The 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key prep races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.
In 2015, eight new races were added to the series: the Gran Premio Criadores, Fleur de Lis Handicap, Sussex Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational, Spinaway, Princess Rooney Handicap, Smile Sprint Handicap, and T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis. Eighteen races in the series were telecast by NBC.
For 2015, 39 entrants in the Breeders’ Cup qualified via the Challenge series with six winning their respective divisions: American Pharoah, who qualified for the Classic by winning the Haskell Stephanie's Kitten, who won the Flower Bowl to qualify for the Filly & Mare Turf Nyquist, winner of the FrontRunner and Juvenile Songbird, winner of the Chandelier and Juvenile Fillies Runhappy, who qualified for the Sprint by winning the Phoenix Stakes Catch a Glimpse, who won the Natalma to qualify for the Juvenile Fillies Turf
Several prominent winners of the challenge series races did not start in the 2015 Breeders' Cup due to injury or illness. Most notably, Beholder, who had won three challenge series races, was scratched from the Classic after she developed a fever then bled following a routine workout. Rock Fall, who was a favorite for the Sprint after qualifying in the Vosburgh, was injured during a routine workout and was euthanized.
The winners of the 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races are shown below. The last column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the Breeders' Cup, and if so, whether they achieved a top three finish. MonthRaceTrackLocationDivisionWinnerBC ResultJanuaryPaddock StakesKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Futura not enteredJanuaryQueen's PlateKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup MileInara not enteredAprilDoncaster MileRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup MileKermadec not enteredAprilTJ Smith StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Turf SprintChautauqua not enteredAprilQueen Elizabeth StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Turf Criterion not entered May:es:Gran Premio CriadoresPalermoArgentinaBreeders' Cup Distaff Furia Cruzada not entered MayGran Premio 25 de Mayo San Isidro ArgentinaBreeders' Cup Turf Ordak Dan entered June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt MileHonor Code entered ClassicJune Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Wedding Toast entered JuneGrande Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea BrazilBreeders' Cup Turf Barola not entered JuneStephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Noble Bird not entered JuneFleur de Lis HandicapChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Frivolous entered June Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Talco not entered JuneThe Gold Cup at Santa Anita Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Hard Aces entered JuneTakarazuka KinenHanshin JapanBreeders' Cup Turf Lovely Day not entered July Princess Rooney Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Merry Meadow not entered JulySmile Sprint Handicap Gulfstream Park FloridaBreeders' Cup Sprint Favorite Tale 3rd July Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Lady Eli injured JulyKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Postponed not entered July Sussex Stakes Goodwood England Breeders' Cup Mile Solow not entered JulyClement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Beholder entered Classic JulyBing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Wild Dude entered July Haskell InvitationalMonmouth New JerseyBreeders' Cup Classic American Pharoah 1st AugustWhitney HandicapSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Classic Honor Code 3rd AugustBeverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Watsdachances enteredAugustArlington Million Arlington IllinoisBreeders' Cup Turf The Pizza Man entered AugustPrix Jacques Le MaroisDeauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Esoterique entered AugustJuddmonte InternationalYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Arabian Queen not entered AugustYorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Pleascach not enteredAugustNunthorpe StakesYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint Mecca's Angel not enteredAugustPacific Classic Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Beholder scratchedAugustDel Mar Handicap Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Turf Big John B enteredAugustPat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Appealing Tale not enteredAugustPersonal Ensign StakesSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Sheer Drama enteredAugustBallerina Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Unbridled Forever not enteredAugust Sword Dancer Invitational Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup TurfFlintshire not entered August Forego Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Sprint Private Zone 2nd September T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Shivajia not entered September Spinaway Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Rachel's Valentina 2nd SeptemberGrosser Preis von BadenBaden-Baden GermanyBreeders' Cup Turf Prince Gibraltar not entered SeptemberMatron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfLegatissimo 2nd SeptemberIrish Champion Stakes Leopardstown IrelandBreeders' Cup Turf Golden Horn 2nd September Juvenile Turf Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Johannes Vermeer not entered September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Minding not entered SeptemberPocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesDothraki Queen 3rd SeptemberIroquois StakesChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Cocked and Loaded entered SeptemberCanadian Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Strut the Course not entered SeptemberWoodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile Mondialiste 2nd SeptemberNatalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Catch A Glimpse 1st SeptemberSummer Stakes Woodbine CanadaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Conquest Daddyo entered SeptemberRockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Promising Run not entered SeptemberRoyal Lodge Stakes Newmarket EnglandBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Foundation not entered OctoberFlower Bowl Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Stephanie's Kitten 1stOctoberJoe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Turf Big Blue Kitten 3rdOctoberVosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Sprint Rock Fall injuredOctoberAwesome Again Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Smooth Roller scratchedOctoberFrontRunner Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Nyquist 1stOctoberChandelier Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Songbird 1stOctoberRodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Photo Call enteredOctoberZenyatta Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Beholder entered ClassicOctoberPrix de l'OpéraLongchamp FranceBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Covert Love not entered OctoberPrix Jean-Luc Lagardère Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Ultra not entered OctoberPrix Marcel Boussac Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Ballydoyle not entered OctoberAlcibiades Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Gomo not enteredOctoberPhoenix Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Sprint Runhappy 1stOctoberChampagne Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Greenpointcrusader enteredOctoberFrizette Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nickname entered OctoberJockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Classic Tonalist entered OctoberShadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile Grand Arch 3rd OctoberBreeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Brody's Cause 3rd OctoberThoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Fioretti enteredOctoberSanta Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Sprint Wild Dude enteredOctoberBourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Airoforce 2ndOctoberSpinster Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Got Lucky entered OctoberJessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Harmonize entered
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