Ombudsman wins the Prince Of Wales Stakes (credit: Megan Rose Photography)
Breeders’ Cup Press
York, England – Time is ticking away with just over two months until the world’s best Thoroughbreds descend upon Keeneland Race Course to compete in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, a fact evident by the action coming up this week in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions with fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held at Keeneland Oct. 30-31.
Six Challenge Series races—four at York Racecourse in England and two at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club—show that the main event is just around the corner as top competitors try to firm up their spot in the World Championships. Of course, the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) takes center stage as the bookends to start and end the week.
Ombudsman Seeks Third Challenge Series Win in Juddmonte International
On Aug. 19 at York, turf horses will have their opportunity to punch a ticket to the 1 1/4-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on dirt in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1). While the winner will exit the 1 5/16-mile contest with a question mark on the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic surface, there will not be any questions about class.
That is thanks to the presence of Godolphin’s Ombudsman (IRE), a four-time Group 1 winner who won last year’s Juddmonte International by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths. Currently tied for first on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, Ombudsman is looking to deepen the Breeders’ Cup options available to trainers John and Thady Gosden.
Showing he can do it all, the 5-year-old son of Night Of Thunder (IRE) has already punched Challenge Series tickets to the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through earlier wins this season.
However, the task will not be easy as Ombudsman will have to fend off Coolmore’s rising 3-year-old Constitution River (FR). The son of Wootton Bassett (GB) has picked off consecutive Group 1 efforts, including beating his elders last out in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) July 4 at Sandown. He rides a five-race win streak for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Coolmore and O’Brien will also be represented by Group 1 winner Hawk Mountain (IRE) and Group 1-placed Action (IRE), while Godolphin and Gosden enter a second in Devil’s Advocate (GB).
American-Connected Haffner, Bacio Among Challenge Series Entrants at York
York’s supporting action also has Breeders’ Cup implications as, two races before the Juddmonte International, 2-year-olds will compete for a Challenge Series berth to the $1 million Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in the Acomb Stakes (G3).
Favored in the 7-furlong contest is Haffner, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify bred in Kentucky by D. J. Stable and the Justify Syndicate. Trained by O’Brien for Peter Brant and the Coolmore connections, Haffner exits a solid runner-up finish over the same distance in the Vintage Stakes (G2) July 28 at Goodwood.
The oddsmakers list his main competition as Red Lily Racing Syndicate’s recent maiden winner Trean (IRE) and Rockcliffe Stud’s Pat Eddery Stakes winner Alfred Wallace (GB).
Challenge Series action continues into Aug. 20 at York as the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) offers a berth to the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
The final declarations for the 1 1/2-mile contest were still being finalized at the start of the week, but the early entries for the race suggest a matchup of proven older fillies and mares against rising 3-year-old filly talent.
Juddmonte’s multiple Group 1-winning mare Kalpana (GB) is the headliner after her July 25 triumph in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) over 2025 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Calandagan (IRE). That victory booked the 5-year-old Study Of Man (IRE) mare’s ticket to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, but a victory Thursday will increase options for trainer Andrew Balding.
Wells Watson’s Irish Oaks (G1) winner Johanna Walsh (IRE) also appears primed for the attempt against her elders. The Joseph O’Brien-trained daughter of Sea The Stars (IRE) was an impressive 4-length winner in her feature win July 18.
Meanwhile, Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien will be represented in the field with several early entrants to the race. Among them are multiple group 1-winning 4-year-old Minnie Hauk (IRE)and the stellar undefeated 3-year-old filly Diamond Necklace (IRE). Which will start for the team will be determined soon.
York has one final opportunity Aug. 21 before turning the Challenge Series back over to the United States as Group 1-level sprinters will attempt to clinch a berth to the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1).
American-based Bacio is among the large field of 20 early entries and well fancied by the oddsmakers. Trained by Wesley Ward for MyRacehorse and a host of partners, the son of Maclean’s Music was successful in his England debut when beating 26 rivals in a Royal Ascot handicap June 19. The 3-year-old returned to the states to train at Keeneland afterward, but has now gone back across the pond to try and land a Group 1.
The field is tough as the top two finishers of the King Charles III Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, another Challenge Series race for the Prevagen Turf Sprint, are entered back in Coolmore’s Mission Central (IRE) and Aga Khan Studs’ Rayevka (IRE).
