The Breeders' Cup "will return" to Santa Anita Park in '19 for a "record 10th time," according to Stephen Ramirez of the SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE. Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., "will host the event" in '20 and the Del Mar racetrack near San Diego will host in '21. Santa Anita is the "only venue to host for three consecutive years ('12-14) and set a two-day attendance record of 118,484 when it last hosted the Breeders' Cup" in '16. Santa Anita finished a $40M renovation in '16, and the track "has a plan" to put another $12-15M worth of "improvements in the facility." Those upgrades "did not go unnoticed" in determining the host venues (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, 8/18). DAILY RACING FORM's Matt Hegarty noted the announcement of the three-year Breeders' Cup rotation was "strikingly similar" to the organization's designation in '14 of the same three tracks as hosts from '15-17, though in a "different order." The selection of all three tracks had been "widely telegraphed by officials in the racing industry for several weeks" (DRF.com, 8/17).
TRIED AND TRUE: Breeders' Cup President & CEO Craig Fravel said of returning the event to some of the sport's most popular venues, "At the time of year that we race, we are in competition with holidays and college football. I think the challenges are expanding our brand recognition to a wider audience." Fravel said that the decision to return to Keeneland and Del Mar "reflects the brand's strategy to bring the event to smaller, intimate venues, while also capping attendance to enhance the fan experience." The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jim Chairusmi noted Keeneland "set a record for the two-day event" with ticket sales revenue of $17.2M in '15. Del Mar, which hosted the event for the "first time last year, recorded an all-time high" with $25.2M "wagered on-track." Fravel: "Those were such extraordinarily successful events that they both deserved another shot" (WSJ.com, 8/17).
PROVING DOUBTERS WRONG: Keeneland President & CEO Bill Thomason said of his confidence that the venue would host the Breeders' Cup again, "I knew we were going to get it." He said that sponsors in '15 who had "taken a pass on the first go-around expressed regret at missing out and vowed not to make the same mistake twice." Thomason: "They said, 'I had no idea what this was, had no idea what was getting ready to happen. I missed it. My fault, please get me on the list.' That's when I knew we could do it again" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 8/19).
