by Ed DeRosa

The Bessemer Group Inc. has not renewed its sponsorship agreement with Breeders’ Cup Ltd.

The Bessemer Group has been a title sponsor of at least one Breeders’ Cup race since 2001 in the name of its subsidiary, Bessemer Trust. Last year, Bessemer Trust was the title sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Bessemer Group’s board of directors has strong ties to the Thoroughbred racing industry. Owner-breeder Stuart Janney III is the group’s current chairman. Janney succeeded fellow owner-breeder and Jockey Club Chairman Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps in 1994.

Breeders’ Cup has lost Chrysler LLC’s Dodge brand and Bessemer Trust as a sponsor in the previous two years, but it added Dos Equis beer, Bulgari, and Sentient Flight Group in 2008.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times