The 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consisted of 86 horse races that provided the respective winners with an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2019 Breeders' Cup, held on November 1 and 2. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world. The Breeders' Cup organization paid the Breeders' Cup entry fee for the challenge race winners, provided they had been nominated as foals.

Summary The 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge series consisted of 86 races, 64 of which were Grade/Group One, from across 11 countries. There were 7 new races from the 2018 Series: the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (Turf), Prix Morny (Juvenile Turf Sprint), Fourstardave (Mile), Jockey Club Derby (Turf), the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (Turf Sprint), Cotillion (Distaff), Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (Turf Sprint) and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Turf). The following races were removed from the series: Doncaster Mile, Legacy Stakes, Gran Premio 25 de Mayo, Highlander, Forego, Spinaway, and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The International Stakes, formerly a qualifier for the Turf, became the first ever European qualifier for the Classic.

On October 21, fifty of the Challenge race winners were pre-entered in one or more of the Breeders' Cup races. Shortly before entries were taken, Magical – a leading contender in the Turf – was retired after spiking a fever.

Entries were taken on October 28. Several challenge race winners opted to enter a different division of the Breeders' Cup. For example, Omaha Beach, who qualified for the Sprint by winning the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, was instead entered in the Dirt Mile. Conversely, Catalina Cruiser and Mitole qualified for the Dirt Mile but instead were entered in the Sprint. Uni ran in the Mile instead of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Elate was entered in the Classic after qualifying in the Distaff.

On Friday, two automatic qualifiers won their respective division of the Breeders' Cup. On Saturday, there were another three: Four Wheel Drive, who qualified by winning the Belmont Futurity, won the Juvenile Turf Sprint British Idiom, winner of the Alcibiades, also won the Juvenile Fillies Iridessa, who qualified by winning the Matron Stakes, won the Filly and Mare Turf Blue Prize won the Distaff after qualifying in the Spinster Bricks and Mortar qualified by winning the Arlington Million and then won the Turf

Mitole, who qualified for the Dirt Mile by winning the Metropolitan Handicap, won the Sprint. Uni won the Mile after qualifying in the First Lady Stakes for the Filly and Mare Turf.

Challenge Series races The following table shows the Breeders' Cup Challenge races for 2019 and the respective winners. The status column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup race, and whether they finished in the money. MonthRaceTrackLocationDivisionWinnerStatusDecemberGran Premio Internacional Carlos PellegriniSan IsidroArgentinaBreeders' Cup TurfIl Mercato (ARG)bypassJanuaryPaddock StakesKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfOh Susanna (AUS)bypassJanuaryQueen's PlateKenilworthSouth AfricaBreeders' Cup MileDo It Again (SAF)bypassFebruaryFebruary StakesTokyoJapanBreeders' Cup ClassicInti (JPN)bypass MayGran Premio CriadoresPalermoArgentinaBreeders' Cup DistaffEntropia (ARG)bypassMay Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella Santiago Chile Breeders' Cup Mile Tamburo Di Orobypass May Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Boloscratched June Yasuda Kinen Tokyo Japan Breeders' Cup Mile Indy ChampbypassJuneJaipur Invitational Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint World of TroubleretiredJune Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Distaff Midnight Bisousecond June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Mitolewon Sprint JuneGrande Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea BrazilBreeders' Cup Turf George Washington (BRZ)bypass JuneFleur de Lis HandicapChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup Distaff Elatefourth in ClassicJuneStephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Seeking the Soulran JuneQueen Anne StakesRoyal Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup MileLord Glitters (FR)ran JunePrince of Wales's StakesRoyal Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup TurfCrystal Ocean (GB)bypass JuneNorfolk StakesRoyal Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint A'Ali (IRE)ran JuneDiamond Jubilee StakesRoyal Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf Sprint Blue Point (IRE)retired JuneTakarazuka KinenHanshin JapanBreeders' Cup TurfLys GracieuxbypassJuneGran Premio Pamplona Monterrico Peru Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfGracia Divinabypass June Princess Rooney Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintStormy Embracebypass July John A. Nerud Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup SprintPromises Fulfilledbypass July Haskell InvitationalMonmouth New JerseyBreeders' Cup ClassicMaximum Securitybypass JulyKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot EnglandBreeders' Cup TurfEnablebypass JulyBing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup SprintCistronbypass JulyClement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Distaff Ollie's Candyfourth July Sussex Stakes Goodwood EnglandBreeders' Cup MileToo Darn Hotbypass AugustWhitney HandicapSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup ClassicMcKinziesecond AugustBeverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf SistercharliethirdAugustArlington Million Arlington IllinoisBreeders' Cup TurfBricks and Mortarwon August Fourstardave HandicapSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Mile Got Stormysecond AugustPrix Jacques Le MaroisDeauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Romanised (IRE)bypassAugustPacific Classic Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Classic Higher PowerthirdAugustDel Mar Handicap Del Mar CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Turf AcclimateranAugustPrix Morny Deauville FranceBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Earthlightbypass AugustJuddmonte InternationalYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Classic Japanbypass AugustYorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf EnablebypassAugustNunthorpe StakesYork EnglandBreeders' Cup Turf SprintBattaashbypassAugustPersonal Ensign StakesSaratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup DistaffMidnight BisousecondAugustBallerina Stakes Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintCome DancingranAugust Sword Dancer Saratoga New YorkBreeders' Cup TurfAnnals of TimebypassAugustPat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt MileCatalina Cruiserran in SprintSeptemberKentucky Downs Turf Sprint Kentucky Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Turf SprintTotally Bossran September Jockey Club Derby Belmont New York Breeders' Cup Turf Spanish Missionbypass September Juvenile Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile TurfMogulbypass SeptemberMatron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfIridessa (IRE)won SeptemberIrish Champion Stakes Leopardstown IrelandBreeders' Cup TurfMagical (IRE)retiredSeptemberIroquois StakesChurchill Downs KentuckyBreeders' Cup JuvenileDennis' Momentran SeptemberPocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Lazy Daisyran SeptemberWoodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup MileEl Tormentaran September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfLovebypass September Flying Five Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Fairyland (IRE)bypass SeptemberNatalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfAbscondran SeptemberSummer Stakes Woodbine CanadaBreeders' Cup Juvenile TurfDecorated InvaderfourthSeptemberCotillion Stakes PARX Pennsylvania Breeders' Cup DistaffStreet BandranSeptemberAmerican Pharoah Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup JuvenileEight RingsranSeptemberChandelier Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesBastthirdSeptemberRockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Daahyeh (GB)second SeptemberRoyal Lodge Stakes Newmarket EnglandBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Royal Dornoch (IRE)bypassSeptemberVosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup SprintImperial Hintscratched SeptemberJockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup ClassicCode of HonorranSeptemberRodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfMirthranSeptemberAwesome Again Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup ClassicMongolian Groomentered SeptemberSprinters Stakes Nakayama Japan Breeders' Cup Turf SprintTower of London (JPN)bypassSeptemberZenyatta Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup DistaffParadise WoodsranOctoberPhoenix Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup SprintEngagefourth OctoberAlcibiades Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesBritish Idiomwon OctoberFirst Lady Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfUni (GB)won the Mile OctoberThoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare SprintSpiced Perfectionfourth OctoberShadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup MileBowies Heroran OctoberBreeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup JuvenileMaxfieldinjuredOctoberChampagne Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup JuvenileTiz the LawbypassOctoberSanta Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup SprintOmaha Beachsecond in Dirt MileOctoberPrix de l'Abbaye de LongchampLongchamp FranceBreeders' Cup Turf SprintGlass Slippers (GB)bypassOctoberPrix de l'OpéraLongchamp FranceBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfVilla Marina (GB)ran OctoberPrix Jean-Luc Lagardère Longchamp FranceBreeders' Cup Juvenile TurfVictor Ludorum (GB)bypass OctoberPrix Marcel Boussac Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfAlbigna (Ire)fourthOctoberPrix de l'Arc de TriompheLongchamp FranceBreeders' Cup TurfWaldgeist (GB)bypassOctoberIndian Summer Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf SprintKimarifourthOctoberBourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile TurfPeace AchievedranOctoberSpinster Stakes Keeneland KentuckyBreeders' Cup DistaffBlue Prize (ARG)wonOctoberBelmont Futurity Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf SprintFour Wheel DrivewonOctoberFrizette Stakes Belmont Park New YorkBreeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesWicked Whisperran OctoberFlower Bowl Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare TurfSistercharlie (IRE)thirdOctoberSpeakeasy Stakes Santa Anita CaliforniaBreeders' Cup Juvenile Turf SprintEl Tigre Terriblebypass OctoberJessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies TurfSweet Melaniathird

Television coverage For the 2019 Breeders' Cup Challenge, NBCSN will produce 11 live broadcasts, covering more than 20 of the races in North America. The races will also be live streamed. This is in addition to NBC's coverage of the American Triple Crown series and Royal Ascot, the latter of which has four Breeders' Cup Challenge races.

See also

2019 British Champions Series

References