For the Breeders’ Cup, 2008 marks yet another expansion of the race schedule. 2007 was the first year the event included eleven races instead of the usual eight. To accommodate the extra races, the event has been expanded to cover two days, which was also a first in 2007. There will be 14 races run at the 2008 Breeders' Cup in Santa Anita, with six races taking place on the first day and the traditional eight being run on the second day.
The total purse money will be $25.5 million. $5.5 million will be awarded on the first day of racing, with the remaining $20 million spread over the traditional eight events of the second day. Santa Anita is always a popular choice of location for the running of the Breeders' Cup because of its constant beautiful weather. Last year's event was held in New Jersey, where it rained for most of the two days. This will not be a problem for the Breeders' Cup in 2008 because it rarely rains in Southern California.
The three new races at the Breeders' Cup 2008 will pay a total of $2.5 million in prize money. The 1 1/2 miles Dirt Marathon for 3 year-old horses and up pays out a total prize pool of $500,000. For 2 year-old fillies, there will be a Juvenile Fillies Turf race with a prize pool of $1 million. The last of the three new races was the $1 million Turf Sprint. Only horses 3 years old and older are eligible for this 6 1/2 furlong race. These three races are designed to boost the popularity of the first day of the Breeders' Cup 2008 and to bring in more overseas competitors.
The three new Breeders' Cup 2008 races will be run without being reviewed by the American Graded Stakes Committee. The grading has been requested on two different occasions and has been denied both times. There is still a possibility that the races will be given a Grade I status, but this will not happen before the next Breeders' Cup in 2009. New races are generally not eligible to be graded until after their second running. However, exceptions to this rule have been granted on two prior occasions. In 1984, the first seven Breeders' Cup races were given Grade I status upon inception so the event could get started. In 1999, the rule was again waived to allow the Filly and Mare Turf races to receive Grade I status immediately.
The three races are considered to be an example of aggressive expansion by Breeders' Cup Limited and will increase the number of racing opportunities for jockeys around the world. The races were decided upon by a committee of racing secretaries from many of the major American racetracks. Martin Panza of Hollywood Park headed the Tucson meeting and plans for the three new Breeders' Cup 2008 races were drawn up, discussed, and made official by all of the members in attendance. Another of the committee's recommendations that may be implemented in future races is a series of one and a half mile mini-races that lead right into the Dirt Marathon.
