# 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series

The 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series provided winners of the designated races an automatic "Win and You're In" Berth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup. Races were chosen by the Breeders' Cup organization and included key prep races in the various Breeders' Cup divisions from around the world.
In 2015, eight new races were added to the series: the Gran Premio Criadores, Fleur de Lis Handicap, Sussex Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational, Spinaway, Princess Rooney Handicap, Smile Sprint Handicap, and T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis. Eighteen races in the series were telecast by NBC.
For 2015, 39 entrants in the Breeders’ Cup qualified via the Challenge series with six winning their respective divisions:
* American Pharoah, who qualified for the Classic by winning the Haskell
* Stephanie's Kitten, who won the Flower Bowl to qualify for the Filly & Mare Turf
* Nyquist, winner of the FrontRunner and Juvenile
* Songbird, winner of the Chandelier and Juvenile Fillies
* Runhappy, who qualified for the Sprint by winning the Phoenix Stakes
* Catch a Glimpse, who won the Natalma to qualify for the Juvenile Fillies Turf
Several prominent winners of the challenge series races did not start in the 2015 Breeders' Cup due to injury or illness. Most notably, Beholder, who had won three challenge series races, was scratched from the Classic after she developed a fever then bled following a routine workout. Rock Fall, who was a favorite for the Sprint after qualifying in the Vosburgh, was injured during a routine workout and was euthanized.
The winners of the 2015 Breeders' Cup Challenge series races are shown below. The last column shows whether the horse was subsequently entered in the Breeders' Cup, and if so, whether they achieved a top three finish.
| Month | Race | Track | Location | Division | Winner | BC Result |
| January | Paddock Stakes | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Futura | not entered |
| January | Queen's Plate | Kenilworth | South Africa | Breeders' Cup Mile | Inara | not entered |
| April | Doncaster Mile | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Mile | Kermadec | not entered |
| April | TJ Smith Stakes | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Chautauqua | not entered |
| April | Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Randwick | Australia | Breeders' Cup Turf | Criterion | not entered |
| May | es:Gran Premio Criadores | Palermo | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Furia Cruzada | not entered |
| May | Gran Premio 25 de Mayo | San Isidro | Argentina | Breeders' Cup Turf | Ordak Dan | entered |
| June | Metropolitan Handicap | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Honor Code | entered Classic |
| June | Ogden Phipps Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Wedding Toast | entered |
| June | Grande Prêmio Brasil | Hipódromo da Gávea | Brazil | Breeders' Cup Turf | Barola | not entered |
| June | Stephen Foster Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Classic | Noble Bird | not entered |
| June | Fleur de Lis Handicap | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Frivolous | entered |
| June | Shoemaker Mile | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Mile | Talco | not entered |
| June | The Gold Cup at Santa Anita | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Hard Aces | entered |
| June | Takarazuka Kinen | Hanshin | Japan | Breeders' Cup Turf | Lovely Day | not entered |
| July | Princess Rooney Handicap | Gulfstream Park | Florida | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Merry Meadow | not entered |
| July | Smile Sprint Handicap | Gulfstream Park | Florida | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Favorite Tale | 3rd |
| July | Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Lady Eli | injured |
| July | King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Ascot | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Postponed | not entered |
| July | Sussex Stakes | Goodwood | England | Breeders' Cup Mile | Solow | not entered |
| July | Clement L. Hirsch Stakes | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Beholder | entered Classic |
| July | Bing Crosby Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Wild Dude | entered |
| July | Haskell Invitational | Monmouth | New Jersey | Breeders' Cup Classic | American Pharoah | 1st |
| August | Whitney Handicap | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Honor Code | 3rd |
| August | Beverly D. Stakes | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Watsdachances | entered |
| August | Arlington Million | Arlington | Illinois | Breeders' Cup Turf | The Pizza Man | entered |
| August | Prix Jacques Le Marois | Deauville | France | Breeders' Cup Mile | Esoterique | entered |
| August | Juddmonte International | York | England | Breeders' Cup Turf | Arabian Queen | not entered |
| August | Yorkshire Oaks | York | England | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Pleascach | not entered |
| August | Nunthorpe Stakes | York | England | Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint | Mecca's Angel | not entered |
| August | Pacific Classic | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Beholder | scratched |
| August | Del Mar Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Turf | Big John B | entered |
| August | Pat O'Brien Handicap | Del Mar | California | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Appealing Tale | not entered |
| August | Personal Ensign Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Sheer Drama | entered |
| August | Ballerina Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Unbridled Forever | not entered |
| August | Sword Dancer Invitational | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Flintshire | not entered |
| August | Forego Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Private Zone | 2nd |
| September | T. Von Zastrow Stutenpreis | Baden-Baden | Germany | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Shivajia | not entered |
| September | Spinaway Stakes | Saratoga | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Rachel's Valentina | 2nd |
| September | Grosser Preis von Baden | Baden-Baden | Germany | Breeders' Cup Turf | Prince Gibraltar | not entered |
| September | Matron Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Legatissimo | 2nd |
| September | Irish Champion Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Turf | Golden Horn | 2nd |
| September | Juvenile Turf Stakes | Leopardstown | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Johannes Vermeer | not entered |
| September | Moyglare Stud Stakes | Curragh | Ireland | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Minding | not entered |
| September | Pocahontas Stakes | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Dothraki Queen | 3rd |
| September | Iroquois Stakes | Churchill Downs | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Cocked and Loaded | entered |
| September | Canadian Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Strut the Course | not entered |
| September | Woodbine Mile | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Mile | Mondialiste | 2nd |
| September | Natalma Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Catch A Glimpse | 1st |
| September | Summer Stakes | Woodbine | Canada | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Conquest Daddyo | entered |
| September | Rockfel Stakes | Newmarket | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Promising Run | not entered |
| September | Royal Lodge Stakes | Newmarket | England | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Foundation | not entered |
| October | Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Stephanie's Kitten | 1st |
| October | Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Turf | Big Blue Kitten | 3rd |
| October | Vosburgh Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Rock Fall | injured |
| October | Awesome Again Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Classic | Smooth Roller | scratched |
| October | FrontRunner Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Nyquist | 1st |
| October | Chandelier Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Songbird | 1st |
| October | Rodeo Drive Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Photo Call | entered |
| October | Zenyatta Stakes | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Beholder | entered Classic |
| October | Prix de l'Opéra | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf | Covert Love | not entered |
| October | Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Ultra | not entered |
| October | Prix Marcel Boussac | Longchamp | France | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Ballydoyle | not entered |
| October | Alcibiades Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Gomo | not entered |
| October | Phoenix Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Runhappy | 1st |
| October | Champagne Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Greenpointcrusader | entered |
| October | Frizette Stakes | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | Nickname | entered |
| October | Jockey Club Gold Cup | Belmont Park | New York | Breeders' Cup Classic | Tonalist | entered |
| October | Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Mile | Grand Arch | 3rd |
| October | Breeders' Futurity Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | Brody's Cause | 3rd |
| October | Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | Fioretti | entered |
| October | Santa Anita Sprint Championship | Santa Anita | California | Breeders' Cup Sprint | Wild Dude | entered |
| October | Bourbon Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf | Airoforce | 2nd |
| October | Spinster Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Distaff | Got Lucky | entered |
| October | Jessamine Stakes | Keeneland | Kentucky | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Harmonize | entered |