British television horse racing commentator Nick Luck, who also has worked on American television broadcasts of the Breeders’ Cup, appeared on Friday morning’s At the Races with Steve Byk and spoke of European horses possibly coming overseas for “a Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in 2015.” Byk replied in the affirmative and added that they could be at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in San Diego for 2016.
The Breeders’ Cup board met this week. That much is known. Breeders’ Cup isn’t commenting on any decisions made there. The announcement of Santa Anita Park for this year’s Breeders’ Cup was a year ago, so the timing of a site decision would fit.
Keeneland has been the odds-on favorite to get the 2015 fall thoroughbred championships for some time. Recently, The Paulick Report quoted Breeders’ Cup board member Barry Weisbord, the publisher of Thoroughbred Daily News, saying he preferred staying at Santa Anita and that neither Lexington nor Louisville — home of Churchill Downs, which hasn’t hosted since 2011 — can match the elegance that can be offered in the Los Angeles area where Santa Anita is.
Keeneland officials previously have confirmed their bid to host the 2015 Breeders’ Cup. As recently as Kentucky Derby week, Keeneland vice president Vince Gabbert described himself as “very optimistic.”
Gabbert said in April that his confidence in landing racing’s two-day world championships was in part a product of “the marriage of values” of two like-minded institutions. Breeders’ Cup Chairman Bill Farish is the son of Will Farish, who is one of three Keeneland trustees that have more power in in the corporation.
A 2015 decision for Keeneland or Santa Anita would mark another occasion of the Breeders’ Cup choosing a track other than the one where its had its biggest crowds and wagering – Churchill.
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