For example, of the eleven flat racehorse categories, seven of the Eclipse winners in 2015 had also won a Breeders' Cup race, while three others were in the money.

[8] The event was created as a year-end championship for North American Thoroughbred racing, and also attracts top horses from other parts of the world, especially Europe.

The prize money is largely supported by nomination fees paid by breeders for stallions and the resultant foals.

In North America, the breeders of the resultant foals must also pay a one-time nomination fee (currently $400) by October 15 of the year of birth.

"We will continue to focus on growing the international market for our championships, creating a successful two-day event and promoting the Breeders' Cup brand with both our television and sponsorship partners.

The richest single day in sports is now another Thoroughbred racing event, Dubai World Cup Night.

[14] On August 11, 2009, the Breeders' Cup announced that it would use the standard colored saddle towel system starting with the 2009 event.

The new color-coded system (which has been used at many North American racetracks since the mid-1990s) replaces the standard purple saddle towels which had been used since 1985.

[16] On October 22, 2009, the Breeders' Cup announced it had signed simulcasting and licensing agreements with Betfair,[17] a company which in turn had purchased the horse-racing network TVG in January of that year.

The agreement brought in Betfair's customer base of over 2.5 million, many of whom had legal access to common-pool betting.

[20] In 2011, the organization appointed Craig R. Fravel as CEO and President, a role he will be leaving after the 2019 event to head the racing operations of the Stronach Group.

[22] Organizers had originally planned to ban raceday use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide (Lasix) for more consistency with European standards, but reversed the decision due to concerns from horsemen and many handicappers.

[22] From 2008 to 2014, the Breeders' Cup was held at either Churchill Downs or Santa Anita Park, both major tracks with a demonstrated record of success in hosting the event.

In 2015 however, Keeneland was selected as the host track for the first time, in large part because of Lexington's position as the center of the North American thoroughbred breeding industry.

[23] Although concerns were raised over Keeneland's limited amount of permanent seating,[24] the 2015 event was considered a success, with record Friday attendance and a sell-out on Saturday.

[32] The 2019 event at Santa Anita Park ended in the death of a popular horse, Mongolian Groom, in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mongolian Groom suffered a broken lower cannon bone as well as an upper portion of pastern during the race and was euthanized.

Other pre-entries are ranked by (1) a point system for graded stakes performance during the year, and (2) the judgment of a panel of racing experts.

When the latter announcement was made, Breeders' Cup president Craig Fravel said,We restored the Ladies' Classic to its original name due to feedback from our loyal fans who have a strong affinity for the Distaff.

In recognition of our 30th year, the Distaff has provided us with some of racing's most remarkable moments, personified by such outstanding thoroughbreds as Lady's Secret, Personal Ensign, Azeri, Zenyatta, and our two-time defending champion, Royal Delta.

In 2009, Carla Gaines also won the Sprint with Dancing in Silks[46] and in 2013 Kathy Ritvo became the first woman to train a Classic winner, Mucho Macho Man.

Jo Hughes became the first woman trainer from Britain to win a race at the Breeders' Cup with London Bridge in 2013.

[48] In 2015, NBC Sports announced a 3-year extension of their partnership to broadcast events from the Breeders' Cup Challenge series.

Since 2008 the Breeders' Cup has rotated exclusively between two tracks in California (Santa Anita and Del Mar) and two in Kentucky (Churchill Downs and Keeneland).