The Breeders' Cup® is the Olympics of the thoroughbred racing sphere.
Every Fall, horses from around the globe converge on one common location to compete for the right to be crowned World Champion.
Through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win & You're In, horses from different parts of the world are given a chance to qualify for the Breeders' Cup and be put up against top competition while also representing their home nation.
In anticipation of the 2020 Breeders' Cup, we're breaking down every Breeders' Cup winner by the country (where they were bred) to see which nations have come out on top the most times at the World Championships of Thoroughbred racing.
Country/Nationality
|
Winners
|
Starters
|
Winning Percentage
|
Classic Wins
|
United States
|
272
|
3164
|
8.6%
|
33
|
Ireland
|
32
|
336
|
9.5%
|
1
|
Great Britain
|
22
|
238
|
9.2%
|
0
|
France
|
7
|
79
|
8.9%
|
0
|
Canada
|
6
|
121
|
5.0%
|
1
|
Argentina
|
6
|
29
|
20.9%
|
1
|
Japan
|
1
|
11
|
9.1%
|
0
|
Germany
|
1
|
12
|
8.3%
|
0
|
Stats to Know
- Every Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner except for one has come from the United States
- Three of Canada's six Breeders' Cup wins have come in the Filly & Mare Sprint
- Great Britain is the home to the most Filly & Mare Turf winners with nine
- Three of France's seven Breeders' Cup wins have come in the Mile
- 14 of Ireland's 32 Breeders' Cup wins have come on the Turf, which is the same number of victories as the United States
Winningest Trainers by Nationality
- United States: D. Wayne Lukas — 20 Breeders' Cup Wins
- Ireland: Aidan O'Brien — 12 Breeders' Cup Wins
- Great Britain: Michael Stout — 8 Breeders' Cup Wins
Want to Attend the World Championships?
Be there as the best horses in the world compete at Keeneland for the 2020 Breeders' Cup. Breeders' Cup Experiences has new Official Ticket Package offerings for this year's event, offering a race ticket, hospitality, exclusive extras and more.
View 2020 Breeders' Cup Packages