Emirates airline to sponsor breeders’ cup turf at world championships
Emirates Airline and Breeders’ Cup Limited on Monday announced a sponsorship agreement through which Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, will become title sponsor of the US$3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious event, consisting of 14 races and US$25.5 million in prize money, will be held on Friday, 24th October and Saturday, 25th October 2008, at Santa Anita Park in California, USA, and will be televised live on ESPN and to a world wide audience.
Over the years, the Breeders’ Cup Turf has established a reputation as one of the world’s premier international races in a year-ending championship forum. In 2003, the last time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Santa Anita, the Breeders’ Cup Turf produced the first-ever dead heat in Breeders’ Cup history as Ireland’s High Chaparral and the American Johar hit the wire together. The Breeders’ Cup Turf has been won by horses representing England, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada and the United States. Twelve winners of the Breeders’ Cup Turf were later named North American champions.
Emirates became the first Breeders’ Cup sponsor to acquire name-in-title rights to two Breeders’ Cup races in 2005, when it signed on as sponsors of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Emirates will also continue as title sponsor of the U$2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and retains its position as the official commercial airline of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “Emirates is pleased to announce our continued commitment to the sport of horse racing in America and around the world. The Breeders’ Cup Turf is one of the world’s most prestigious races and we are very excited to be associated with this race.
“North America is a very important market to Emirates, we are already operating non-stop flights to Dubai from New York, Houston and Toronto and we will soon be expanding our network to the West Coast with the start of services to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Our flights to Los Angeles begin on September 1st and will offer racing fans from the Middle East and Asia an easy route to Santa Anita Racecourse to be part of the Breeders’ Cup experience.”
Greg Avioli, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Ltd, said: “After stepping up boldly three years ago with its unprecedented sponsorship of two Breeders’ Cup races, we welcome the renewed commitment by Emirates to the Breeders’ Cup with its sponsorship of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“As a global leader in Thoroughbred racing and sports sponsorship, Emirates Airline has a proven track record of providing an expanded platform for building worldwide interest in the Breeders’ Cup.”
The Breeders’ Cup participation is the latest in Emirates’ continued sponsorship support of Thoroughbred events around the world. In addition to its Breeders’ Cup commitment, Emirates is also a year round sponsor of the New York Racing Association at Belmont Park and Saratoga race tracks and beginning this year, at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto. Emirates is the title sponsor the US$6 million Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horserace, the Emirates Melbourne Cup in Australia and a sponsor of races in Europe and Asia.
