FACT SHEET

CONTACT: Breeders’ Cup Limited 2525 Harrodsburg Road Lexington, KY 40504 +1 859 223 5444

PRESS CONTACT Jim Gluckson Media Relations, Breeders’ Cup Limited Direct: +1 212 230 9512 E: [email protected]

AGENCY PRESS CONTACT Hayley Karlan Account Supervisor, Nike Communications, Inc. Direct: +646 654 3445 E: [email protected]

ABOUT THE BREEDERS’ CUP Internationally recognized as one of the world’s preeminent sports and entertainment events, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships offers the best- of-the-best in Thoroughbred racing: the best horses, owners, trainers and jockeys, as well as the best in hospitality, entertainment, fashion and dining.

BREEDERS’ CUP HISTORY The Breeders’ Cup began in 1984 as a one-day race event at Hollywood Park in , Calif. Positioned as the season-ending championships to a previously disjointed and regionalized horse racing industry, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships have brought structure to the sport over its 33-year history and 305 championship races.

ABOUT THE BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Recognized as the culmination of the horse racing season, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships is a two-day race event offering the largest purses in North America. With the highest caliber of horses, owners, jockeys and trainers, the World Championships draw participants from around the globe and a Thoroughbred’s performance at the event is often the determining factor in the prestigious Horse of the Year award. Among the various Grade 1 stakes races that take place throughout the event, the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is the signature race and internationally recognized as one of the highest caliber and most prestigious Thoroughbred races of the year. The 2016 Classic was named the Longines World’s Best Horse Race by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities.

2017 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS The 34th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 13 races with purses and awards totaling more than $28 million, will take place at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, near , in Del Mar, Calif., on November 3-4. This will be the first time that Del Mar will be a Breeders’ Cup host site.

2018 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS The 35th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held on November 2-3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

BROADCAST PARTNER The NBC Sports Group is the official broadcast partner of the Breeders’ Cup. NBC and NBCSN will televise live the 2017 World Championships on November 3 and November 4, which will end with the live, primetime broadcast of the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on NBC. In addition, NBC and NBC Sports Network will feature 11 national telecasts of the top races in Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, presented by Lane’s End Farm and America’s Best Racing throughout the 2017 season. The World Championships will also be broadcasted globally to viewers in more than 130 countries.

LIVE PERFORMANCES Past performers have included renowned musicians Alisan Porter, Tony Bennett, , Kristin Chenoweth, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton and Richie Sambora. The upcoming 2017 performers will be announced in the weeks leading up to the World Championships.

PURPLE CARPET A signature of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the star-studded purple carpet offers celebrity attendees an opportunity to showcase their elite Thoroughbred styles upon arrival at the races. Sylvester Stallone, Susan Sarandon, Bobby Flay, , Elizabeth Banks, Emily Ratajkowski and Bo Derek are a few notable celebrities who have walked the purple carpet in recent years.

DINING From fine dining to food trucks, the Breeders’ Cup offers an array of F&B events and experiences, including the VIP Taste of the World event, trackside breakfast marquee and in-field food trucks and pop- up beer gardens.

CELEBRITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM The only organized celebrity program within the horse racing industry, the Breeders’ Cup Celebrity Ambassadors include an impressive range of top actors and actresses, pro-athletes and musicians, who help promote the prestige of the Breeders’ Cup. Celebrity Ambassadors include: Kate Upton, Bobby Flay, Elizabeth Banks, Jim Rome, Joe Torre, Rick Pitino, Bo Derek, Rob Dyrdek, Laura Bell Bundy, Toby Keith, Wes Welker, Gary Player, Steven Jackson, Avery Johnson, John Ortiz and James Carville.

ABOUT THE BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE SERIES The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In™ is a series of top Thoroughbred races that offer automatic entry, and fees paid, into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The 2017 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series will consist of more than 80 automatic qualifying races at tracks in 13 countries.

EXECUTIVE TEAM William S. Farish, Jr., Chairman, Craig Fravel, President Chief Executive Officer Drew Fleming, SVP Dora Delgado, SVP, Racing & Nominations Bryan Pettigrew, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.breederscup.com

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