The Downey Profile® is a seasonal web site covering the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup.
In early October, 2009, The Downey Profilewill return online to begin the runup to Breeders' Cup. You can expect to see our usual array of free information, and our subscription page will be available. Getting there is half the fun!
A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in each of the 14 Breeders' Cup Championships races with the exception of the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf which will each be limited to 12 starters.
Breeders' Cup Limited has adopted a field selection system to select runners in the event fields are oversubscribed. This system ranks horses in order of preference based upon (i) performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races, (ii) a point system, and (iii) the judgment of a panel of racing experts.
The field selection system will be implemented as necessary following the taking of pre-entries on October 26, 2009, to officially rank the oversubscribed fields. The Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel (the “Panel”) will rank all the horses pre-entered in the oversubscribed races as described below. After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields will be filled by horses in order of panel preference.
OVERSUBSRIBED FIELDS
In the case of an oversubscribed fourteen horse field, the first horse(s) selected will be the winner(s) of Breeders' Cup Challenge Races in the corresponding Breeders' Cup division, the next horses will be ranked at pre-entry based on the total number of Graded Stakes points they have collected during the year until a total of seven horses have been ranked based on Breeders' Cup Challenge Races and Graded Stakes Points. With the exception of the four Juvenile races, all horses will need to accumulate a minimum of six (6) points in American Graded Stakes Races to receive an automatic selection on points.
The horses remaining after the first seven in oversubscribed fourteen horse fields at the time of pre-entry will be ranked in order of preference by the Panel. The Panel will be free to establish its own criteria or ranking, so that high-quality horses of demonstrated ability will have the opportunity to participate in Championship Races regardless of earlier participation in graded events.
In the case of an oversubscribed twelve horse field, the first horse(s) selected will be the winner(s) of Breeders' Cup Challenge Races in the corresponding Breeders' Cup division, the next horses will be ranked at pre-entry based on the total number of Graded Stakes points they have collected during the year until a total of six horses have been ranked based on Breeders' Cup Challenge Races and Graded Stakes Points.
The horses remaining after the first six in oversubscribed twelve horse fields at the time of pre-entry will be ranked in order of preference by the Panel. The Panel will be free to establish its own criteria or ranking, so that high-quality horses of demonstrated ability will have the opportunity to participate in Championship Races regardless of earlier participation in graded events.
PRE-ENTRIES LIMITED TO TWO RACES
Horses will be allowed to pre-enter a maximum of two races. The races in which the horse pre-enters must be designated in order of choice at the time of pre-entry on Monday, October 26, 2009, Noon, local time. Performance in Breeders' Cup Challenge Races and points earned in American Graded Stakes Races have no bearing on a given Championship Race field unless the race is oversubscribed (more than twelve or fourteen, as applicable, pre-entered).
Once a horse has been ranked among the first twelve or fourteen horses, as applicable, in its race of first choice at pre-entry, its ranking in its race of second choice will be based only on the judgment of the Panel regardless of the number of points earned in American Graded Stakes Races. If a horse is not ranked among the first twelve or fourteen horses in its race of first choice, then its points earned in American Graded Stakes Races will be utilized for ranking in its race of its second choice.
TIES AT PRE-ENTRY
In the event more than twelve or fourteen horses, as applicable, are pre-entered in a particular Championship Race and two or more horses are tied for the sixth or seventh, as applicable, highest number of American Graded Stakes Races points at the time of pre-entry, the Panel shall decide which of those horses shall be the sixth or seventh, as applicable, highest point earner. Horses not selected shall then be ranked in order of preference by the Panel at its discretion.
PRE-ENTRY RANKINGS
The Panel will issue a list of all horses ranked in order of preference for each Championship Race that is oversubscribed at the time of pre-entry. After pre-entry, any vacancies in the fields of oversubscribed races will be filled by horses in the Panel's order of preference as determined at pre-entry. NOTE: Points will have no bearing on ranking after pre-entry.
ENTRY PROCEDURES
Entries for all Breeders' Cup Championship races will close on Tuesday at 10 a.m., (PDT), November 3, 2009. At the time of entry, a maximum of fourteen horses will be accepted for entry in each fourteen horse race based on the order of preference in the rankings established at pre-entry. At the time of entry, a maximum of twelve horses will be accepted for entry in each twelve horse race based on the order of preference in the rankings established at pre-entry.
A horse will be permitted to enter two Breeders' Cup Championship races under the following conditions: (i) the horse is eligible for both races; (ii) the races will be contested on different days; (iii) the pre-entry and entry fees are paid for both races; and (iv) neither race is oversubscribed. A horse may not double-enter Breeders' Cup Championship races if the effect of such double entry is to exclude another horse from competing. Pre-entry and entry fees will not be refunded for the race in which the owner of the double-entered horse elects not to compete. There will be no also-eligible list or scratch time and no horse can move into the field of a Championship Race after the taking of entries.
PRE-RACE INSPECTION
Breeders' Cup Limited, Oak Tree Racing Association and the California Horse Racing Board have assembled a team of impartial, experienced equine veterinarians that will be conducting a series of physical inspections as well as observing each horse under tack during the week preceding the event. Horses will be inspected on multiple occasions in the stable area, initially upon arrival and at least one other time prior to race day. Race day customary procedures for pre-race inspections also will be followed.
In 2008, for the first time, an also-eligible rule for all oversubscribed races was adopted for Breeders' Cup competition. However, there will not be an also-eligible rule in 2009.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of automatic qualifying races for the $25.5 million 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships, increases its expansion this year with 62 races in seven countries.
The Challenge series will include 12 overseas races from tracks in England, Ireland, France, Australia and Hong Kong.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge series will again include domestic racetracks Belmont Park, Del Mar, Calder Race Course, Arlington Park, Emerald Downs, Delaware Park, Monmouth Park, Philadelphia Park, Turfway Park, Keeneland, Santa Anita Park and Woodbine.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge began in 2007 with 25 races at six U.S. racetracks and Sha Tin in Hong Kong. It was increased to 57 races at 12 tracks in 2008 and included for the first time races in Canada (Woodbine) and in Great Britain (Ascot). This year, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge will be brought to seven additional premier international tracks: Longchamp and Deauville in France; The Curragh, Leopardstown and Dundalk in Ireland; Newmarket in England and Moonee Valley in Australia.
In 2008, 34 of the 57 Challenge race winners completed in the Breeders’ Cup. Five of them won Breeders' Cup races, led by Raven’s Pass, who won the Classic. The other winners were Zenyatta (Ladies’ Classic), Forever Together (Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf); Stardom Bound (Juvenile Fillies) and Maram, Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies Turf).
This year, 25 races will be enhanced by funds through the Breeders’ Cup Stakes program. The series will feature 32 group or grade I races, including 10 group 1 races overseas.
In the U.S., three races will be automatic qualifiers for starting positions in the Classic, beginning Labor Day weekend with the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park (Sept. 5) the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar (Sept. 6), followed by the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita Park (Oct. 10). The Breeders’ Cup Classic field is limited to 14 starters.
The first European challenge race of 2009, the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on June 27, is a new addition to the schedule. Among the other new races in the series are:
--The Tattersalls Million Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown (Sept. 9) and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes from Newmarket on Oct. 17, both for starting positions in the $3 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf;
--The Moyglare Stud at The Curragh for a starting position in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf;
--The Diamond Stakes at Dundalk for a starting position in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon;
--Three automatic qualifiers for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint:, the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville (G1) on Aug. 9, the Cleanevent Manikato Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley in Australia on Sept. 25 and the Qatar Prix de L’Abbaye at Longchamp (G1) on Oct. 4.
Effective with the 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, for any horse participating in a World Championships race that is found to have violated the steroid rule in effect where the race is conducted, in addition to any penalties imposed by the racing regulatory agency in the jurisdiction, the following sanctions shall be imposed: (i) the horse shall be disqualified to last in the race and any purse earned by the horse shall be forfeited and redistributed in accordance with the revised order of finish; (ii) in the event of a first violation of the steroid rules in a World Championships race, the horse’s trainer and all horses directly or indirectly in such trainer’s care shall be ineligible to participate in the World Championships races conducted in the year immediately following the final determination that such trainer’s horse violated the steroid rules; (iii) in the event of a second violation of the steroid rules in a World Championships race, the horse’s trainer and all horses directly or indirectly in such trainer’s care shall be ineligible to participate in the World Championships races conducted in the two years immediately following the final determination that such trainer’s horse violated the steroid rules; (iv) in the event of a third violation of the steroid rules in a World Championships race, the horse’s trainer and all horses directly or indirectly in such trainer’s care shall be ineligible to participate in all World Championships races conducted for the remainder of such trainer’s life following the final determination that such trainer’s horse violated the steroid rules.
Effective January 1, 2009, it shall be the policy of Breeders’ Cup Limited to enter agreements with race tracks or racing associations for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races and Breeders’ Cup Stakes Races only in jurisdictions that have in place, either by executive order, administrative regulation or statute, rules governing the use of anabolic steroids in horses substantially similar, in form and substance, to the model steroid rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (“RCI”). In the event a race track or racing association is located in a jurisdiction without an executive order, administrative regulation or statute substantially similar in form and substance to the RCI model steroid rules, Breeders’ Cup Limited may, in its discretion, enter an agreement for the World Championships, Challenge Races or Breeders’ Cup Stakes Races with a race track or racing association if such race track or racing association has in place a house rule substantially similar in form and substance to the RCI model steroid rules.
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