Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse is again a Breeders' Cup Challenge Race

Winner gains Automatic Entry into Breeders' Cup Turf (G1)

LEXINGTON, Ky., and TOKYO (March 22, March 23, 2012) – The Breeders' Cup and the Japan Racing Association today announced that the Takarazuka Kinen, a Group 1 stakes race run on June 24 at Hanshin Racecourse, will again be a part of the international Breeders' Cup Challenge, a global series of stakes races whose winners earn automatic starting positions into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year's Breeders' Cup will be held Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

The winner of the 53nd running of The Takarazuka Kinen, which will be run at 1 3/8 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and up, will automatically qualify for a berth in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), which will be run at 1 ½ miles on the turf.The Breeders' Cup World Championships consists of 15 races conducted over two days with total purses of more than $25 million.

As part of the enhanced benefits program, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees of US$90,000 and a stable supplement of US$20,000 to the winner of the Takarazuka Kinen to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf.The Takarazuka Kinen winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 22 to receive the rewards.

The 2102 Breeders' Cup Challenge series, now in its sixth year, consists of 73 stakes races, which will be held at many of the world's premier racetracks in the US, Canada, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, England, Ireland South Africa, as well as in Japan. There will be 21 races held outside of North America, 19 of which are Group 1 events. This year's series began in South Africa with the 4-year-old Gimmethegreenlight qualifying for the Breeders' Cup Mile by winning the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town.

A complete Breeders' Cup Challenge schedule appears at the following link: http://members.breederscup.com/challenge/information.aspx

"We are very pleased to again to partner with the Japan Racing Associationand havingthe Takarazuka Kinen, one the world's greatest turf races, be a part of the 2012 Breeders' Cup Challenge series," said Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Ltd. "In addition to providing horsemen with the opportunity to gain automatic starting positions in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Breeders' Cup Challenge creates increased international awareness for the world's great horse races and for the outstanding horses that will be competing in the Championships."

"We are alsovery pleased that the Takarazuka Kinen is again a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series this year and we are delighted to join with so many other outstanding races from around the world in the program," said Dr. Kenji Tsuchikawa, President and CEO of the Japan Racing Association.  "We are most appreciative of the support extended by the Breeders' Cup Limited for the tsunami disaster relief last year and with all the assistance extended from all over the world, our nation is working for recovery, and in this difficult situation, I would be very excited and encouraged if this year's winner participated in the Breeders' Cup Turf.  It is my earnest wish that this collaboration between Breeders' Cup Limited and the JRA will not only enhance racing in the United States and Japan, but further promotes global racing."

In addition to the free entry fees and travel allowance for Challenge winners, Breeders' Cup is also offering a new early nomination deadline for the existing Horses of Racing Age. The program is available anywhere in the world to owners of any previously non-nominated horses sired by a stallion nominated during the conception year. This year, 2-year-olds by a nominated Breeders' Cup stallion can join the program for US$12,000; Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds and older for US$50,000 and Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds and older for US$25,000. Following the July 15 deadline, the price for runners by nominated stallions increases to US$100,000 up until the time of October 22, the pre-entry deadline for the Breeders' Cup World Championships races.

Listed below are the Breeders' Cup Challenge races to be run outside of North America (with corresponding qualifying Breeders' Cup race in parenthesis) are:

South Africa – L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) (Mile) run on January 7 at Kenilworth Race Course – Won by Gimmethegreenlight

Australia - TJ Smith Stakes (G1) (Turf Sprint) on April 14 and the Doncaster Mile (G1) (Mile) on April 21, both at Royal Randwick;

Argentina – Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (G1) at San Isidro and the Clasico Belgrano (G2) (Marathon) on June 18 at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo S.A;

Ireland – Stobart Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) (Filly & Mare Turf) on July 1 at The Curragh; Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes (G1) (Turf) at Leopardstown on Sept. 1; Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) on Sept. 9 at The Curragh and the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (G2) (Mile);

France - Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) (Turf) on June 24 from Saint-Cloud;   Prix Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (G1) on Aug. 12 at Deauville, and three races on Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe day from Longchamp on Oct. 7: Prix de la Foret (G1) (Mile); Qatar Petroleum Prix de L'Opera (Filly & Mare Turf)and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) (Juvenile Turf).

Japan - Takarazuka Kinen (G1) (Turf) from Hanshin Race Course on June 24.

Germany – Longines Grosser Preis Von Baden (G1) at Baden-Baden on Sept. 2.

*New races in bold

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 2012 Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 15 races and purses totaling more than $25 million will be held Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Network. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders' Cup on social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.