Breeders' Cup: Arabian race to be featured on Nov. 1 card

The Friday card of the two-day Breeders’ Cup event Nov. 1-2 at Santa Anita will include a Breeders’ Cup-affiliated race for purebred Arabians, the organization announced Thursday in conjunction with the Emirates Equestrian Federation.

The race, to be called the President of the UAE Cup, is likely to be the first race on a Breeders’ Cup card for horses other than Thoroughbreds. The Friday card is expected to include five Breeders’ Cup races plus undercard races, including the race for Arabians, while the Saturday card will include nine Breeders’ Cup races, plus undercard events.

In a release, Breeders’ Cup said the Arabian race likely will be a component of future Breeders’ Cup events as part of a “long-term business partnership” between the organization and the Emirates Equestrian Federation, which is based in the United Arab Emirates and supervises equestrian activities in the country.

Some of the most prominent racehorse and stallion owners in the world are from countries in the Middle East. The Breeders’ Cup’s revenue depends in part on fees raised from stallion and racehorse owners, and it has focused its efforts over the past five years on increasing international participation in the event.