The2013Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 30th edition of the premier event of the North Americanthoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on November 1 and November 2 atSanta Anita Park inArcadia, California.[1] The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2013 Breeders' Cup results were highly influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of races that provide the winners of designated races with automatic "Win and You're In" berths in a specified division of the Breeders' Cup. For qualifying horses, the Breeders' Cup organization covers the entry fee and provides a travel allowance of up to $40,000 for the connections of horses from overseas. Thirty-six horses entered in the Breeders' Cup races qualified via the challenge series, including four of the winners. These were:[2]
The two-day attendance for the Breeders' Cup was 94,628, up 5% over 2012, with a Saturday crowd of 58,795, up 7%. Wagering was also up 7% over 2012, though down from the record levels at the2010 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.[3]
Five Breeders' Cup races were held on Friday, with British-trained horses winning three: London Bridge in the Marathon,Outstrip in the Juvenile Turf andChriselliam in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.[4]Mizdirection won the Turf Sprint for the second year in a row, whileBeholder won at the Breeders' Cup for the second time in a row, following up her 2012 win in the Juvenile Fillies with a victory in the Distaff.[5][6]
The highlights of the Saturday card were wins byMucho Macho Man in the Classic andWise Dan in the Mile. Mucho Macho Man won by a nose overWill Take Charge, while the favoriteGame On Dude finished ninth.Kathy Ritvo became the first female trainer to win the Classic. In the Mile, Wise Dan closed from seventh to win by3⁄4 lengths. His regular jockeyJohn Velazquez was injured in an earlier race soJose Lezcano was a late substitution. In the Turf, the only two European-based horses in the field finished one-two, with the longshotMagician prevailing over favoriteThe Fugue. It was Magician's first race since June and his first start at the distance of1+1⁄2 miles. The Juvenile Fillies was marred by the breakdown of Secret Compass and then a controversial disqualification of She's A Tiger for bumping in the stretch.[7][8][9]
In the 2013Eclipse Award voting, six of the eleven flat racing categories were awarded to horses who won at the Breeders' Cup: Wise Dan was named Horse of the Year, Champion Older Male and Champion Male Turf Horse, Beholder was Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Dank was Champion Female Turf Horse and Groupie Doll was Champion Female Sprinter. In addition, She's A Tiger was voted Champion Two-Year-Old Filly despite her disqualification in the Juvenile Fillies.[10]
| Race name | Sponsor | Distance/surface | Restrictions | Purse | Winner |
| Marathon | 1+3⁄4 miles | 3 yrs+ | $500,000 | London Bridge | |
| Juvenile Turf | 1 mile (Turf) | 2-year-old colts & geldings | $1 million | Outstrip | |
| Dirt Mile | 1 mile (one turn) | 3 yrs+ | $1 million | Goldencents | |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | 1 mile (Turf) | 2-year-old fillies | $1 million | Chriselliam | |
| Distaff | 1+1⁄8 miles | 3 yrs+ fillies & mares | $2 million | Beholder |
| Race Name | Sponsor | Distance/Surface | Restrictions | Purse | Winner |
| Juvenile Fillies | 1 1/16 miles | 2-year-old fillies | $2 million | Ria Antonia | |
| Filly & Mare Turf | 1+1⁄4 miles (Turf) | Fillies & mares | $2 million | Dank | |
| Filly & Mare Sprint | 7 furlongs | 3 yrs+ fillies & mares | $1 million | Groupie Doll | |
| Turf Sprint | GEICO | About6+1⁄2 furlongs (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $1 million | Mizdirection |
| Juvenile Dirt | 1 1/16 miles | 2-year-old colts & geldings | $2 million | New Year's Day | |
| Turf | 1+1⁄2 miles (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $3 million | Magician | |
| Dirt Sprint | Xpressbet | 6 furlongs | 3 yrs+ | $1,500,000 | Secret Circle |
| Mile | 1 mile (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $2 million | Wise Dan | |
| Classic | 1+1⁄4 miles | 3 yrs+ | $5 million | Mucho Macho Man |