Santa Anita gets 2009 Breeders' Cup

Santa Anita, the site of the 2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships on Oct. 24-25, will be the host track for the championships again in 2009, the Breeders' Cup announced Thursday.

This will be the first time since its inception in 1984 that the season-ending championship races will be held at the same track for two consecutive years. The 2009 championships will be on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7.

"We are excited about the prospect for consecutive years in America's second largest media market," Bill Farish, chairman of Breeders' Cup Ltd., said in a statement.

In the statement, Breeders' Cup officials said the decision to hold the Cup at Santa Anita in 2009 did not signal a permanent change in the selection process. Future sites will be evaluated on a year-by-year basis.

We will pursue discussions for the 2010 Breeders Cup and years beyond with Churchill Downs, Del Mar, and the New York Racing Association, among others, Greg Avioli, president and chief executive officer of Breeders Cup Ltd., said in the statement.