Breeders' Cup Schedule and Links

Thoroughbred racing's 36th annual Breeders' Cup will be  held this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

On Friday, there will be five Breeders' Cup races - all for 2-year-olds.

The Saturday card will have  nine Breeders' Cup races - including the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at 1-1/4 miles on dirt for 3-year-olds and up.  Scheduled post time is 8:44 p.m. Eastern for the Classic.

This link https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RaceCardIndexSA110119USA-EQB.html  is to the Equibase Web site's entries for Breeders' Cup and other races at Santa Anita on Friday.

This  link https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RaceCardIndexSA110219USA-EQB.html is to the Equibase Web site's entries for Breeders' Cup  and other races at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Both links have information on obtaining free handicapping material and on purchasing Equibase past performances.

On Thursday, we  will have  a preview of the Breeders' Cup Classic and a preview of several  races with contenders that have raced at  Gulfstream Park or at Tampa Bay Downs or have other Florida connections.

*Safety, as well as the races, will receive widespread coverage at this year's Breeders' Cup.

Since late last December, 34 horses have died as a result of injuries suffered in races or in training at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita this spring made major changes in the composition of its dirt track as well as renovations of its turf course.

The California Horse Racing Board, which regulates thoroughbred racing in that state, has an ongoing review of SantaAnita and there are expectations that it will order it to make other changes.

It is expected that numerous members of animal rights groups will demonstrate outside Santa Anita on Friday and on Saturday.

Meanwhile, racing industry officials are dreading the prospect of horses collapsing and of jockey spills during the two days.
Santa Anita is owned by The Stronach Group of Aurora, Ontario.

Gulfstream Park is one of six other U.S. tracks owned by Stronach Group. This year, there have not been reports of significant numbers of horse deaths at any of those tracks.