Breeders Cup returns to Santa Anita Park in 2023

The Breeders Cup is racing back to Santa Anita Park next year, organizers announced Thursday.

When the annual horse racing championship returns to Arcadia on Nov. 3-4, 2023, it will be Santa Anita's 11th time hosting the prestigious event. The event will include 14 Grade 1 races, and organizers estimate purses and award will total more than $1 million.

"Santa Anita Park is an integral part of Breeders Cup history and is the perfect venue for our landmark 40th running," Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup president and CEO, said in a statement.

The last time the Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita Park was in 2019. Last year, it took place at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in San Diego County. This year, it will be at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

"Santa Anita's outstanding reputation and scenic venue provide us with the ideal setting to continue to grow our audience by combining the best that racing, hospitality, and entertainment have to offer," Fleming said.

Horse owners and winning jockeys won't be the only ones to benefit from the Breeders' Cup returning to Arcadia – organizers say a 2017 study found the event will have a nearly $100 million impact on the regional economy, attracting fans from around the world.