The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is a two-day meeting in the USA which takes place over two days, a Friday and Saturday in late October or early November. The hosts course rotates around a series of venues, Santa Anita in California holding the most meetings to date with eleven, followed by Churchill Downs in Kentucky with nine. The 2026 meeting takes place at Keeneland, Kentucky.
Of the fourteen Breeders’ Cup races, all of which are Grade 1s, seven are run on dirt and seven are run on turf. That, coupled with $34m in prize money up for grabs, means that the meeting attracts top-class runners from all over the world. The most valuable races are the $7m Breeders’ Cup Classic and the $5m Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Five of the Breeders’ Cup races are for juveniles, who are aged two, these are run on the Friday. The remaining nine races for runners aged three and above are run on the Saturday. There are also supporting races outside of the Breeders’ Cup contests to enhance the racecards on both days.
Friday 30th October 2026
On Friday there are five races on the card before the five juvenile Breeders’ Cup races. The first is a 1m½f race for runners 3yo+ before two races for juveniles over 7f and 1m. A 6½f sprint follows before a 7f claiming race.
The five Breeders’ Cup races on Friday are all for two-year-olds, beginning with the Juvenile Turf Sprint over 5½f before the 1m½f Juvenile Fillies on the dirt course. Next is the 1m Juvenile Fillies Turf ahead of the 1m½f Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, a dirt race, and finally the 1m Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
- 3:55pm: Dirt Claiming Race
1m½f, 3yo+, $165,000 - 4:30pm: Dirt Maiden Race
7f, 2yo, $150,000 - 5:05pm: Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes
1m, 2yo, $250,000 - 5:40pm: Dirt Allowance Race
6½f, 3yo+, $165,000 - 6:15pm: Dirt Claiming Race
7f, 2yo, $165,000 - 6:55pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
Grade 1, 5½f, 2yo, $1,000,000 - 7:35pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Grade 1, 1m½f, 2yo, $2,000,000 - 8:15pm: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Grade 1, 1m, 2yo, $1,000,000 - 8:55pm: Fanduel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Grade 1, 1m½f, 2yo, $2,000,000 - 9:35pm: Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Grade 1, 1m, 2yo, $1,000,000
Saturday 31st October 2026
On Saturday, the action begins with three non-Breeders’ Cup races in two 7f dirt races for two-year-olds and a 6½f sprint.
The Breeders’ Cup action on Saturday starts with the 7f Filly & Mare Sprint before the 5½f Turf Sprint and the the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The 1m1½f Filly & Mare Turf is next before the 6f Sprint.
Race nine on the night is the Breeders’ Cup Mile which is run on turf, which is followed by the 1m1f Distaff. The final two races are the $5m Breeders’ Cup Turf over 1m4f and finally the biggest race of the meeting in the $7m Breeders’ Cup Classic which is run over 1m2f.
- 3:15pm: Dirt Maiden Race
7f, 2yo, $150,000 - 3:50pm: Dirt Claiming Race
7f, 2yo, $165,000 - 4:25pm: Dirt Claiming Race
6½f, 3yo+, $185,000 - 5:10pm: Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Grade 1, 7f, 3yo+, $1,000,000 - 5:48pm: Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
Grade 1, 5½f, 3yo+, $1,000,000 - 6:26pm: Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
Grade 1, 1m, 3yo+, $1,000,000 - 7:04pm: Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Grade 1, 1m1½f, 3yo+, $2,000,000 - 7:42pm: Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint
Grade 1, 6f, 3yo+, $2,000,000 - 8:20pm: Fanduel Breeders’ Cup Mile
Grade 1, 1m, 3yo+, $2,000,000 - 8:58am: Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Grade 1, 1m1f, 3yo+, $2,000,000 - 9:36pm: Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf
Grade 1, 1m4f, 3yo+, $5,000,000 - 10:16pm: Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic
Grade 1, 1m2f, 3yo+, $7,000,000
