Breeders’ Cup Loves Del Mar
- Linda Barrett | Clipper Court
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will host the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious and lucrative international event, Nov. 1-2. This will mark the third time Del Mar has been selected as site of the event since 2017, reflecting the popularity of DMTC’s “seaside oval” and environs with the global racing community. More than $30 million in purses and awards will be distributed to participants over the championship weekend and the week’s activities are expected to generate upwards of $100 million in economic impact for the area.
The idea of a global competition is the reason the Breeders’ Cup was created – to see the best horses from around the world challenge the best North American thoroughbreds. More specifically, the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic has become a chance for the Kentucky Derby winner to face off against the best from the rest of the world to see which horse truly deserves the title of “World Champion.”
Fourteen champions of dirt and turf will be crowned from contenders from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Chile, Argentina and Japan. Spectators will see dazzling examples of the most well bred and conditioned horses on the planet. Fans can expect to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most famous trainers, jockeys, and owners in local dining establishments, hotels and boutiques.
The Breeders’ Cup often produces big surprises. In 2021 at Del Mar, Japan rocked the racing world with wins in the Filly and Mare Turf (G1T), and Breeders Cup Distaff (G1). The victories marked Japan’s emphatic arrival on racing’s most elite stage.
As usual, California will be well represented, including two-time California Horse of the Year, The Chosen Vron. The popular 6-year-old gelding is trained and owned by Encinitas resident Eric Kruljac, along with partners John Sondereker, Robert Fetkin, and Richard Thornburgh. “The Vron” will be making his second appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, hoping to redeem a disappointing finish in last year’s effort. He’ll be coming off his second victory in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) July 27, and a close second-place finish in the Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) August 24, bringing the horse’s lifetime earnings to more than $1.7 million.