Contenders
Contenders for the Breeders' Cup are first chosen through guaranteed starts from wins in a Breeders' Cup Challenge race.
Those hopefuls who have not had the fortune of winning such secured starts will obtain opportunities for entry by a points system based from major race performances throughout the year. These point factors include graded race quality and how much money is won in purses. A panel will then examine entries and prune, in ranking order, noting race preferences for each possible Breeders' Cup contender.
Pre-entries are typically released by Friday the week preceeding Breeders' Cup race week. The pre-entries will then be further truncated as the official Breeders' Cup draw occurrs, traditionally on Tuesday of Breeders' Cup race week. Often there will be several also elligables (AE) allowed. The panel has the power to decide which horse has preference to enter a race should a tie exist.
Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Schedule
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series features 81 Win and You’re In (TM) races that provide the winners automatic berths into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
| DATE | RACE | TRACK | DIVISION |
| 12/14/19 | Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini Stakes | SIS | Turf |
| 1/11/20 | Cartier Paddock Stakes | KEN | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 1/11/20 | L'Ormarins Queen's Plate | KEN | Mile |
| 2/23/20 | February Stakes | TOK | Classic |
| 5/17/20 | Victoria Mile | TOK | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 5/25/20 | Shoemaker Mile | SA | Mile |
| June | |||
| 6/6/20 | Runhappy Carter H. | Bel | Sprint |
| 6/7/20 | Yasuda Kinen | TOK | Mile |
| 6/13/20 | Ogden Phipps | Bel | Distaff |
| 6/16/20 | Queen Anne Stakes | ASC | Mile |
| 6/17/20 | Prince of Wales's Stakes | ASC | Turf |
| 6/19/20 | Norfolk Stakes | ASC | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| 6/20/20 | Diamond Jubilee Stakes | ASC | Turf Sprint |
| 6/20/20 | Jaipur "Presented by America's Best Racing" | Bel | Turf Sprint |
| 6/27/20 | Fleur de Lis Stakes | CD | Distaff |
| 6/27/20 | Stephen Foster Stakes | CD | Classic |
| 6/28/20 | Takarazuka Kinen | HSN | Turf |
| July | |||
| 7/4/20 | The Runhappy Metropolitan | Bel | Dirt Mile |
| 7/18/20 | TVG.com Haskell Stakes | Mth | Classic |
| 7/25/20 | King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes | ASC | Turf |
| 7/29/20 | Qatar Sussex Stakes | GOO | Mile |
| October | |||
| 8/1/20 | Bing Crosby Stakes | Dmr | Sprint |
| 8/1/20 | The Personal Ensign | Sar | Distaff |
| 8/1/20 | The Whitney | Sar | Classic |
| 8/2/20 | Clement L. Hirsch Stakes | Dmr | Distaff |
| 8/8/20 | The Ballerina | Sar | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| 8/15/20 | The Alabama | Sar | Distaff |
| 8/16/20 | Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois | Dea | Mile |
| 8/19/20 | Juddmonte International Stakes | YOR | Classic |
| 8/20/20 | Darley Yorkshire Oaks | YOR | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 8/21/20 | Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes | YOR | Turf Sprint |
| 8/22/20 | Del Mar Handicap Presented By The Japan Racing Association | Dmr | Turf |
| 8/22/20 | TVG Pacific Classic | Dmr | Classic |
| 8/22/20 | The Fourstardave | Sar | Mile |
| 8/23/20 | Darley Prix Morny | Dea | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| 8/29/20 | Pat O'Brien Stakes | Dmr | Dirt Mile |
| 8/29/20 | The Sword Dancer | Sar | Turf |
| September | |||
| 9/3/20 | Pocahontas | CD | Juvenile Fillies |
| 9/5/20 | Iroquois presented by Ford | CD | Juvenile |
| 9/12/20 | Runhappy Turf Sprint | KD | Turf Sprint |
| 9/12/20 | Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes | LEO | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 9/12/20 | Irish Champion Stakes | LEO | Turf |
| 9/12/20 | KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes | LEO | Juvenile Turf |
| 9/13/20 | Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes | CUR | Turf Sprint |
| 9/13/20 | Moyglare Stud Stakes | CUR | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 9/19/20 | Ricoh Woodbine Mile | WO | Mile |
| 9/20/20 | Natalma Stakes | WO | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 9/20/20 | Summer Stakes | WO | Juvenile Turf |
| 9/25/20 | Shadwell Rockfel Stakes | NEW | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 9/26/20 | The Vosburgh | Bel | Sprint |
| 9/26/20 | Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes | NEW | Juvenile Turf |
| 9/26/20 | American Pharoah Stakes | SA | Juvenile |
| 9/26/20 | Awesome Again Stakes | SA | Classic |
| 9/26/20 | Chandelier Stakes | SA | Juvenile Fillies |
| 9/26/20 | Rodeo Drive Stakes | SA | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 9/26/20 | Speakeasy Stakes | SA | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| 9/27/20 | Grande Premio Brasil | GVA | Turf |
| 9/27/20 | Santa Anita Sprint Championship | SA | Sprint |
| 9/27/20 | Zenyatta Stakes | SA | Distaff |
| October | |||
| 10/2/20 | Darley Alcibiades | Kee | Juvenile Fillies |
| 10/2/20 | Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix | Kee | Sprint |
| 10/3/20 | Belmont Derby | Bel | Turf |
| 10/3/20 | Claiborne Breeders' Futurity | Kee | Juvenile |
| 10/3/20 | First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare | Kee | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 10/3/20 | Shadwell Turf Mile | Kee | Mile |
| 10/3/20 | Thoroughbred Club of America | Kee | Filly & Mare Sprint |
| 10/3/20 | Preakness Stakes | Pim | Classic |
| 10/4/20 | Bourbon | Kee | Juvenile Turf |
| 10/4/20 | Indian Summer | Kee | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
| 10/4/20 | Juddmonte Spinster | Kee | Distaff |
| 10/4/20 | Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines | Lch | Turf Sprint |
| 10/4/20 | Prix de l'Opera Longines | Lch | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 10/4/20 | Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | Lch | Turf |
| 10/4/20 | Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere | Lch | Juvenile Turf |
| 10/4/20 | Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac | Lch | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 10/7/20 | JPMorgan Cha dse Jessamine | Kee | Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 10/10/20 | Jockey Club Gold Cup | Bel | Classic |
| 10/10/20 | The Champagne | Bel | Juvenile |
| 10/10/20 | The Flower Bowl | Bel | Filly & Mare Turf |
| 10/10/20 | The Frizette | Bel | Juvenile Fillies |
| 10/11/20 | The Futurity | Bel | Juvenile Turf Sprint |
Please visit Breederscup.com for a full list of races and contenders.