The 2014 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2014 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.
For 2014, seven new races were added to the series: the Paddock Stakes, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Grande Premio Brasil, Clasico Cesar del Rio, Copa De Oro Vinas De Chile, The Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Haskell Invitational, Belmont Oaks, Matron Stakes, Juddmonte International and Rockfel Stakes. NBC broadcast 18 of the races.
For 2014, thirty-seven horses entered in the Breeders' Cup races qualified via the challenge series, including four of the winners. These were: Bayern, who qualified for the Classic by winning the Haskell Invitational Main Sequence, who won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic to qualify for the Turf Work All Week, who earned his berth in the Sprint by winning the Phoenix Stakes Goldencents, who won the Pat O'Brien Handicap to qualify for the Dirt Mile
The 2014 Breeders' Cup races were missing several prominent horses due to injury or illness. Most notably, American Pharoah, favored in the Juvenile after winning the FrontRunner Stakes, missed the race due to a bruise to the left front hoof. Similarly, Wise Dan, two-time winner of the Mile, qualified for the third time by winning the Shadwell Turf Mile but suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right foreleg. Beholder qualified in the Zenyatta but came down with an illness and missed the chance to defend her Distaff championship. Bal a Bali qualified for the Turf in the Gran Premio Brazil but developed laminitis and missed the race.
The winners of the 2014 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. The 2014 Breeders' Cup Challenge races included: MonthRaceTrackLocationDivisionWinnerBC ResultJanuaryPaddock StakesKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Beach Beauty not enteredJanuaryQueen's PlateKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup MileCape Town Noir enteredAprilDoncaster MileRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup MileSacred Falls enteredAprilTJ Smith StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Turf SprintLankan Rupee not enteredAprilQueen Elizabeth StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Turf It's A Dundeel not entered MayGran Premio 25 de Mayo San Isidro ArgentinaBreeders' Cup Turf Sir Winsalot not entered June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Palace Malice not enteredJune Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Close Hatches entered JuneGrande Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea BrazilBreeders' Cup Turf Bal A Bali injured JuneStephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Moonshine Mullin not entered June Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Obviously entered JuneThe Gold Cup at Santa Anita Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Majestic Harbor entered JuneTakarazuka KinenHanshin JapanBreeders' Cup Turf Gold Ship not entered July Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Minorette not entered JulyKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Taghrooda not entered JulyClement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Iotapa 3rd JulyBing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Big Macher entered July Haskell InvitationalMonmouth New JerseyBreeders' Cup Classic Bayern 1st AugustWhitney HandicapSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Classic Moreno entered AugustBeverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Euro Charline not enteredAugustArlington Million Arlington IllinoisBreeders' Cup Turf Hardest Core entered AugustPrix Jacques Le MaroisDeauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Kingman not entered AugustJuddmonte InternationalYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Australia not entered AugustYorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Tapestry not enteredAugustNunthorpe StakesYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint Sole Power not enteredAugustPacific Classic Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Shared Belief 4thAugustDel Mar Handicap Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Turf Big John B enteredAugustPat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Goldencents 1stAugustPersonal Ensign StakesSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Close Hatches enteredAugustBallerina Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Artemis Agrotera entered August Forego Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Sprint Palace entered SeptemberGrosser Preis von BadenBaden-Baden GermanyBreeders' Cup Turf Ivanhowe not entered SeptemberMatron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Fiesolana entered SeptemberIrish Champion Stakes Leopardstown IrelandBreeders' Cup Turf The Grey Gatsby not entered September Juvenile Turf Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf John F. Kennedy not entered September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Cursory Glance not entered SeptemberPocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Christina's Journey entered SeptemberIroquois StakesChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Lucky Player entered SeptemberCanadian Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Deceptive Vision not entered SeptemberWoodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile Trade Storm 3rd SeptemberNatalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Conquest Harlanate entered SeptemberSummer Stakes Woodbine CanadaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Conquest Typhoon entered SeptemberRockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Lucida not entered SeptemberRoyal Lodge Stakes Newmarket EnglandBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Elm Park not entered SeptemberFlower Bowl Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Stephanie's Kitten 2ndSeptemberJoe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Turf Main Sequence 1stSeptemberVosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Sprint Private Zone 3rd SeptemberJockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Classic Tonalist enteredSeptemberAwesome Again Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Shared Belief 4thSeptemberFrontRunner Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile American Pharoah injuredSeptemberChandelier Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Angela Renee enteredSeptemberRodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Emollient enteredSeptemberZenyatta Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Beholder illnessOctoberPrix de l'OpéraLongchamp FranceBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Winner We Are not entered OctoberPrix Jean-Luc Lagardère Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Full Mast not entered OctoberPrix Marcel Boussac Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Found not entered OctoberAlcibiades Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Peace and War not enteredOctoberPhoenix Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Sprint Work All Week 1stOctoberChampagne Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Daredevil enteredOctoberFrizette Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies By The Moon entered OctoberShadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile Wise Dan injured OctoberBreeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Carpe Diem 2nd OctoberThoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Leigh Court enteredOctoberSanta Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Sprint Rich Tapestry enteredOctoberBourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Lawn Ranger enteredOctoberSpinster Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Don't Tell Sophia 2nd OctoberJessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Rainha Da Bateria entered
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