Breeders' Cup Points Up For Grabs In Canadian Graded Stakes

Courtesy: Breederscup.com

The Breeders' Cup announced today that horses finishing first, second or third in Canadian graded stakes races will receive official Breeders' Cup points towards starting positions in the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The Breeders’ Cup, Thoroughbred racing’s premier global event, consisting of 15 races and purses totaling $26 million, will be held November 4-5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

The Breeders' Cup Points system is a qualification factor for positions in the World Championships. Horses earn graded stakes points by finishing first, second or third in a graded stakes race in the United States or Canada held from January 1st to October 23rd.

Win, place, and show horses in Grade I stakes earn ten, six, and four points respectively. The top three finishers in Grade II stakes earn six, four, and two points, respectively, and in Grade III stakes the points earned are four, two, and one, respectively.

Breeders' Cup World Championships Graded Stakes Points

	Win	Place	Show
Grade 1	10	6	4
Grade 2	6	4	2
Grade 3	4	2	1

There are 33 graded stakes races in Canada scheduled in 2011, including 13 that have already been run, before the Breeders' Cup Pre-Entry deadline on October 24th. All 13 Canadian graded race results thus far in 2011 will be included retroactively in the Breeders' Cup point standings.

"Given the high standard of international competition within Canadian racing, our Racing and Nominations Committee strongly recommended that the graded stakes races in Canada should be on equal footing with the American graded stakes races in our overall Point standings," said Craig Fravel, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. "Canadian breeders and owners have been an important part of the Breeders' Cup program since its inception, and we believe this change will further encourage Canadian participation in the Championships."

Among the top graded Canadian races that will now be eligibile for Breeders' Cup Points are: $250,000 Sky Classic (gr. II) for 3-year-olds and up on turf on August 21st; $250,000 Summer Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-olds on turf on September 17th; the $200,000 Natalma Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-old fillies on turf on September 17th; $1,000,000 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up on September 18th; $500,000 Northern Dancer Turf (gr. I) on October 16th; $1,500,000 Pattison Canadian International (gr. I) on October 16th; $1,000,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I) on October 16th and the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up on turf.

Woodbine Racetrack will host six Breeders' Cup Challenge races this year. Winners of the Natalma Stakes, Summer Stakes, Ricoh Woodbine Mile, E.P. Taylor Stakes, Pattison Canadian International and the Nearctic will receive an automatic berth into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships if nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by October 24th.

Breeders' Cup races are limited to 14 starters. In an oversubscribed field, seven of the 14 starters are determined first by Breeders' Cup Challenge winners and, secondly, by the highest number of Breeders' Cup Point earners. The remaining seven are chosen by a panel of Racing Directors/Secretaries.

Posted in: US Tracks,Woodbine