As the year comes to a close, we welcome the final major event of the year in the Breeders’ Cup. With the Triple Crown events having been and gone, the whole world will be paying close attention to Santa Anita Park for a world-class weekend of racing.
With a prize pot exceeding $30 million, everything is up for grabs, not just for the owners, trainers, and jockeys but also for those in the stands, with a win in the Classic the big pot everyone’s after.
It’s a must-watch for every horse racing fan, so if you’re lining up an afternoon in front of the television, here’s all you need to know about Breeders’ Cup race day…
When is the Breeders’ Cup?
Getty ImagesThe Breeders’ Cup runs on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, with the big races of the weekend taking place on the second day. There are 14 races across the two days, with the Juveniles taking place on the first day and the big purse races following.
It starts at 5pm ET on Friday and runs until around 8pm. The next day, which is longer, starts at 1.30pm ET, and the final race finishes at around 8.15pm.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic, the big meet of the day, takes place at around 6.40pm ET.
The full schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Friday November 3, 2023:
- 5.00pm: Juvenile Turf Sprint
- 5.40pm: Juvenile Fillies
- 6.20pm: Juvenile Fillies Turf
- 7.00pm: Juvenile
- 7.40pm: Juvenile Turf
Saturday November 4, 2023:
- 2.30pm: Dirty Mile
- 3.10pm: Filly & Mare Turf
- 3.50pm: Filly & Mare Sprint
- 4.30pm: Mile
- 5.10pm: Distaff
- 5.50pm: Turf
- 6.40pm: Breeders’ Cup Classic
- 7.25pm: Turf Sprint
- 8.00pm: Sprint
Which channels have the rights to Breeders’ Cup horse racing?
Getty ImagesNBCUniversal currently has the broadcast rights to the Breeders’ Cup, with it being broadcast live across NBC and the USA Network. The latter has most of the coverage, with the Juvenile races on the Friday shown on the USA Network.
The coverage begins on the same network on Saturday, too, with NBC taking the reins at 3.30pm ET for the big races, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Following that race, coverage shifts to Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service.
You can watch all the action across the two days on Peacock too.
Best TV Packages to watch the 2023 Breeders’ Cup
Of course, there are many ways in which you can access the USA Network and NBC. There are some excellent packages on the market, with the three best for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup currently looking like…