2026.01.22 Oaklawn Apple Blossom Breeders Cup Challenge

APPLE BLOSSOM HANDICAP ADDED TO 2026 BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE SERIES

LEXINGTON, KY. & HOT SPRINGS, AR. (Feb. 22, 2026) – The $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) has joined the roster of prestigious North American races for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, Breeders’ Cup Limited and Oaklawn Park announced Thursday.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Offering an automatic berth into the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up will be the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge race in the Distaff division this year.

“The Apple Blossom Handicap has a long-standing reputation as one of the premier races for fillies and mares in North America,” said Dora Delgado, Chief Racing Officer for Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Its inclusion in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series underscores the race’s championship quality and strengthens the pathway to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. We are proud to welcome Oaklawn Park and the Apple Blossom into the ‘Win and You’re In’ program as part of our continued commitment to showcasing elite racing on the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for Oaklawn and for one of the most prestigious races in American racing,” said Louis A. Cella, President of Oaklawn. “The Apple Blossom Handicap has long been a championship-caliber event, and earning Breeders’ Cup ‘Win & You’re In’ status reflects the quality of our racing product and the elite horses that continue to compete here. This designation further solidifies Oaklawn’s place on the world stage as a premier destination for top-level Thoroughbred racing.”

First run in 1958, the Apple Blossom Handicap has been a cornerstone of Oaklawn’s racing program for nearly seven decades. The race achieved Grade 1 status in 1982 and has held that distinction continuously since 1992. Its roll of honor includes legendary champions such as Azeri, Zenyatta, and most recently Thorpedo Anna, underscoring the race’s reputation as a proving ground for the sport’s elite female runners.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the winner of the Apple Blossom Handicap (a $60,000 value). The nominator of the winning horse will receive a $10,000 award, provided the horse is nominated before the Challenge race. All Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners also receive travel benefits to the World Championships: $10,000 for starters based outside of Kentucky in North America and $40,000 for international starters based outside of North America. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 19, 2026, to receive the rewards.

ABOUT OAKLAWN PARK

Founded in 1904 and located in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, Oaklawn is one of the premier winter racing venues in North America. Renowned for its vibrant racing atmosphere, world-class gaming, destination sportsbook, Forbes® Four-Star full-service spa, Forbes® recommended luxury hotel, and Forbes® recommended fine dining, Oaklawn continues to expand its offerings as the top tourism destination in the state. http://www.oaklawn.com | 1-800-OAKLAWN.

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 partnerships with host countries around the globe, and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series.

The 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade 1 Championship races run during a two-day festival worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, will be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and the 2027 World Championships will be held Oct. 29-30 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports and FanDuel TV. Press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, BreedersCup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.
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MEDIA CONTACTS

Claire Crosby Breeders’ Cup 
847-613-5715 ccrosby@breederscup.com

Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing at Oaklawn

cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 4201