The 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2017 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.
Summary On April 12, 2017, the Breeders Cup organization announced that the 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge would consist of 81 races from 13 countries. Compared to the 2016 Challenge Series, three races were added: the Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes, the Highlander Stakes and the First Lady Stakes. The Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Belmont Oaks and Canadian Stakes were discontinued from the series.
Fifty pre-entrants in the 2017 Breeders' Cup qualified via the Challenge series, which was particularly important as seven of the Breeders' Cup races were oversubscribed. A maximum of 14 horses (12 in the Turf Sprint) are allowed to start in each race. Winners of the Challenge races are given automatic entries, while other pre-entries are ranked by a points system and the judgement of a panel of experts.
A few challenge series winners could not compete at the 2017 Breeders' Cup due to injury or retirement. Two-time Eclipse Award winner Songbird qualified for the Distaff by winning the Ogden Phipps Stakes but was retired in August due to injury. Bal a Bali, winner of the Shoemaker Mile Stakes, was retired in October because he was not training at a high enough level. Ulysses was a late scratch due to an ankle injury.
Five winners of Challenge series races went on to win their respective division at the Breeders' Cup: Gun Runner, who won the Classic, qualified by winning both the Stephen Foster and Whitney Handicap Forever Unbridled won the Distaff after automatically qualifying with victories in both the Fleur de Lis and Personal Ensign Rushing Fall qualified in the Jessamine Stakes then went on to win the Juvenile Turf Roy H won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Sprint World Approval won both the Woodbine Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile
Winners The winners of the 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races are shown below. The last column shows if the winner was subsequently pre-entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup race and if so, whether they finished in the top three positions.
MonthRaceTrackLocationDivisionWinnerBC StatusJanuaryPaddock StakesKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfBela Belanot enteredJanuaryQueen's PlateKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup MileLegal Eaglenot enteredFebruaryFebruary StakesTokyoJapanBreeders' Cup ClassicGold Dreamnot enteredAprilDoncaster MileRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup MileIt's Somewhatnot enteredAprilTJ Smith StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Turf SprintChautauquanot enteredAprilQueen of the Turf StakesRandwickAustraliaBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfFoxplaynot entered MayGran Premio CriadoresPalermoArgentinaBreeders' Cup Distaff Kiriaki not entered MayGran Premio 25 de Mayo San Isidro ArgentinaBreeders' Cup Turf Sixties Songnot enteredMay Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella Santiago Chile Breeders' Cup Mile Top Casablancanot entered June Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Bal a Baliinjured June Yasuda Kinen Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Mile Satono Aladdinnot enteredJune Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Songbird injured June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Mor Spirit entered JuneGran Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea BrazilBreeders' Cup Turf Voador Mageenot entered JuneStephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Gun Runner won JuneFleur de Lis HandicapChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Forever Unbridled wonJuneGran Premio Pamplona Monterrico Peru Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Birdie Goldentered JuneTakarazuka KinenHanshin JapanBreeders' Cup Turf Satono Crownnot entered July Princess Rooney Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Curlin's Approvalentered JulySmile Sprint Handicap Gulfstream Park FloridaBreeders' Cup Sprint Imperial Hintsecond JulyHighlander Stakes Woodbine CanadaBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint Green Masknot entered July Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Mind Your Biscuitsthird JulyBing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Ransom the Moonentered JulyKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Enablenot entered July Haskell InvitationalMonmouth New JerseyBreeders' Cup Classic Girvinnot entered JulyClement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Stellar Windentered August Sussex Stakes Goodwood EnglandBreeders' Cup Mile Here Comes Whennot entered AugustWhitney HandicapSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Classic Gun Runnerwon AugustBeverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf DacitaenteredAugustArlington Million Arlington IllinoisBreeders' Cup Turf Beach PatrolsecondAugustPacific Classic Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic CollectedsecondAugustDel Mar Handicap Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Turf Huntentered AugustPrix Jacques Le MaroisDeauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Al Wukairnot entered AugustJuddmonte InternationalYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Ulyssesscratched AugustYorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Enablenot enteredAugustNunthorpe StakesYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint MarshaenteredAugustPersonal Ensign StakesSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup DistaffForever UnbridledwonAugustBallerina Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintBy the MoonenteredAugust Sword Dancer Invitational Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup TurfSadler's Joyentered August Forego Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup SprintDrefongenteredAugustPat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Giant Expectations entered September T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Ashiananot entered September Spinaway Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Lady Ivankascratched SeptemberGrosser Preis von BadenBaden-Baden GermanyBreeders' Cup Turf Guignolnot entered September Juvenile Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nelson withdrawn SeptemberMatron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Hydrangeanot entered SeptemberIrish Champion Stakes Leopardstown IrelandBreeders' Cup Turf Decorated Knightentered September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Happily entered September Flying Five Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Caravaggio not entered SeptemberPocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Patrona Margaritanot entered SeptemberIroquois StakesChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile The Tabulatorentered SeptemberWoodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile World Approvalwon SeptemberNatalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Capla Temptress entered SeptemberSummer Stakes Woodbine CanadaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Untamed Domain second SeptemberRockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Juliet Capulet entered SeptemberRoyal Lodge Stakes Newmarket EnglandBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Roaring Lion not enteredSeptemberVosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Sprint TakafulenteredSeptemberJoe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Turf Beach PatrolsecondSeptemberFrontRunner Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Bolt d'OrothirdSeptemberZenyatta Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Paradise WoodsthirdSeptemberChandelier Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Moonshine MemoriesenteredSeptemberRodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf AvengeenteredSeptemberAwesome Again Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Mubtaahijentered SeptemberSprinters Stakes Nakayama Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Red Falxnot enteredOctoberPrix de l'OpéraChantilly FranceBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Rhododendronsecond OctoberPrix Jean-Luc Lagardère Chantilly France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Happily entered Fillies Turf OctoberPrix Marcel Boussac Chantilly France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Wild Illusion not enteredOctoberPhoenix Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Sprint Whitmoreentered OctoberAlcibiades Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Heavenly LoveenteredOctoberChampagne Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Firenze Fireentered OctoberJockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup ClassicDiversifywithdrawn OctoberFirst Lady Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Zipessaentered OctoberThoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Finley'sluckycharmentered OctoberShadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile Suedoisentered OctoberBreeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Free Drop BillyenteredOctoberSanta Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Sprint Roy Hwon OctoberFlower Bowl Invitational Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf War FlagenteredOctoberFrizette Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies SeparationofpowersenteredOctoberBourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Flameaway enteredOctoberSpinster Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Romantic Vision entered OctoberJessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Rushing Fall won
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