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the turf will be the feature on Sunday, August 23.
A pair of stakes for sophomore state-breds originally scheduled at Aqueduct Racetrack, the NYSSS Times Square and NYSSS Park Avenue, will now be contested at Saratoga on August 27 and September 3 respectively, both offering a purse of $100,000 for the 6 1/2-furlong main-track sprints.

The Grade 1, $300,000 Forego, presented by America's Best Racing, a seven-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up, shares center stage on Saratoga's penultimate Saturday on August 29, with the day also offering exciting racing action with the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer, a 1 ½-mile turf route for 4-year-olds and up that serves as a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

The final weekend of the 2020 Saratoga meet will have six graded stakes. Four of those contests will run Saturday, September 5, led by the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward, a handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 ¼ miles. A trio of Grade 2 races will make for a strong card, including the $150,000 Jim Dandy for sophomores at 1 1/8 miles; the $200,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies going six furlongs; and the $200,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares competing at 1 3/8 miles on the turf.

Sunday, September 6 will be the date for the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway for sophomore fillies going seven furlongs, along with the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss, a handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at six furlongs.

The $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful, at seven furlongs for juvenile sprinters as the traditional final Grade 1 of the Saratoga meet, brings the curtain down on Closing Day Monday, September 7.

DATE	RACE	GR	PURSE	AGE	DISTANCE
Thurs., July 16	Schuylerville	III	100,000	F2YO	6 F
Thurs., July 16	Peter Pan	III	100,000	3YO	1 1/8
Fri., July 17	Shine Again		85,000	F&M 4&UP	7 F
Fri., July 17	De La Rose		85,000	F&M 4&UP	1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., July 18	Coaching Club American Oaks	I	350,000	F3YO	1 1/8
Sat., July 18	National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame	II	150,000	3YO	1 1/8 (Turf)
Sun., July 19	Lake Placid	II	150,000	F3YO	1 1/8 (Turf)
Wed., July 22	Lubash (NYB)		85,000	4&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
Thurs., July 23	A. P. Smithwick (Steeplechase)	I	100,000	4&UP	2 1/16 (Turf)
Thurs., July 23	NYSSS Statue Of Liberty Division		100,000	F3YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
Fri., July 24	Quick Call	III	100,000	3YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Sat., July 25	Alfred G. Vanderbilt (Hdcp.)	I	250,000	3&UP	6 F
Sat., July 25	Ballston Spa	II	200,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
Sun., July 26	Bernard Baruch (Hdcp.)	II	150,000	3&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
Wed., July 29	Dayatthespa (NYB)		85,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
Thurs., July 30	John Morrissey Hdcp (NYB)		85,000	3&UP	7 F
Fri., July 31	Coronation Cup		100,000	F3YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Sat., Aug 1	Whitney (BC)	I	750,000	4&UP	1 1/8
Sat., Aug 1	Personal Ensign (BC)	I	500,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/8
Sat., Aug 1	H. Allen Jerkens Memorial	I	300,000	3YO	7 F
	Presented by Runhappy
Sat., Aug 1	Bowling Green	II	250,000	4&UP	1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., Aug 1	Caress		200,000	F&M 4&UP	5 1/2 F (Turf)
Sun., Aug 2	Birdstone		100,000	4&UP	1 3/4
Wed., Aug 5	Summer Colony		85,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/8
Thurs., Aug 6	NYSSS Cab Calloway Division		100,000	3YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
Fri., Aug 7	Saratoga Special	II	150,000	2YO	6 F
Sat., Aug 8	Runhappy Travers	I	1,000,000	3YO	1 1/4
Sat., Aug 8	Ballerina Hdcp. (BC)	I	300,000	F&M 3&UP	7 F
Sat., Aug 8	Longines Test	I	300,000	F3YO	7 F
Sat., Aug 8	Troy	III	200,000	4&UP	5 1/2 F (Turf)
Sat., Aug 8	Waya	III	150,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/2 (Turf)
Sun., Aug 9	Alydar		85,000	4&UP	1 1/8
Wed., Aug 12	Adirondack	II	150,000	F2YO	6 1/2 F
Thurs., Aug 13	Union Avenue Hdcp (NYB)		85,000	F&M 3&UP	7 F
Fri., Aug 14	Perfect Sting		100,000	F&M 4&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
Sat., Aug 15	Saratoga Derby Invitational		500,000	3YO	1 3/16 (Turf)
Sat., Aug 15	Alabama	I	500,000	F3YO	1 1/4
Sun., Aug 16	Saratoga Oaks Invitational		500,000

The post Saratoga Releases 2020 Stakes Schedule; Travers Set For Aug. 8 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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