The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the de facto year-end championship for North American thoroughbred racing, and is run on a dirt course (either natural dirt or a synthetic surface such as Polytrack). This contrasts with the similar Breeders' Cup Mile, run on grass. All Breeders' Cups so far have been conducted in the United States, with the exception of the 1996 event in Canada.
The race was run for the first time in 2007 during the first day of the expanded Breeders' Cup at that year's host track, Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. It became a Grade I event in 2009.
Occasionally, various track configurations require minor changes in the distance of the race. The 2007 race at Monmouth Park was held at a distance of 1 mile 70 yards (1673 m) instead of the normal distance of . The 2015 Breeders' Cup was held at Keeneland, which does not regularly hold 1–mile dirt races. To get the proper distance, the starting gate was set 70 yards (64 m) in front of the one-mile pole, where the timer would start, and the finishing line was set at the track's alternate finish line at the 1⁄16 mile pole. Thus the race was slightly longer than a mile for the horses.
Automatic berths In 2007, the Breeders' Cup has developed the Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of races in each division that allotted automatic qualifying bids to winners of defined races. Each of the fourteen divisions has multiple qualifying races. Note though that one horse may win multiple challenge races, while other challenge winners will not be entered in the Breeders' Cup for a variety of reasons such as injury or travel considerations.
In the Dirt Mile division, runners are limited to 12 and there are three automatic berths. The 2025 "Win and You're In" races were: the Metropolitan Handicap, a Grade 1 race run in June at Belmont Park in New York the Pat O'Brien Stakes, a Grade 2 race run in August at Del Mar Racetrack in California the Korea Cup, a Grade 2 race run in September at Seoul Race Course in Gwacheon city
Records
Most wins: 2 – Goldencents (2013, 2014) 2 – Cody's Wish (2022, 2023)
Most wins by a jockey: 3 – Joel Rosario (2010, 2020, 2024)
Most wins by a trainer: 2 – Jerry Hollendorfer (2010, 2017) 2 – Todd A. Pletcher (2015, 2021) 2 – William I. Mott (2022, 2023)
Most wins by an owner: 2 – W. C. Racing (2013, 2014) 2 – WinStar Farm (2017, 2021) 2 – Godolphin (2022, 2023)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time Purse Grade2025Nysos4Flavien PratBob BaffertBaoma Corp.1:34.71$1,000,000I2024Full Serrano (ARG)5Joel RosarioJohn W. SadlerStephanie Kosta, Pete Hronis & Hronis Racing1:35.48$1,000,000I2023Cody's Wish5Junior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGodolphin1:35.97$1,000,000I2022Cody's Wish4Junior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGodolphin1:35.33$1,000,000I2021Life Is Good3Irad Ortiz Jr.Todd A. PletcherWinStar Farm & China Horse Club1:34.12$1,000,000I2020Knicks Go4Joel RosarioBrad H. CoxKorea Racing Authority1:33.85$1,000,000I2019Spun to Run3Irad Ortiz Jr.Juan Carlos GuerreroRobert P. Donaldson1:36.58$1,000,000I2018City of Light 4Javier CastellanoMichael W. McCarthyWilliam K. & Suzanne Warren Jr.1:33.83$1,000,000I2017Battle Of Midway 3Flavien PratJerry HollendorferDon Alberto Stable & WinStar Farm1:35.20$1,000,000I2016Tamarkuz6Mike SmithKiaran McLaughlinShadwell Stable1:35.72$1,000,000 I2015Liam's Map4Javier CastellanoTodd A. PletcherTeresa Viola Racing Stables1:34.54$1,000,000 I2014Goldencents4Rafael BejaranoLeandro MoraW. C. Racing Inc.1:35.19$1,000,000 I2013Goldencents3Rafael Bejarano Doug O'Neill W. C. Racing Inc., RAP Racing & Dave Kenney1:35.12$1,000,000 I2012Tapizar4Corey Nakatani Steven M. Asmussen Winchell Thoroughbreds1:35.34$1,000,000 I2011Caleb's Posse3Rajiv Maragh Donnie K. Von Hemel McNeil Stables & Cheyenne Stables1:34.59$1,000,000 I2010 Dakota Phone5 Joel Rosario Jerry Hollendorfer Halo Farms, Jerry Hollendorfer, John Carver & George Todaro1:35.29$1,000,000I2009 Furthest Land4 Julien Leparoux Michael J. Maker Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey1:35.50$1,000,000I2008Albertus Maximus 4Garrett GomezVladimir Cerin Brandon Chase & Marianne Chase1:33.41$1,000,0002007Corinthian4Kent DesormeauxJames A. JerkensCentennial Farms 1:39.06$1,000,000
See also Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile "top three finishers" and starters American thoroughbred racing top attended events
References