Emirates Airline expands Breeders' Cup sponsorship

On Monday, the Breeders' Cup and Emirates Airline announced a renewal of

their sponsorship agreement through which Emirates, the world's fastest-growing

intercontinental airline based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), will become

title sponsor of the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at the 2008 Breeders'

Cup World Championships. As a part of the new agreement, Emirates will also

continue as title sponsor of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

(G1).

The 25th Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 races and $25.5

million in purses, will be held on October 24-25, at the Oak Tree meeting at

Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event will be televised live on ABC

and ESPN and to a worldwide audience in more than 120 countries.

Emirates also retains its position as the official commercial airline of the

Breeders' Cup World Championships and an official Breeders' Cup marketing

partner, which includes a full package of media and on-site branding for the

Championships and the Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifying series races at

Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York, Del Mar near San Diego, and Woodbine

Race Course in Toronto. Those races will also be televised on the ESPN networks.

Emirates has been a Breeders' Cup sponsor since 2005.

The Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf, to be run at 1 1/2 miles for

three-year-olds and up on Saturday, October 25, has established a reputation as

one of the world's premier international races in a year-ending championship

forum. Since 1984, the race has featured star-studded fields that have included

the winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), King George VI and Queen

Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1) and the English (Eng-G1) and Irish Derbies (Ire-G1). 

The Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, to be run on Friday,

October 24, is conducted at 1 1/4 miles on the turf for fillies and mares,

three-years-old and up. Over the years, it has produced great champions,

including the outstanding English filly Ouija Board (GB), winner of the event in

2004 and again in 2006. 

In 2003, the last time the Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita, the Turf

produced the first-ever dead heat in Breeders' Cup history as Ireland's High

Chaparral (Ire) and the American Johar hit the wire together. The 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.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive,

Emirates Airline & Group said, "Emirates is pleased to announce today 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 Park to be part of the Breeders' Cup experience."

"Emirates has been an outstanding partner of the Breeders' Cup and a global

leader in the sports sponsorship community," Breeders' Cup CEO Greg Avioli said.

"We appreciate what Emirates has done for Thoroughbred racing and for helping

the Breeders' Cup grow here and abroad."

The Breeders' Cup renewal 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 racetracks and beginning this year, at

Woodbine Race Course in Toronto. Both sponsorships support Emirates Airline's

direct flights from Dubai to New York and Toronto. Emirates also sponsors the $6

million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), the world's richest horserace; Australia's

Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1); and the Australian Jockey Club's Australian Oaks

(Aus-G1).