Breeders' Cup 2023 World Championships Return to Santa Anita Park

The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships were held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on November 3–4, 2023. The two-day meeting featured 14 Grade 1 championship races across multiple distances and surfaces, drawing top-class horses from the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

The 2023 Breeders' Cup was the third time Santa Anita Park had hosted the event, following previous editions in 1986 and 2016. Total purse money across the 14 championship races exceeded $31 million, with the Breeders' Cup Classic — the signature 1¼-mile dirt race — carrying a $6 million purse.

The international dimension of the 2023 meeting was significant. European stables — particularly those from Ireland and France — sent multiple representatives across the turf divisions, while Japan's ongoing expansion into Breeders' Cup competition continued. The Breeders' Cup Turf and Breeders' Cup Mile typically attract the strongest international fields.

Betting handle for the 2023 Breeders' Cup exceeded $100 million across all wagering pools, consistent with the event's standing as the second-highest single-event betting occasion in US racing after the Kentucky Derby. The two-day format allows more casual players to spread their wagering activity across multiple days, while the presence of major carryover pools in multi-leg wagers such as the Pick 6 draws additional participation from exotic bettors.

Santa Anita Park's proximity to Los Angeles gave the 2023 meeting access to the Southern California market's large and diverse horse racing audience, and the facility's infield attracted strong in-person attendance for both days.