The biggest flat meeting of the season in the United States takes place annually at the start of November. There is no more prestigious event on the American schedule than the Breeders’ Cup, with competitors from across the world traveling to the track to compete for lucrative purses in Grade One events.

However, before lining up at the Breeders’ Cup, horses must first successfully book their spot in the Breeders' Cup qualifying races that they wish to compete in.

The quickest way to secure a berth is by winning one of the races on the Challenge Series. Below, you can find out more about some of the important qualifying races.

Pacific Classic

There are few more prestigious events on the dirt in the United States during the summer than the Pacific Classic. It will likely be a pivotal form line worth following once again for the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year, with the 2024 edition taking place at Del Mar.

Horses aged three and older are eligible to compete over the 1 ¼ mile distance, with legendary winners including Best Pal, and Lava Man. It has been an important qualifying race in recent history, with a number of winners of the Pacific going on to compete in the Classic.

Among those included was 2022 Victor Flightline, who landed the double for trainer John Sadler. Accelerate also completed the double in 2018. Mixto was a shock winner of the Pacific this year, and the Doug O’Neill-trained runner could be an outside contender to complete the double this year.

Ballerina Handicap

Saratoga hosts a number of prestigious Grade Ones throughout the summer, but few have achieved greater Breeders’ Cup success in recent memory than the Ballerina Handicap. This race is for fillies and mares aged three and older, with the winner securing their berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint.

The first notable winner of the Ballerina to achieve Breeders’ Cup success was Lady Secret, who would land success in the Distaff after winning the Saratoga race.

Gamine landed victory in the 2021 Ballerina before winning the Filly & Mare Sprint, while Goodnight Olive won the Ballerina in 2022 before winning the Breeders’ Cup race in successive years in 2022 and 2023. This year’s winner of the Ballerina was Society for Steven Asmussen, and the five-year-old will have obvious claims in the Filly & Mare Sprint in November.

Juddmonte International Stakes

Justify and his connections in the winners circle after the 2018 Preakness

The Challenge Series races aren’t just limited for tracks in the United States, as there are a great number of races taking place across the world. A notable qualifying race to be held in the United Kingdom comes in the form of the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes.

This race is competed at the four-day York Ebor Festival, and it is the richest race of the season at the track. Horses aged three and older compete over the mile and two furlong distance in the Group One, with a qualifying spot in the Classic awarded to the victor.

However, recent winners of the race have sidestepped that race in order to take up other engagements, including Frankel in 2012, who would land the Champion Stakes, and Mishriff in 2021, who instead opted for a return to the Middle East to compete in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

But, this year’s winner appears to be a solid Classic contender, as Aidan O’Brien’s City of Troy will take his chance on the dirt to attempt to emulate his sire Justify’s excellent record on the other surface. The three-year-old will be bidding to make history after previously landing success in the G1 Epsom Derby earlier in the season.

Irish Champion Stakes

The Irish Champion Stakes has always been won by horses of a high standard, and that has often resulted in a leading Breeders’ Cup Turf contender coming from out of the pack. The race is contested over a mile and two furlongs, with horses aged three and older set to compete on the turf. It has been officially included on the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series since 2009, and winners of the Irish Champion Stakes have often gone on to compete in either the British Champions Stakes or at the Breeders’ Cup.

The double at the Breeders’ Cup Turf has been achieved by five former winners, including Fantastic Light and High Chaparral. Auguste Rodin became the latest winner of the Irish Champion Stakes to follow-up in the United States, and the O’Brien runner will be among the front-runners to achieve the same feat once again in 2024.

However, the Irish star will face interesting competition at the top of the betting at Leopardstown this year, with the progressive Economics for William Haggas likely to take his chance at the highest level. But, as history suggests, the Irish Champion Stakes will be integral in breaking down the picture with the Breeders’ Cup Turf in mind.