At the Breeders' Cup, the safety of our athletes, equine and human, is our foremost priority.

That's why we have the highest safety, integrity and testing standards of any racing event in North America. Our safety and security protocols include pre- and post- race testing, including out-of-competition testing for prohibited substances; comprehensive prohibitions on anabolic steroids and other controlled substances; a 24 hour equine security watch beginning 72 hours from post time and periodic inspections/testing of all racing surfaces prior to the event. We also employ top equine regulatory vets from the US and Europe to inspect runners on-site throughout the week leading up to the event.

In cooperation with the California Horse Racing Board, the 2019 Breeders’ Cup World Championships featured the most up-to-date medication practices, testing protocols, equine security programs, veterinary exams, injury management protocols and race surface testing. In addition to Breeders’ Cup’s protocols, all of the reform measures adopted and implemented in California in 2019 were in place for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Learn more about what the Breeders' Cup does to reduce risk and protect our participants below.