2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series

The 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key prep races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.

In 2015, eight new races were added to the series: the Gran Premio Criadores, Fleur de Lis Handicap, Sussex Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational, Spinaway, Princess Rooney Handicap, Smile Sprint Handicap, and T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis. Eighteen races in the series were telecast by NBC.[1]

For 2015, 39 entrants in the Breeders’ Cup qualified via the Challenge series with six winning their respective divisions:[2]

  • American Pharoah, who qualified for the Classic by winning the Haskell
  • Stephanie's Kitten, who won the Flower Bowl to qualify for the Filly & Mare Turf
  • Nyquist, winner of the FrontRunner and Juvenile
  • Songbird, winner of the Chandelier and Juvenile Fillies
  • Runhappy, who qualified for the Sprint by winning the Phoenix Stakes
  • Catch a Glimpse, who won the Natalma to qualify for the Juvenile Fillies Turf

Several prominent winners of the challenge series races did not start in the 2015 Breeders' Cup due to injury or illness. Most notably, Beholder, who had won three challenge series races, was scratched from the Classic after she developed a fever then bled following a routine workout.[3] Rock Fall, who was a favorite for the Sprint after qualifying in the Vosburgh, was injured during a routine workout and was euthanized.[4]

The winners of the 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races are shown below. The last column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the Breeders' Cup, and if so, whether they achieved a top three finish.[5][6][7]

Month Race Track Location Division Winner BC Result
January Paddock Stakes Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Futura not entered
January Queen's Plate Kenilworth South Africa Breeders' Cup Mile Inara not entered
April Doncaster Mile Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Mile Kermadec not entered
April TJ Smith Stakes Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Chautauqua not entered
April Queen Elizabeth Stakes Randwick Australia Breeders' Cup Turf Criterion not entered
May es:Gran Premio Criadores Palermo Argentina Breeders' Cup Distaff Furia Cruzada not entered
May Gran Premio 25 de Mayo San Isidro Argentina Breeders' Cup Turf Ordak Dan entered
June Metropolitan Handicap Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Honor Code entered Classic
June Ogden Phipps Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Wedding Toast entered
June Grande Prêmio Brasil Hipódromo da Gávea Brazil Breeders' Cup Turf Barola not entered
June Stephen Foster Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Classic Noble Bird not entered
June Fleur de Lis Handicap Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff Frivolous entered
June Shoemaker Mile Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Mile Talco not entered
June The Gold Cup at Santa Anita Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Classic Hard Aces entered
June Takarazuka Kinen Hanshin Japan Breeders' Cup Turf Lovely Day not entered
July Princess Rooney Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Merry Meadow not entered
July Smile Sprint Handicap Gulfstream Park Florida Breeders' Cup Sprint Favorite Tale 3rd
July Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Lady Eli injured
July King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Ascot England Breeders' Cup Turf Postponed not entered
July Sussex Stakes Goodwood England Breeders' Cup Mile Solow not entered
July Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Distaff Beholder entered Classic
July Bing Crosby Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Sprint Wild Dude entered
July Haskell Invitational Monmouth New Jersey Breeders' Cup Classic American Pharoah 1st
August Whitney Handicap Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Classic Honor Code 3rd
August Beverly D. Stakes Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Watsdachances entered
August Arlington Million Arlington Illinois Breeders' Cup Turf The Pizza Man entered
August Prix Jacques Le Marois Deauville France Breeders' Cup Mile Esoterique entered
August Juddmonte International York England Breeders' Cup Turf Arabian Queen not entered
August Yorkshire Oaks York England Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Pleascach not entered
August Nunthorpe Stakes York England Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Mecca's Angel not entered
August Pacific Classic Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Classic Beholder scratched
August Del Mar Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Turf Big John B entered
August Pat O'Brien Handicap Del Mar California Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Appealing Tale not entered
August Personal Ensign Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Distaff Sheer Drama entered
August Ballerina Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Unbridled Forever not entered
August Sword Dancer Invitational Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Turf Flintshire not entered
August Forego Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Private Zone 2nd
September T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Shivajia not entered
September Spinaway Stakes Saratoga New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Rachel's Valentina 2nd
September Grosser Preis von Baden Baden-Baden Germany Breeders' Cup Turf Prince Gibraltar not entered
September Matron Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Legatissimo 2nd
September Irish Champion Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Turf Golden Horn 2nd
September Juvenile Turf Stakes Leopardstown Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Johannes Vermeer not entered
September Moyglare Stud Stakes Curragh Ireland Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Minding not entered
September Pocahontas Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Dothraki Queen 3rd
September Iroquois Stakes Churchill Downs Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Cocked and Loaded entered
September Canadian Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Strut the Course not entered
September Woodbine Mile Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Mile Mondialiste 2nd
September Natalma Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Catch A Glimpse 1st
September Summer Stakes Woodbine Canada Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Conquest Daddyo entered
September Rockfel Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Promising Run not entered
September Royal Lodge Stakes Newmarket England Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Foundation not entered
October Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Stephanie's Kitten 1st
October Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Turf Big Blue Kitten 3rd
October Vosburgh Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Sprint Rock Fall injured
October Awesome Again Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Classic Smooth Roller scratched
October FrontRunner Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nyquist 1st
October Chandelier Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Songbird 1st
October Rodeo Drive Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Photo Call entered
October Zenyatta Stakes Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Distaff Beholder entered Classic
October Prix de l'Opéra Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Covert Love not entered
October Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Ultra not entered
October Prix Marcel Boussac Longchamp France Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Ballydoyle not entered
October Alcibiades Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Gomo not entered
October Phoenix Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Sprint Runhappy 1st
October Champagne Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Greenpointcrusader entered
October Frizette Stakes Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nickname entered
October Jockey Club Gold Cup Belmont Park New York Breeders' Cup Classic Tonalist entered
October Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Mile Grand Arch 3rd
October Breeders' Futurity Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Brody's Cause 3rd
October Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Fioretti entered
October Santa Anita Sprint Championship Santa Anita California Breeders' Cup Sprint Wild Dude entered
October Bourbon Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Airoforce 2nd
October Spinster Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Distaff Got Lucky entered
October Jessamine Stakes Keeneland Kentucky Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Harmonize entered

References
  1. "2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series features 78 qualifying races - Handicappers' Edge". www.brisnet.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  2. "2016 Breeders' Cup Challenge Features 59 Grade/Group 1 Races in 12 Countries". breederscup.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  3. Mitchell, Ron. "Beholder Scratched Out of BC Classic". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  4. Mitchell, Ron. "Rock Fall Euthanized After Keeneland Work". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  5. "Breeders' Cup Challenge 2015 archive". challenge.breederscup.com. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  6. "The 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series" (PDF). brisnet.com. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  7. "2015 Breeders' Cup Entries". www.chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
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