How A Horse Racing Trainer Prepares For The Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders’ Cup is the event on the horse racing calendar when champions are crowned at the end of each season. The event has housed some of the most iconic moments in recent history, and that promises to continue in 2024, as Aidan O’Brien’s City of Troy bids to add a Classic victory to his three Group One prizes on the turf this term. 

Trainers will already be putting their finer details on the Breeders’ Cup challenge series for this year, but what are some of the key points that top trainers will be doing to prepare for the iconic season-ending event that will be taking place in Del Mar across the first weekend in November this year?

Plotting The Race To Run In

The route to the Breeders’ Cup for most trainers will start before the beginning of a new flat season. Training horses from a young age requires a massive understandings regarding the unique learning style that each horse requires, whether that be getting the best from your runner from light sessions or whether the horse in a trainer’s care needs more strenuous exercise to remain at the top of their game. 

Plotting a potential Breeders’ Cup race will also require trainers to gain a better understanding of their runner’s optimal distance. Therefore, this can often be trial and error, as a better understanding can only be gained from running horses in a race over a certain distance. 

Should a horse excel over one mile, they may be stepped up in trip to see how they deal with an increased distance, but should that trial end in defeat, then it could be determined that a runner performs best over the one mile distance. Only after learning all this information about their horse can a trainer begin to plot their route to the Breeders’ Cup. 

Gaining Qualification

Bringing together the best horses from around the world can be a challenge, with equine stars having to gain qualification for the race that they wish to be involved in. Winning Grade Ones is the fastest route to gain a berth in a race, with victors being awarded ten points for winning at the highest level. Meanwhile, Grade Two victories accumulate six points, and a Grade Three success adds four points.

That being said, the quickest way to assure a place in a race at the Breeders’ Cup is by winning a race on the Challenge Series. There are over 50 races on the Challenge Series, kicking off in December in Argentina with the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini Stakes. 

All of the biggest races across the world are included in the Challenge, with trainer’s targeting a place in the Classic having to win an esteemed race over the distance. Among the races that earn a passage into the Classic include the Juddmonte International Stakes, Whitney Stakes, and the Haskell.

Travelling To California

Given that the Breeders’ Cup is one of the most international events on the calendar, there is major global appeal, with top yards taking their stable stars to the United States. Therefore, all trainers around the world will need to determine how to get their travelling party of equine stars to North America.

Transportation of horses overseas is one of the most interesting factors for fans of the sport, with portable crates being loaded with the horse before being boarded onto a freight plane. Horses can travel alone, but the vast majority will likely travel with a partner to ensure that they are kept calm. 

Unlike humans, standing for the entirety of a flight from the UK to the United States isn’t as daunting for horses, as they will be able to sleep while they are standing up. For the most part, horses will also be joined in the area of the aircraft by a vet, who will ensure that the equine stars are well fed and hydrated during the flight. 

Pre-Event Workouts & Veterinary Checks

The vast majority of horses will arrive at Del Mar for this year’s Breeders’ Cup two weeks before the start of the event, and racing fans will be able to check the form of their favorite horses at the morning workouts. Some of the biggest stars will be on track doing their pieces of work before their race, and best of all, fans in the surrounding areas can gain access to the track to witness the training up close.

After gaining entry to a race and flying to the course, the final checks will be made by vets to ensure that they are safe to exit quarantine and compete at the Breeders’ Cup. 

This will be a daunting prospect for European raiders this year, as 16 runners will withdrawn following veterinary advice on the Friday at the event last year. Therefore, trainers will always need their fair share of luck to win a race at the Breeders’ Cup.