2015 will mark the first time the Breeders' Cup will head to Keeneland Race Course according to a report from The Courier-Journal. In the report, they cite two sources that state the next three Breeders' Cup locations will be announced later this month.
The sources say the Breeders' Cup will go from Keeneland in 2015 to Santa Anita Park in 2016 and then head to Del Mar in 2017. Del Mar is located in San Diego, California, but has never held the Breeders' Cup in the past.
Both Keeneland and Del Mar have began implementing changes that are geared towards attracting the Breeders' Cup. Keeneland has begun replacing their Polytrack surface with dirt while Del Mar has widened their turf course in order to accommodate the maximum 14 horse fields that the Breeders' Cup allows.
Keeneland and Del Mar are both two of the most popular tracks in the United States. Keeneland typically runs two meets; a spring meet in April and a fall meet in October. Keeneland may have to change their fall meet dates in order to accommodate the Breeders' Cup schedule. Any dates in November are usually given to Churchill Downs, but the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will have the final say.
Keeneland Race Course is located in Lexington, Kentucky, which has been called the horse capital of the world in the past. There is the potential of the Breeders' Cup providing a boon to the local economy and help the sales at fall thoroughbred sales in the region.