Forever Young under Ryusei Sakai celebrate their Classic victory. (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
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Breeders’ Cup Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An exceptional cohort of Thoroughbreds will compete Oct. 30-31 in the 43rd running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course, bringing together the sport’s finest international talent for two days of world-class competition.
The 2026 World Championships will again feature 14 Grade 1 races and more than $34 million in purses and awards, uniting the world’s leading horses and their connections on Thoroughbred racing’s biggest stage. Historic Keeneland, in the heart of Kentucky’s famed Bluegrass region, will host the Breeders’ Cup for a fourth time, having previously welcomed the World Championships in 2015, 2020, and 2022.
Contenders bred in eight countries—Argentina, Australia, Chile, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, United States, and South Africa—across six continents will compete in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, reflecting the international breadth of a competition that continues to attract elite talent from racing jurisdictions around the globe. A total of 186 horses have been entered across the 14 Championship races, including 62 international contenders.
Among the entries are 10 Breeders’ Cup Champions: Cy Fair, Ethical Diamond (IRE), Forever Young (JPN), Full Serrano (ARG), Immersive, Notable Speech (GB), Shisospicy, Splendora, Starlust (GB), and Super Corredora.
Fans can see the official post positions and morning-line odds for all Breeders’ Cup races and learn more about their favorite Breeders’ Cup runners via BreedersCup.com/Horses/Entries, which also provides extensive statistics, race replays, news, photos, and more, as well as through the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app.
Defending Champion Forever Young Headlines Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic
Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young, who made history last year as the first winner of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) for Japan, returns to defend his title in the $7 million centerpiece of the World Championships. Eight will go forward in the marquee race, which returns to its traditional position as the final Championship race on Saturday with a scheduled post time of 6:16 p.m. ET.
Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, has been installed at morning-line odds of 2-1 and will break from post 5 under jockey Ryusei Sakai. The son of Real Steel (JPN) will seek to become just the second horse to win consecutive editions of the Classic, joining Tiznow (2000-01).
Among his principal challengers is Godolphin LLC’s reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1), who added the Whitney Stakes (G1) to his distinguished résumé this summer. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the son of Into Mischief has been installed at morning-line odds of 5-2 and will break from post 2 under Junior Alvarado.
The Classic field also features Godolphin’s Knightsbridge (9-2, post 7), winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Magnitude (6-1, post 6), whose victories in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) established him among the division’s leading performers. Tomoya Ozasa’s T O Password (JPN), a multiple stakes winner from Japan who ran fifth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, will also take a chance at Classic glory for trainer Daisuke Takayanagi at odds of 30-1 from post 1.
Adding depth to the field are leading 3-year-olds Golden Tempo (5-1, post 3), winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable and trainer Cherie DeVaux; Espoir USA’s Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo (15-1, post 8) for trainer Chad Summers, and the Gustavo Delgado-trained Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner The Puma (10-1, post 4) for OGMA Investments, Saleh Al Otaibi, High Step Racing LLC, TCC Stables LLC, YNG Stables LLC, and JR Ranch.
Global Coverage & Fan Engagement Highlight World Championships
The World Championships begin with Future Stars Friday, featuring five Championship races for 2-year-olds highlighted by the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). On Championship Saturday, the nine Breeders’ Cup races will be anchored by the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. Information about each of the 14 Championship races is available at BreedersCup.com/Races.
NBC Sports and Peacock will present 10 1/2 hours of live coverage featuring all 14 Championship races across NBC and USA Network over the two days. Coverage begins Friday, Oct. 30, from 1-6 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock with Future Stars Friday, showcasing five Championship races exclusively for 2-year-olds. On Saturday, Oct. 31, coverage resumes from 1-3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock before moving to NBC and Peacock from 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET, culminating with the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at 6:16 p.m. ET.
FanDuel TV will present live, continuous coverage of every Championship and undercard race through the “Breeders’ Cup Players’ Show,” available on FanDuel TV, BreedersCup.com, the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app, Breeders’ Cup YouTube, Facebook, and X social channels, major advance-deposit wagering platforms, and simulcast outlets worldwide. New this year, the Players’ Show will also be available on Peacock.
The World Championships will once again reach audiences in more than 180 territories through an extensive network of international broadcast partners. Coverage will be available across major racing and sports platforms in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas, and beyond. Complete domestic and international broadcast information is available at BreedersCup.com/Watch.
Fans can watch Breeders’ Cup contenders train at Keeneland as the days count down to the World Championships via “Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup,” which runs through Thursday on FanDuel TV and across Breeders’ Cup digital and social channels from 7:30-10 a.m. ET. The popular show will feature contenders going through their final preparations, interviews with top connections, and more.
Champions Give Back Extends Breeders’ Cup Impact
Breeders’ Cup Charities will again extend the impact of the World Championships beyond the racetrack through its Champions Give Back campaign, providing fans, participants, and partners with opportunities to support established organizations serving the Thoroughbred racing community.
The month-long campaign, which runs through the Oct. 30-31 World Championships, features a $50,000 matching gift from racehorse owner and philanthropist Ken Freirich. Donations received during the campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000, doubling their impact in support of Breeders’ Cup Charities and its mission to support the horses, people, and communities at the heart of Thoroughbred racing. Fans can support the campaign by texting BCWC to +1 (855) 800-4975 to donate or visiting BreedersCup.com/Charities.
Photos of the 2026 Breeders’ Cup contenders are available for editorial use in coverage of the World Championships via BreedersCup.photoshelter.com. Go to BreedersCup.com/Media-Center for additional information and resources.
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