Category: Horses

One of the longest-running original races of the Breeders’ Cup Championship is the Breeder’s Cup Mile. it is a one-mile long Grade I grass course that is designed for thoroughbred racehorses aged three and up.

It’s a true test of a horse’s ability and class by drawing out the more stamina-oriented racehorses and emphasizing the true milers. Over the years, it has produced a winner almost as noticeable as the Classic victor.

The Mile has been part of the Breeders’ Cup World Championship since its inception in 1984 and continues to be one of the most beloved aspects of the whole championship. With plenty of well-known horses, trainers, and jockeys participating throughout its rich history — it’s no wonder why it’s so popular!

What Is The Breeders’ Cup Mile?

This is a one-mile (or 1.6 kilometers) race run on the turf that is designed for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. It first emerged in 1984 in North America. Since this time, the tradition has continued as part of the world championships. All of the events have been held in the US except during one event in 1996 which was held in Canada.

Types Of Bets To Place

If you are planning on making a wager in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, you must make sure that you fully understand all of the basics of making your bet. The first step? Familiarize yourself with the common types of betting that take place.

• Win: this is when you are predicting that your horse will come out victorious and finish victorious (first place).

• Place: you will be choosing a horse. If your chosen horse wins either first or second place then you will be eligible to receive your payout.

• Show: this is much like the place but with an added third place. You will pick a horse and if they place within the first to third ranks, you will receive a payout.

As a racing novice, placing a ‘win’ bet is highly recommended. This is because of the overall nature of this bet. It’s pretty simple, really, as all you need to do is select a horse that you believe has the potential to go on and win the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Can I Bet On More Than One Race?

Absolutely! There are many different races within the championship, including the following:

• Breeders’ Cup Turf

• Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf

• Breeders’ Cup Mile

• Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Before you take the steps to place your wager, you must understand the capabilities of the contenders. After all, you don’t want to bet blindly, that’s why you should look at the top picks first.

Notable Wins In Breeders’ Cup History

If you’re considering placing a bet on this race, make sure that you are on the lookout for the jockey who won more times than any other, Freddy Head. Yet one of the more important things you must think about with the Breeders’ Cup Mile is that there is no official stakes record because the racecourses change every year.

Tourist is currently the most notable name in Mile history with a Santa Anita course record finishing time of 1:31:71 (2016). He beat the 1:31:78 record that had previously been held by Wise Dan.

Yet these aren’t the only notable wins in Breeders’ Cup History. You also need to know the following statistics:

• Most Overall Wins: Goldikova dominated the Breeders’ Cup Mile from 2008 to 2010 and became the first-ever horse to achieve three consecutive renewals of a Breeders’ Cup race.

• Most Wins By A Trainer: awarded to Freddy Head – three consecutive wins in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

• Most Wins By A Jockey: awarded to Olivier Peslier – three wins in 2008, 2009, and 2010, – and John R. Velazquez (wins in 1998, 2012, and 2017).

• Most Wins By An Owner: Niarchos family or Flaxman Holdings – six wins (in 1987, 1988, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2014) and also Wertheimer et Frère in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Where To Watch The Breeders’ Cup Mile

You can purchase tickets on the official website to watch it live in Keeneland, United States. Or you can watch it on television if that best suits your circumstances. Like many other major races, this is streamed live on television (usually on NBC) so you don’t need to leave your own four walls to watch the horses that you love so much.

Purse

The purse was increased from $1.5 million to over $2 million in 2007. This meant that all of the hardworking people who are behind directly training the racers and the horses received a hefty compensation for their efforts. Fortunately, this increased prize fund is something that has remained ever since.

Summary

After reading this article, you’ll hopefully have more of an understanding of what the Breeders’ Cup Mile is and how it works. We understand there is a lot to learn but you don’t need to stress yourself out with all of the small details.

If you’re feeling a little daring, why not take a look at the odds and maybe even stake your own wagers? Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you gamble responsibly and don’t bet away large amounts of money for the sake of it.

Nowadays, Timeform is wholly-owned subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, the parent company of brands including Paddy Power and Betfair, to name but two. However, Timeform was founded in 1948 by professional gambler Phil Bull who, in his heyday, was a familiar figure on British racecourses.

Born in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire in 1910, Bull studied mathematics at Leeds University. Following graduation, in 1931, Bull developed a technique for evaluating horse racing form based on the statistical analysis of race times. In 1938, while still teaching mathematics in London, he began selling information to the general public, by mail order, under the ‘Temple Time Test’ banner. In fact, so successful was the service that Bull abandoned teaching to concentrate on betting for a living.

Following World War II, Bull briefly joined forces with Dick Whitford, who had invented a system by ratings, which went hand-in-hand with Bull’s time figures to create Timeform ratings. Together, they created Portway Press, the publishing company responsible for the first Timeform annual, ‘Racehorses of 1947’, which included an essay and numerical rating for every horse that ran on the Flat during the season. Bull and Whitford parted company in 1949, but Timeform continued, adding National Hunt racing to its repertoire with the publication of the first ‘Chasers & Hurdlers’ annual in 1975/76. Bull remained at the head of affairs until his death in 1989.

To avoid any confusion, the ‘King George’, in this case, refers to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which is run over a mile and a half at Ascot in July. Since 1980, a total of seven Derby winners have won the race in the same season as their success in the Epsom Classic; interestingly, since 2000, just two have done so.

In 1981, after winning the Derby by a record 10 lengths, Shergar, trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn, made short work of six rivals at Ascot, winning by 4 lengths at odds of 2/5. Reference Point, trained by Henry Cecil and ridden by Steve Cauthen, and Nashwan, trained by Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson, justified favouritism in both the Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, in 1987 and 1989, respectively.

In 1991, Generous, trained by Paul Cole and ridden by Alan Munro, won the Derby by 5 lengths and the King George by a record 7 lengths. In 1995, Lammtara, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, returned from a 302-day absence to win the Derby under Walter Swinburn, breaking the track record in the process, and followed up in the King George, under Frankie Dettori.

In 2001, Galileo, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Mick Kinane, beat a strong field, headed by 2,000 Guineas winner Golan, at Epsom and justified odds-on favouritism at Ascot. After a lengthy hiatus, in 2021, the Frankel colt Adayar, trained by Charlie Appleby, became the latest three-year-old to complete the Derby – King George double.

At the time of his death, at the age of 23, in July, 2021, Galileo had sired 91 individual Group 1 winners and been crowned leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland every year, bar one, since 2008. Bred and owned by John Magnier and his Coolmote associate Michael Tabor, won the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes during his three-year-old campaign, in 2001, and was named Cartier Champion Three-year-old Colt.

However, it was as a sire and, indeed, as a sire of sires – 20 of his progeny went on to sire Group 1 winners – that Galileo would make his name. Sired by Sadler’s Wells, from the family of Northern Dancer, out of Urban Sea, who won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1993, Galileo was described by John Magnier as ‘a very special horse’.

Of course, Galileo was the first Derby winner to be trained at Ballydoyle, Co. Tipperary since the days of Vincent O’Brien, but his progeny also included five Derby winners. They were, in chronological order, New Approach in 2008, Ruler Of The World in 2013, Australia in 2014, Anthony Van Dyck in 2019 and Serpentine in 2020. The crème de la crème of his offspring, though, was Frankel, unbeaten in 14 races, including ten at Group 1 level, and the highest rated horse of all time, according to World Thoroughbred Rankings.