Breeders' Cup Classic
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The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. The 2006 race was held at Churchill Downs.
Weights for the race are:
- 4-year-olds and up: 126 pounds (57.2 kg)
- Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 122 pounds (55.3 kg)
- Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds: 117 pounds (53.1 kg)
- The reason for the difference in weight between 3-year-olds is that thoroughbreds foaled in the Northern Hemisphere increase in age for racing purposes on January 1, while Southern Hemisphere thoroughbreds do not increase in age until August 1.
The Classic is considered by many to be the premier thoroughbred horse race of the year, and for 2006 only the Dubai World Cup surpassed its $5 million purse. Often, the winner goes on to win Horse of the Year honors, as have the last three winners of the race—Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), and Invasor (2006). Due to the extremely high quality of horses in the event, the race is notoriously hard to predict. One notable example of an underdog winning the Classic is the victory of Arcangues in 1993. This was the biggest upset in Breeders' Cup history and his $269.20 payoff for a $2 wager remains a Breeders' Cup record.
