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A touch of 007 at the races: Breeders’ Cup signs luxury automaker Aston Martin as sponsor

The Breeders’ Cup has signed a multiyear agreement with British automaker Aston Martin, making it the official sports car of its annual world championships.

Historically, “We don’t advertise, consistent with the nature of the luxury brand,” said Matt Clarke, Aston Martin general manager of marketing and public relations.

But the car company, founded in London in 1913, has embarked on a new business plan under new CEO Charles Palmer, which includes a few targeted sponsorships to high-end consumers who can afford to buy the cars.

“The thing that brings us to the Breeders’ Cup is the relevance of the audience that we are talking to, the spectators, the competition on the track, but also the thoroughbred owners,” Clarke said. “We consider our car to be a thoroughbred sports car.”

The Breeders’ Cup is the second sports sponsorship for Aston Martin, which agreed to its first earlier this year with Formula One team Red Bull Racing.

Financial terms and the length of the deal were not disclosed.

Aston Martin produces only 4,000 cars a year and in its 103-year history has manufactured about 90,000. “It’s a very intriguing brand, Aston Martin,” Clarke said. “I’ve never been in a car where everybody wants to talk to you about it so much.”

Aston Martins have long had a place in pop culture as a car favored by movie superspy James Bond. “Our cars start at $125,000 and we can always make them more expensive,” Clarke said, adding that the average cost is $200,000.

The deal marks the Breeders’ Cup’s first car sponsorship deal in about a decade and represents its new strategy to align with high-end, global companies.

“This, for us, is just a magnificent partnership of brands,” said Bryan Pettigrew, Breeders’ Cup senior vice president, marketing and sponsorship. “Over the last three to four years we have been focusing more on international brands, luxury brands, that align with our goals and they fit perfectly with what we are trying to accomplish. There are so many correlations between us — horse racing, horsepower, speed, elegance and style.”

Dodge’s Ram truck was a sponsor from 2003 though 2007, and at one time was the title sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the $6 million race that closes the two-day, 13-race event. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be Nov. 4 and 5 at Santa Anita Park in the Los Angeles area.

Aston Martin will not sponsor a race at this time, Pettigrew said. The Breeders’ Cup and Aston Martin officials were completing details of the agreement last week.

Aston Martin will be the title sponsor for the Breeders’ Cup Enclosure, the exclusive VIP area for owners of horses running in the 13 races, and the carmaker will receive signage in the Santa Anita Park paddock and walking ring.

Aston Martin cars will be on display at the racetrack. Selected guests will be ferried in Aston Martins from the historic Langham Huntington hotel in Pasadena, the event’s official hotel to Santa Anita Park a few miles away.

The Breeders’ Cup has talked to multiple automakers over the last several years and had discussions with Aston Martin for 18 months leading up to signing the agreement, Pettigrew said. The Breeders’ Cup also counts Longines, Sentient Jet, John Deere, E-Trade, Twin Spires and Tito’s Handmade Vodka as sponsors.

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