The Jockey Club in the United Kingdom and 1/ST agreed to create links between historic races in the UK and high-profile, valuable turf contests at 1/ST courses in North America. The aim is to build the international profile of all races in the partnership by increasing the number of runners traveling from the U.S. to the UK and vice-versa.
The partnership will see the winners of two valuable contests in North America this spring gain automatic entries for two of The Jockey Club’s Group 1 summer highlights, the Coral-Eclipse and the July Cup.
In addition, the winners of the Coral-Eclipse and July Cup will gain an automatic entry and a travel incentive for two prestigious contests in North America in the autumn.
Here is the full race schedule
Turf division
The winner of Santa Anita’s Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2) on May 4 will receive an automatic entry and a travel incentive to run in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown Park on July 6.
The winner of the Coral-Eclipse will receive an automatic entry and a travel incentive to run in the California Crown John Henry Turf (G2) on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.
Turf-sprint division
The winner of Pimlico’s Jim McKay Stakes (listed) on May 18 will receive an automatic entry and a travel incentive to run in the July Cup (G1) at Newmarket on July 13.
The winner of the July Cup Stakes will receive an automatic entry and a travel incentive to run in the California Crown Eddie D Turf Sprint (G2) on Sept. 28.
“A special thank you to our friends at The Jockey Club on launching this innovative partnership,” 1/ST president Aidan Butler said. :We look forward to welcoming in competitors to the inaugural California Crown at Santa Anita Park this autumn.
“This partnership with The Jockey Club is part of our wider global strategy for improving international interest and top-class participation in the world’s biggest races, as evidenced by a similar alliance we have with Royal Ascot, via our Royal Palm juvenile series at Gulfstream Park, which delivered Crimson Advocate, the winner of the prestigious Queen Mary Stakes, in its inaugural year.”
Matt Woolston, The Jockey Club’s assistant racing and international director, said, “We are delighted to announce this great new initiative today and I would like to thank everyone at 1/ST for helping to make it happen.
“By pairing two of the UK’s most famous and prestigious Group One contests in the summer with a quartet of valuable North American turf contests in the spring and autumn, we feel we have the perfect race schedule for transatlantic runners.
“In addition, British and other European trainers now have the chance of an incentivized trip to North America in the autumn for races at Santa Anita’s exciting new California Crown meeting.
“We feel we have highlighted a race schedule that incentivizes runners to travel across the Atlantic.”