Breeders' Cup Coming in Del Mar in 2025
The Breeders’ Cup will make its way back to Del Mar not only next year, but also in 2025, officials have announced.
One of thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious international events, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be hosted by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club over two days beginning on Oct. 31, 2025.
Next year’s races already had been set for Del Mar beginning Nov. 1, 2024. The last cup was run last weekend in Santa Anita; it was also the last track to host consecutive Breeders’ Cups, from 2012-14.
The engagements will mark the third and fourth times that Del Mar has hosted the Breeders’ Cup. Del Mar last was chosen for the event in 2021.
The Breeders’ Cup consists of 14 Grade 1 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million.
“Our return to Del Mar in back-to-back years marks the continuation of a wonderful collaboration and successful partnership, both with our friends at the track and with the greater San Diego area, demonstrating our continued commitment to California horse racing,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited.
Del Mar undertook an extensive expansion of its luxury seating options for its first Breeders’ Cup in 2017. The event’s debut at Del Mar resulted in a record-breaking, two-day on-track wagering mark, while also generating an estimated $96.8 million in economic benefits for the region. The 2021 edition, during the pandemic, also set a wagering record for the championships.
Joe Harper, CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, said the Breeders’ Cup’s “willingness to return here again is a testament to the quality of our racing facilities, our idyllic weather, and the warm hospitality shown to our visitors by the local community.”
“We couldn’t be more excited about hosting back-to-back Breeders’ Cup World Championships and welcoming the very best in international racing back to the town of Del Mar and the greater San Diego area,” he added.
