2008 Breeders' Cup

The 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 25th edition of the premier event of the North American Thoroughbred horse racing year. It took place on October 24 and 25 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Breeders' Cup is generally regarded as the end of the North America racing season, although a few Grade I events take place in later November and December. The 2008 Breeders' Cup results were influential in the Eclipse Award divisional championship voting.

The Friday racecard featured five Breeders' Cup races for fillies and mares, culminating in Zenyatta's win in the Ladies Classic. On Saturday, the European contingent won five races, capped by an upset by English-based Raven's Pass over heavy favorite Curlin in the Classic.

Santa Anita racetrack hosted the Breeders' Cup for the fourth time in 2008. It was the first time that the event had been held on a synthetic dirt surface instead of natural dirt, as Santa Anita had changed to a Pro Ride surface in 2007 in response to a state mandate aimed at increasing the safety of the sport for both horses and jockeys. The change was of concern to both horsemen and bettors as it was difficult to predict which horses would respond well to the new surface and which would struggle. However, the change was expected to increase interest from European trainers, many of whom had access to similar all weather tracks.

For the second year in a row, three races were added to the Breeders' Cup roster, bringing the total up to 14. In 2007, the Dirt Mile, Juvenile Turf and Filly & Mare Sprint had been added while in 2008, the Marathon, Juvenile Fillies Turf and Turf Sprint were added. The new races were intended to help fill out the Friday card and increase the range of options available to horsemen, particularly those from overseas. By rule, the new races could not be graded until their third renewal.

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