Emirates yesterday announced in New York a
multi-year sponsorship agreement with two U.S. entities, the National
Thoroughbred Racing Association and Breeders’ Cup Limited, becoming
the title sponsor of the US$2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff
and the US$1 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf races
at the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.Under the agreement, Emirates will not only title these two championship
races, but will also title the Emirates Airline Distaff and Emirates Airline
Filly & Mare Turf Divisions leading up to the eight-race, US$14 million
Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. Emirates’ sponsorship marks the first time in NTRA history that a Breeders’
Cup sponsor will title two Breeders’ Cup races and divisions. 

This year’s Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be held on
29th October at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and will be televised live in
the U.S. on NBC and throughout the world on various international networks.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Commercial Operations
Worldwide, who attended the press conference in New York said: “For
Emirates, sponsorship is an important means of reaching out to our
passengers worldwide, through sharing and supporting their interests.
Emirates’ ground-breaking sponsorship of two Breeders’ Cup races and
divisions is a perfect fit for our ongoing sponsorship portfolio of
international horseracing. Adding the Breeders’ Cup to a list that includes
the Dubai World Cup and the Emirates Melbourne Cup shows our commitment to
supporting the very best horse racing around the world.

 

He added: “Emirates’ daily non-stop route between Dubai and New York’s JFK
airport that we launched almost a year ago has greatly reduced the journey
time and increased comfort for travellers between the US and the Gulf. It
also has provided them with excellent connections in Dubai for other
destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Asia-Pacific. This
partnership with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association is further
evidence of Emirates’ commitment to expansion and success in the American
market.”

 

Throughout the summer and fall, Emirates Airline will receive signage and
hospitality at major races around the country that are part of the Emirates
Distaff and Filly & Mare Turf divisions on the road to the World
Thoroughbred Championships.

 

D.G. Van Clief, Jr., President of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., and NTRA Commissioner
said: “We are delighted with the unprecedented commitment by Emirates for
both the Distaff and the Filly and Mare Turf. The Emirates sponsorship
expands our international affiliation with the corporate world. As a global
leader in Thoroughbred racing and sports sponsorship, we are confident that
Emirates Airline will provide an expanded platform for building worldwide
interest in the Breeders’ Cup.”
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