Breeders' Cup has launched a new, fantasy sports-themed promotion centered around the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series on NBC Sports called the Capture the Classic Challenge. The contest asks participants to predict the winners of six Classic Division races that will be televised on NBC or NBCSN, starting with this Saturday's GI Belmont S. By accurately picking the winning horse, virtual owners will receive inside access to premium content about their horses, as well as a chance to win a $100,000 grand prize should one of them go on to win the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.
Virtual owners will also be entered into a prize pool for the opportunity to win one of six VIP Ownership Experiences at the Breeders' Cup, including round trip airfare for two, hotel accommodations, premium box seats and two tickets to the Taste of the World culinary event, to be chosen at random. Additional drawings will also be conducted after each designation Classic Division race for a $1,000 and $500 cash prize, respectively.
“Our goal with this promotion is to provide fans with a fun and engaging way to follow the top horses this summer as they make their way along the road to the Breeders' Cup Classic,” said Justin McDonald, VP, Marketing & Digital for the Breeders' Cup. “The idea is to curate custom, behind-the-scenes content for the virtual owners that will deepen their connection with the horse–as well as the human team behind it–and give them another reason to tune in to NBC Sports for the major Classic Division races this summer and ultimately the Breeders' Cup Classic.”
McDonald added that some of the inspiration for the contest came from trying to incorporate the popularity of fantasy sports.
“There are definitely some similarities with a traditional season-long fantasy game where fans follow players on their roster closely all season long and develop a deeper level of affinity for those players,” he said. “We hope that holds true with this program and new and current fans learn more about learn more about our great equine and human athletes and their quest for the Classic.”
Fans can register for the promotion and select their horse for the first race, the Belmont, online now at CaptureTheClassic.com. As an added incentive, fans that attend the host track during a designated Classic Division race can automatically gain virtual ownership of the winning horse by entering an exclusive promotional code that will be displayed in the track program and in other Capture the Classic marketing materials at the track.
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