Getty The 2020 Breeders Cup Challenge will take place Saturday.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series takes place this Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and it features two races: the Stephen Foster Stakes and the Fleur de Lis Stakes Handicap.
On June 27, the Fleur de Lis Stakes and Stephen Foster Stakes–both Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races–will be broadcast on NBC starting at 5 p.m. ET.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch both races live on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick or other device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
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FuboTV
NBC (live in most markets) is one of the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the races on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Hulu With Live TV
NBC (live in most markets) is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies. You can watch immediately with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races live on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Sling TV
NBC (live in select markets) is one of 47 live-TV channels included in Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with those channels if you plan on keeping it long term:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series 2020 Preview
The Fleur de Lis Stakes Handicap will be a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and the winner of the Stephen Foster Stakes will head to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in Keeneland on November 7, so there’s a great deal at stake in both races.
The Fleur de Lis Stakes Handicap is a 1 1/8 mile race, with the winner taking home a $200,000 purse. Midnight Bisou will be the horse to beat, with Serengeti Empress offering the best chance to upset her. Chocolate Kisses, Motion Emotion, Go Google Yourself, Another Broad and Red Dane round out the rest of the group.
Midnight Bisou is 0-2 in her two previous races at Churchill Downs, however, so don’t be surprised if Serengeti Empress pulls off an upset. The four-year-old filly’s trainer, Tom Amoss, thinks the work they have put in could make all the difference. “This is a tough matchup against a champion, but the way our horse has prepared for this has us very confident she’ll put in a great performance,” Amoss said.
The Stephen Foster Stakes, like the Fleur de Lis, is a 1 1/8 mile race on a dirt track. The purse is over twice as large in this race though, with the winning horse and jockey taking home $500,000.
The race will be Tom’s d’Etat’s to lose. He has won his last three races, and will be the favorite here. He’ll see his strongest competition from By My Standards, with Pirate’s Punch a potential upset candidate. Owendale, Fearless, and Multiplier could also surprise, with Alkhaatam and Silver Dust the major long shots in the race.
Tom’s d’Etat’s trainer, Al Stall Jr., is excited about his horse’s chances, but he’s taking it one race at a time. “Obviously, it took us a while for him to realize all his potential, but here we are. We haven’t really mapped out a firm schedule beyond this, but we all know what’s up ahead. Let’s get through this one before we go any farther,” he said.
Bret Calhoun, trainer of By My Standards, says Tom’s d’Etat “deserves all the respect he’s been getting,” but he believes in his horse a bit more. “I can’t say I’d trade places with anybody. Our horse is doing very, very well,” Calhoun said prior to the race.
As with most major sporting events, there will be no fans in attendance at either race due to COVID-19 precautions.