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The 2026 edition of the Breeders’ Cup takes place tomorrow and Saturday at Keeneland. As usual, the best horses from around the world will gather for two days of top-class races. Here we preview the two days of top-class international racing. Day one focuses on the two-year-olds, with the older horses competing on Day two. Here is part two of the Breeders’ Cup preview.
Breeders’ Cup Classic
As usual, the Classic represents a clash of generations, this time three generations. The returning champion, the Japanese-bred Forever Young, appears to be forever young in name and nature, representing the five-year-old generation, joined by Pacific Classic winner Knightsbridge.
The four-year-old generation is led by 2025 US Horse of the Year and 2025 Kentucky/Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty, and is also represented by Dubai World Cup winner Magnitude. The three-year-old generation is led by 2026 Kentucky/Belmont Stakes winner, Golden Tempo, but also represented by 2026 Preakness Stakes winner, Napoleon Solo and Pennsylvania Derby first and second, The Puma and Further Ado.
A true clash of generations! While a few of these are double-entered in the Dirt Mile, the older generations are way superior to their three-year-old rivals and the winner will come from among those. Clear top on form and ratings are Forever Young and Sovereignty. Both will be going into the Classic on the back of last time-out wins, although many (including his trainer) were not impressed with Forever Young’s win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup while Sovereignty suffered a minor setback after his win in the Whitney.
An on song Sovereignty will get close to Forever Young but the Japanese horse had not raced for almost six months before his Jockey Club Gold Cup win and he is entitled to improve massively from that race. Forever Young is taken to become the first back-to-back winner of the Classic since Tiznow.
Breeders’ Cup Turf
As usual, the Europeans hold the strongest hand and the winner is likely to come from one of their representatives. Their representatives are expected to include the defending champion, Ethical Diamond and last year’s beaten favourite, Minnie Hauk; Arc second and third, Bay City Roller and Diamond Necklace; Irish Derby winner Benevenuto Cellini and Kentucky Turf Cup winner, Tiffany.
There is an interesting Japanese contender in Deep Monster but this eight-year-old is surely too exposed to hold any surprises for the higher-rated European challengers. The best of the Americans is Burnham Square but he was no match for the Europeans when they clashed in the Kentucky Turf Cup. The success of Ethical Diamond in 2025 confirmed that the highest-rated European horse and/or those with the superior recent form are not guaranteed to prevail, while also raising the spectre that a long European season could take a toll on their best horses. The horse with the best form in the race is Diamond Necklace, who was a close third in the Arc from a terrible draw.
There are comparisons, however, with her stable companion Minnie Hauk, who entered last year’s Turf with the best form having been a close second in the Arc. That one was beaten and so it opens the door that something similar could occur with Diamond Necklace. Tiffany was not as good as these in Europe but she has had a lighter campaign, and her win in Kentucky was gritty. She is a sporting selection.
Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Not as deep a field as possible and while there is something of a generational clash between older fillies and mares and their three-year-old counterparts, the leaders of the three-year-old generation have decided to skip this year’s event.
Last year’s champion filly, Nitrogen, comes to the Distaff off a dominant 2026 season in which she has proven to be the best of her sex and even stepped out of her gender to compete against the boys in the Whitney, running a fabulous race to be second to Sovereignty. On that form, she should be unstoppable. She does have a formidable rival, however, in Fully Subscribed. This mare has improved leaps and bounds in her last three starts.
After being trounced by Nitrogen in the Ogden Phipps, this filly returned to trounce her Nitrogen-less foes in the Shuvee, Personal Ensign and Spinster Stakes (over the Keeneland surface). Her performances in those races suggest she has improved since her one meeting with Nitrogen, but she will need to. Of the others, Immersive, Measure and 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, Super Corredora, have the form to be placed but it is difficult to look past Nitrogen in this race.
Breeders’ Cup Mile
Another stronghold of the Europeans, though they have not had it all their way in the last few years. Last year’s winner, Notable Speech, returns and he has looked better than ever in his last two starts, culminating with his win in the Woodbine Mile, a path like the one he took in 2025. If she comes across, Blue Bolt, unbeaten in 2026, with a string of four consecutive Grade 1 wins (but all against her own sex) will be a formidable rival. For once, Aidan O’Brien does not appear to have a strong contender for this event and his nominees are easily overlooked.
The other Europeans are consistent but have been exposed to be slightly below the top two, though Hotzahell and Lake Forest can both run well at decent prices. The American challenge is led by Deterministic and Rhetorical with clear preference for the former. Deterministic was just run down by Notable Speech in the Woodbine Mile and while the shorter Keeneland stretch might give him a chance to turn around that form, his running style (on the lead) might leave him vulnerable to stretch runners given the preponderance of speed in the race. Fillies have an excellent record in this race, and in the hope that a long season has not taken its toll, Blue Bolt is the selection.
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
A very open event that also will depend on which race is selected by the connections of horses cross-entered in the Classic. Most obvious would be Knightsbridge, given the strong likelihood that Godolphin would prefer to keep him and their other star, Sovereignty, apart.
His form is very strong and victories in the Monmouth Cup and Pacific Classic made him a strong contender for the Classic but in a weak-looking Dirt Mile, connections may be unable to resist the temptation to go for two Breeders’ Cup wins rather than one. Forged Steel, Further Ado and Napoleon Solo are also cross-entered, and if they take up this event rather than the Classic, can be expected to fare better, though Knightsbridge would be a confident selection.
Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf
A few runners are cross-entered between this and the Turf, and if Diamond Necklace ends up here, she is almost certain to win unless her hard season leaves its mark. If stable companion Precise turns up instead, a similar victory is not as guaranteed, given that one’s somewhat disappointing end to her European campaign when beaten in her last five starts, although she ran well in each. The American representatives of Classic Q, Kathynmarissa, Lush Lips and Gimme A Nother have the form and ability to be competitive. Diamond Necklace would be a confident selection.
Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Japan has a very strong contender in this race in T.O.Elvis, who was successful in his last five starts and his only 2026 start at Churchill Downs. He is not to be underestimated but in Englishman, he meets an American challenger who many believe to be the best dirt three-year-old in the country. A winner of four of his five career starts, this colt was a ridiculously easy winner of the Woody Stephens and H. Allen Jerkins in his last two. Given his strong cruising speed and late race acceleration, Englishman is a confident selection.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Defending champion Shisospicy returns but she must redeem herself after a lacklustre performance in her only start of the year. 2024 champion Starlust also return after time away in the breeding shed in 2025 and many good but not outstanding performances in 2026 (winless). Instead, the now horses in the turf sprinting division are Bacio, winner of four of his five starts and impressive in his two wins in Europe, including the Nunthorpe Stakes and Comanche Brave, who has been brilliant in winning his last two, the July Cup and Flying Five. Bacio’s trainer, Wesley Ward, is a renowned trainer of speed merchants and Bacio can keep his record going.
Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
Five fillies stand out in this race – Explora, Splendora, R Disaster, Ways and Means and Sweet Azteca. While all five will have their supporters, many of them have a need to be on the pace which could set things up nicely for Ways and Means and she is the selection.
Good luck to all.
English (US) ·