White Abarrio taking the 2023 Breeders’ Cup. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
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Breeders’ Cup Press
Lexington, Ky. – Breeders’ Cup Limited has announced the television schedule for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win & You’re In. Consisting of seven live programs across NBC, FOX, and Peacock, the series features key automatic qualifying races at premier racetracks on the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Horses from around the globe will qualify for the 43rd running of the World Championships through the full Challenge Series, which continues to expand its international reach entering its 20th year with 95 races in 14 countries on five continents. The Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end international festival, will be held Oct. 30–31, 2026 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
“The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series provides a compelling way for fans to follow the journey from the sport’s premier races to the World Championships,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Thanks to our strong partnerships with NBC and FOX, we look forward to elevating these races on a global stage while highlighting the world-class competition that defines the Breeders’ Cup.”
All Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series coverage on NBC will also be streamed on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. NBC Sports will also continue to present the World Championships on NBC and Peacock as part of its long-term partnership with Breeders’ Cup Limited.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Breeders’ Cup, showcasing the Challenge Series races as we build to the exciting culmination this fall at the World Championships at Keeneland,” said Gary Quinn, VP of Partnerships & General Manager of Owned Properties, NBC Sports.
2026 Broadcast Schedule Highlights
New for 2026, the Challenge Series television coverage begins internationally during Royal Ascot, with four consecutive days of programming on Peacock from June 16-19 followed by a three-hour show on NBC and Peacock June 20 from 9:00 a.m.-Noon p.m. ET. The coverage features several marquee races, including the King Charles III Stakes (G1), a qualifier for the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1); the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), a Challenge race for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1); the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1), a qualifier for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1); and the Norfolk Stakes (G2), which offers a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
NBC and Peacock resume coverage July 18 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET with the Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, an automatic qualifier for the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
On Aug. 8, FOX will broadcast the Fourstardave Stakes (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1) from Saratoga Race Course from 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET, Challenge races for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, respectively.
On Sept. 5, NBC and Peacock will present a two-hour broadcast from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET featuring the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2) and Kentucky Turf Cup (G2), key Challenge races for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), respectively.
The series concludes Saturday, Oct. 3 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with live coverage from Keeneland Race Course, featuring the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1), an automatic qualifier for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), the Coolmore Turf Mile, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), which awards a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).
The majority of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be televised on FanDuel TV, which will continue to provide extensive special programming in the lead-up to the World Championships. FanDuel, the Official ADW Partner, Official Sports Wagering Partner, Official Fantasy Sports Partner, and Official Mobile Casino Partner of the Breeders’ Cup, also serves as title partner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in addition to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
The complete Challenge Series schedule, including television coverage, can be viewed at BreedersCup.com/races/challenge-series.
Last year, 46 Challenge Series winners competed in the World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and three won their respective divisional races: Forever Young (JPN) in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic; Notable Speech (GB) in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, and Ted Noffey in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
