The 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships was the 28th edition of thoroughbred racing's season ending premier event, and took place on November 4 and 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.[1]
The Breeders' Cup races were part of a 10 race program with post time at 2:00 pm EST for the first race. The post time of the first Breeders' Cup race was 4:12 pm EST.[2] The attendance was 40,677.[3]
| Race Name | Sponsor | Distance/Surface | Restrictions | Purse | Winner |
| Juvenile Sprint | Sentient Jet | 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) | 2 yrs | $500,000 | Secret Circle |
| Juvenile Fillies Turf | 1 mile (Turf) | 2-year-old fillies | $1 million | Stephanie's Kitten | |
| Filly & Mare Sprint | Sentient Jet | 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) | 3 yrs+ fillies & mares | $1 million | Musical Romance |
| Juvenile Fillies Dirt | Grey Goose | 1+1⁄16 miles (1.7 km) | 2-year-old fillies | $2 million | My Miss Aurelia |
| Filly & Mare Turf | Emirates Airline | 1+3⁄8 miles (2.2 km) (Turf) | 3 yrs+ fillies & mares | $2 million | Perfect Shirl |
| Ladies' Classic | 1+1⁄8 miles (1.8 km) | 3 yrs+ fillies & mares | $2 million | Royal Delta |
The Breeders' Cup races were part of a 12 race program with post time at 12:05 pm EST for the first race. The post time of the first Breeders' Cup race was 1:20 pm EST.[4] The attendance was 65,143.[4]
Highlights of the day's card was the attempt by Goldikova to win a fourth consecutive Breeders' Cup Mile in her last race.[5] She was defeated into third place by 64–1 long shot Court Vision.[4] Joseph O'Brien, son of famed Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, became the youngest jockey to win a Breeders' Cup race (St Nicholas Abbey) at 18 years, 5 months, surpassing Fernando Jara, who was 18 years, 10 months old when he won the 2006 Classic on Invasor.[5]
| Race Name | Sponsor | Distance/Surface | Restrictions | Purse | Winner |
| Marathon | 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km) | 3 yrs+ | $500,000 | Afleet Again | |
| Juvenile Turf | 1 mile (Turf) | 2-year-old colts & geldings | $1 million | Wrote | |
| Dirt Sprint | Sentient Jet | 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) | 3 yrs+ | $1,500,000 | Amazombie |
| Turf Sprint | 5⁄8 mile (1.0 km) (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $1 million | Regally Ready | |
| Dirt Mile | 1 mile (one turn) | 3 yrs+ | $1 million | Caleb's Posse | |
| Turf | Emirates Airline | 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $3 million | St Nicholas Abbey |
| Juvenile Dirt | Grey Goose | 1+1⁄16 miles (1.7 km) | 2-year-old colts & geldings | $2 million | Hansen |
| Turf Mile | TVG Network | 1 mile (Turf) | 3 yrs+ | $2 million | Court Vision |
| Classic | 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) | 3 yrs+ | $5 million | Drosselmeyer |