2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series
# 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series

The 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2018 Breeders' Cup, held on November 2 and 3. The Breeders' Cup also pays the entry fee and provides a travel allowance for the connections of the challenge race winners. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.

## Summary

On April 18, 2018, the Breeders' Cup announced the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races. The main change was the addition of four "win and you're in" races from Royal Ascot: the Queen Anne Stakes provides a berth in the Mile division; the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) in the Turf; the Norfolk Stakes in the new Juvenile Turf Sprint; and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in the Turf Sprint. The Jaipur Invitational was also added as a qualifier for the Turf Sprint. The following races were removed from the series: the TJ Smith (Turf Sprint), the Smile Sprint (Sprint), the T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis (Filly & Mare Turf) and the Grosser Preis von Baden (Turf). On June 25, three more races were added to the challenge series as qualifiers for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. These were the Futurity at Belmont Park, the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland and a new race at Santa Anita, subsequently named the Speakeasy Stakes.

A record 221 pre-entries were taken on October 24. Twelve races, including the Classic, were over-subscribed, meaning more than 14 horses (12 in the Juvenile Turf Sprint) wished to enter. Forty-eight of the pre-entries were automatic qualifiers through the Challenge series.

The following automatic qualifiers also won their division of the Breeders' Cup:

* Sistercharlie automatically qualified by winning the Beverley D and went on to win the Filly & Mare Turf
* Accelerate, winner of the Classic, automatically qualified by winning both the Pacific Classic and Awesome Again
* Game Winner qualified by winning the FrontRunner, then won the Juvenile
* Roy H won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship before winning the Sprint
* Jaywalk won both the Frizette and Juvenile Fillies

## Automatic Qualifiers

The winners of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge races are shown below. The status column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the corresponding Breeders' Cup division and if so, if they won. The status column also shows a few horses that had been sidelined by injury or retired prior to the running of the Breeders' Cup.

| Month | Race | Track | Location | Division | Winner | BC Status |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| January | Paddock Stakes | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Oh Susanna (AUS) | not entered |
| January | Queen's Plate | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Mile | Legal Eagle (SAF) | not entered |
| February | February Stakes | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Classic | Nonkono Yume (JPN) | not entered |
| April | Doncaster Mile | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Mile | Happy Clapper | not entered |
| April | Legacy Stakes | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Alizee (AUS) | not entered |
| May | Gran Premio Criadores | Palermo | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Sinfonia Fantastica (ARG) | not entered |
| May | Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella | Santiago | Chile | Breeders' Cup Mile | Nuevo Maestro (CHI) | not entered |
| May | Gran Premio 25 de Mayo | San Isidro | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Turf | La Extrana Dama (ARG) | not entered |
| May | Shoemaker Mile | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Mile | Hunt (IRE) | ill |
| June | Yasuda Kinen | Tokyo | Japan | Breeders' Cup Mile | Mozu Ascot | not entered |
| June | Ogden Phipps Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Abel Tasman | pre-entered |
| June | Jaipur Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Disco Partner | pre-entered |
| June | Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Bee Jersey | retired due to injury |
| June | Grande Prêmio Brasil | Hipódromo da Gávea | Brazil | Breeders' Cup Turf | Quarteto De Cordas (BRZ) | pre-entered |
| June | Stephen Foster Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Classic | Pavel | pre-entered |
| June | Fleur de Lis Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Blue Prize (ARG) | pre-entered |
| June | Queen Anne Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Accidental Agent (GB) | not entered |
| June | Prince of Wales's Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Poet's Word (IRE) | injured |
| June | Norfolk Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Shang Shang Shang | pre-entered |
| June | Diamond Jubilee Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Merchant Navy (AUS) | not entered |
| June | Gran Premio Pamplona | Monterrico | Peru | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Smart Choice (ARG) | pre-entered |
| June | Takarazuka Kinen | Hanshin | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf | Mikki Rocket (JPN) | not entered |
| June | Highlander Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Long On Value | not entered |
| June | Princess Rooney Handicap | Gulfstream Park | Florida | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Stormy Embrace | pre-entered |
| July | Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Limousine Liberal | pre-entered |
| July | King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Poet's Word (IRE) | injured |
| July | Bing Crosby Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Ransom the Moon | not entered |
| July | Haskell Invitational | Monmouth | New Jersey | Breeders' Cup Classic | Good Magic | retired |
| July | Clement L. Hirsch Stakes | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Unique Bella | retired due to injury |
| August | Sussex Stakes | Goodwood | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Lightning Spear (GB) | pre-entered |
| August | Whitney Handicap | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Diversify | bypassed |
| August | Arlington Million | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Turf | Robert Bruce (CHI) | pre-entered |
| August | Beverly D. Stakes | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Sistercharlie (IRE) | won |
| August | Prix Jacques le Marois | Deauville | France | Breeders' Cup Mile | Alpha Centauri (IRE) | retired due to injury |
| August | Pacific Classic | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Accelerate | won |
| August | Del Mar Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Turf | Fashion Business (GB) | not entered |
| August | Juddmonte International | York | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Roaring Lion | pre-entered in Classi |
| August | Yorkshire Oaks | York | England | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Sea of Class (IRE) | not entered |
| August | Nunthorpe Stakes | York | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Alpha Delphini (GB) | not entered |
| August | Personal Ensign Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Abel Tasman | pre-entered |
| August | Ballerina Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Marley's Freedom | pre-entered |
| August | Forego Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Whitmore | pre-entered |
| August | Sword Dancer | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Glorious Empire (IRE) | pre-entered |
| August | Pat O'Brien Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Catalina Cruiser | pre-entered |
| September | Spinaway Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Sippican Harbor | pre-entered |
| September | Juvenile Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Madhmoon (IRE) | not entered |
| September | Matron Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Laurens (FR) | bypassed |
| September | Irish Champion Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Turf | Roaring Lion | pre-entered in Classic |
| September | Iroquois Stakes | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Cairo Cat | not entered |
| September | Pocahontas Stakes | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Serengeti Empress | pre-entered |
| September | Woodbine Mile | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Mile | Oscar Performance | pre-entered |
| September | Moyglare Stud Stakes | Curragh | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Skitter Scatter | not entered |
| September | Flying Five Stakes | Curragh | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Havana Grey (GB) | pre-entered |
| September | Natalma Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | La Pelosa (IRE) | pre-entered |
| September | Summer Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Fog of War | not entered |
| September | Rockfel Stakes | Newmarket | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Just Wonderful | pre-entered |
| September | Royal Lodge Stakes | Newmarket | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Mohawk (IRE) | not entered |
| September | Vosburgh Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Imperial Hint | pre-entered |
| September | Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Channel Maker | pre-entered |
| September | Jockey Club Gold Cup | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Discreet Lover | pre-entered |
| September | FrontRunner Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Game Winner | won |
| September | Chandelier Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Bellafina | pre-entered |
| September | Rodeo Drive Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Vasilika | not entered |
| September | Awesome Again Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Accelerate | won |
| September | Sprinters Stakes | Nakayama | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Fine Needle (JPN) | not entered |
| September | Zenyatta Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Vale Dori (ARG) | pre-entered |
| October | Phoenix Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Promises Fulfilled | pre-entered |
| October | Alcibiades Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Restless Rider | pre-entered |
| October | First Lady Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | A Raving Beauty (GER) | pre-entered |
| October | Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Golden Mischief | pre-entered |
| October | Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Mile | Next Shares | pre-entered |
| October | Breeders' Futurity Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Knicks Go | pre-entered |
| October | Champagne Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Complexity | pre-entered |
| October | Speakeasy Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | It's Gonna Hurt | pre-entered |
| October | Santa Anita Sprint Championship | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Roy H | won |
| October | Prix de l'Opéra | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Wild Illusion | pre-entered |
| October | Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Royal Marine | not entered |
| October | Prix Marcel Boussac | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Lily's Candle (FR) | pre-entered |
| October | Indian Summer Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Strike Silver | pre-entered |
| October | Bourbon Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Current | pre-entered |
| October | Spinster Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Blue Prize | pre-entered |
| October | Belmont Futurity | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint | Uncle Benny | pre-entered |
| October | Frizette Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Jaywalk | won |
| October | Flower Bowl | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Fourstar Crook | pre-entered |
| October | Jessamine Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Concrete Rose | pre-entered |
