42nd Running of World Championships to be held for fourth time in Del Mar, California.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 8, 2023) – The Breeders’ Cup, one of Thoroughbred horse racing’s most prestigious international events, today announced that Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will host the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego County, Del Mar – “Where the turf meets the surf” – is set to serve as a Breeders’ Cup host site for a fourth time after also hosting in 2017, 2021, and having been announced previously as the host in 2024. Consisting of 14 Grade 1 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million, the 42nd World Championships are scheduled to be held on Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.
“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. “We look forward to once again gathering where the turf meets the surf as the world’s best Thoroughbreds put on an incredible show.”
Known for its scenic location and prestigious race meetings, Del Mar undertook an extensive expansion of its luxury seating options for its first Breeders’ Cup in 2017. The Breeders’ Cup’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 San Diego County.
The 2021 edition, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, set a wagering record for the World Championships while permitting fans to return in limited numbers with appropriate health measures in place. The 2024 running is scheduled to take place at the seaside oval Nov. 1-2.
“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,” said Joe Harper, CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “The Breeders’ Cup represents the pinnacle in world-class racing and the organization’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.”
Fans are encouraged to visit www.breederscup.com/2025 to sign up for ticket information.
ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races through an 80-race series hosted by 11 countries, and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series. The Breeders’ Cup supports and operates under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), which, for the first time, establishes a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack. HISA seeks to enhance the safety of both horse and rider and to protect the integrity of the sport to the benefit of all racing participants, fans, and bettors.
The 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Grade 1 Championship races, and $31 million in purses and awards, are scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar in Del Mar, California. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports. Press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, BreedersCup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.
ABOUT DEL MAR Opened in 1937, San Diego’s iconic — and the nation’s only — seaside racetrack features the world’s top racehorses, trainers and jockeys, as well as the best in fashion and classic California culture "where the turf meets the surf.” What began as a Hollywood hotspot in the era of the racetrack’s founder, Bing Crosby, is now one of America's foremost racetracks and a premier Southern California destination, as well as a national leader in racetrack safety.
Media Contacts: Claire Crosby, Breeders' Cup, 847-613-5715. ccrosby@breederscup.com
Jim Gluckson, Breeders’ Cup, 646-335-6835, jim@breederscup.com
Mac McBride, Del Mar, 858-792-4269, mac@dmtc.com