Breeders' Cup & NBC Sports Group Announce 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge Television Schedule
By: Tori Hartshorn Apr. 10, 2018
The Breeders' Cup and NBC Sports Group today announced the 2018 "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, presented by America's Best Racing" television schedule, consisting of 11 live programs featuring a star-studded lineup of more than 20 automatic qualifying races, and other major stakes, from seven of the nation's premier racetracks on the road to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Now in its fifth year on NBC and NBCSN, the series showcases the top horses as they vie for a coveted spot in the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on November 2-3, which will also be televised live by the NBC Sports Group.
The 2018 "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, presented by America's Best Racing" begins on Belmont STAKES Day, June 9, with the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), the Ogden Phipps (G1) and the Jaipur Invitational (G2) live from Belmont Park, and continues with live telecasts of American fixtures throughout the summer, including the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs, which is the first of five televised qualifying races for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Following the Foster, NBC and NBCSN will provide live coverage of the Haskell Invitational (G1) from Monmouth Park; the Arlington Million (G1) from Arlington International Racecourse; the Whitney (G1), the Travers STAKES (G1) and the Woodward (G1) from Saratoga Race Course; and the Awesome Again (G1) from Santa Anita Park. The televised series will conclude in October with the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) and Juddmonte Spinster (G1) from Keeneland Race Course. The 2017 Horse of the Year, Gun Runner, captured the Stephen Foster, Whitney and Woodward prior to winning the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
The complete Challenge Series television schedule can be viewed here.
New this year, Breeders' Cup is providing an "Add to Calendar" feature that allows fans to easily add the complete Breeders' Cup Challenge and Championships NBC Sports television schedule to their calendar. The calendar will automatically provide broadcast reminders including tune-in information and NBC and NBCSN channel numbers specific to fans' locations and cable providers. Fans can click here for more information and to add to their calendar now.
Breeders' Cup Challenge Series coverage on NBC and NBCSN will be live streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
"We are proud to work with NBC Sports to provide our fans with outstanding racing action and IN DEPTH analysis of the best Thoroughbreds competing for automatic berths into the World Championships," said Craig Fravel, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. "We also greatly appreciate the cooperation and support from the tracks hosting our Challenge races and the commitment from our presenting sponsor America's Best Racing."
"The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series gives our viewers the crucial opportunity to see the world's top horses throughout the summer before they meet at the Breeders' Cup World Championships in November," said Jon Miller, President of Programming, NBC Sports Group. "We're excited to once again bring the series to viewers nationwide."
As announced on Monday, April 9, four Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races from the Royal Ascot meeting in Great Britain on June 19-23 will also be televised live and streamed by NBC Sports Group.
Below is the 2018 "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In" schedule on NBC and NBCSN. Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races are listed in bold. (All Times Eastern)
The schedule is also available online here.
Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In"
2018 Schedule
All Times Eastern
*Denotes non-Challenge Race
Schedule Subject to Change
| Date | Time | Network | Event | Track | Challenge/Division |
| Sat., June 9 | 3-5 p.m. | NBCSN | Metropolitan Mile | Belmont Park | Las Vegas Dirt Mile |
| Sat., June 9 | 3-5 p.m. | NBCSN | Ogden Phipps H. | Belmont Park | Longines Distaff |
| Sat., June 9 | 3-5 p.m. | NBCSN | Jaipur S. | Belmont Park | Turf Sprint |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., June 16 | 8:30-10 p.m. | NBCSN | Stephen Foster | Churchill Downs | Classic |
| Sat., June 16 | 8:30-10 p.m. | NBCSN | Fleur De Lis | Churchill Downs | Longines Distaff |
| Sat., June 16 | 8:30-10 p.m. | NBCSN | Breeders' Cup Challenge at Churchill Downs | Churchill Downs | |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., July 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Belmont Oaks* | Belmont Park | F/M Turf |
| Sat., July 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Belmont Sprint Championship | Belmont Park | TwinSpires Sprint |
| Sat., July 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Suburban H.* | Belmont Park | Classic Division |
| *** | |||||
| Sun., July 29 | 5-6 p.m. | NBC | Betfair.com Haskell Invitational | Monmouth Park | Classic |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Aug. 4 | 5-6 p.m. | NBCSN | Whitney H. | Saratoga Racecourse | Classic |
| Sat., Aug. 4 | 5-6 p.m. | NBCSN | Test S.* | Saratoga Racecourse | F/M Sprint Division |
| Sat., Aug. 4 | 5-6 p.m. | NBCSN | Summer at Saratoga | Saratoga Racecourse | |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Aug. 11 | 6-7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | Arlington Million | Arlington Park | Longines Turf |
| Sat., Aug. 11 | 6-7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | Beverly D. | Arlington Park | F/M Turf |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Aug. 25 | 4-6 p.m. | NBC | Travers S.* | Saratoga Racecourse | Classic |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | 4-6 p.m. | NBC | Sword Dancer S. | Saratoga Racecourse | Longines Turf |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | 4-6 p.m. | NBC | TBD #WinandYoureIn Stakes | Saratoga Racecourse | TBD |
| Sat., Aug. 25 | 4-6 p.m. | NBC | Summer at Saratoga | Saratoga Racecourse | |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Sept. 1 | 5:30-7 p.m. | NBCSN | Woodward S.* | Saratoga Racecourse | Classic |
| Sat., Sept. 1 | 5:30-7 p.m. | NBCSN | Spinaway S. | Saratoga Racecourse | 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Filllies |
| Sat., Sept. 1 | 5:30-7 p.m. | NBCSN | Summer at Saratoga | Saratoga Racecourse | |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Sept. 29 | 7-9 p.m. | NBCSN | Super Saturday from Santa Anita | Santa Anita | TBD |
| Sat., Sept. 29 | 7-9 p.m. | NBCSN | Awesome Again | Santa Anita | Classic |
| *** | |||||
| Sat., Oct. 6 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Claiborne Breeders' Futurity | Keeneland Racecourse | Sentient Jet Juvenile |
| Sat., Oct. 6 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Shadwell Mile | Keeneland Racecourse | Mile |
| Sat., Oct. 6 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | TBD | Belmont Park | TBD |
| *** | |||||
| Sun., Oct. 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Dixiana Bourbon S. | Keeneland Racecourse | Juvenile Turf |
| Sun., Oct. 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | Juddmonte Spinster S. | Keeneland Racecourse | Longines Distaff |
| Sun., Oct. 7 | 4:30-6 p.m. | NBC | TBD Stakes | Keeneland Racecourse |
The complete 2018 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series schedule will be released on Wednesday, April 11.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS GROUP
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital, which includes NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, the digital assets of the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Rotoworld, the NBC Sports Talk franchise, multiple apps, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, NYRA, Breeders' Cup, Premier League, INDYCAR, Rugby World Cup, Six Nations Championship, Tour de France, French Open, and many more.
About Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup administers the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing's year-end Championships. The Breeders' Cup also administers the Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 races (13 Grade 1 events) with purses and awards totaling more than $30 million, will be held November 2-3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup website, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders' Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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