The reimagined Belmont Park is up and running after a three-year rebuild, the Autumn meet at Santa Anita opens this weekend, and the all-important Keeneland fall meet is poised for its Oct. 2-4 opening weekend featuring eight Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races.
Yes, we're getting closer to the 43rd Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Oct. 30-31, the $30 million, 14-race extravaganza that usually decides year-end champions.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, although these next two weeks will just about finalize the fields. Bettors will be hard-pressed to keep pace with all the goings on as six "Win and You're In" races are set for Saturday and Sunday – four at Santa Anita, two at Belmont – and 21 – yes, 21! -- "Win and You're In" races from Oct. 2-4 – eight at Keeneland, six at Longchamp in France, four at Belmont, and three at Santa Anita.
So, consider this and early head's up as we take a peek at the upcoming races that will impact the Breeders' Cup fields.
Let's start with the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). After defending champ Forever Young cruised to victory in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park at the track's opening day (Sept. 18), the 5-year-old star earned a fees-paid berth to the Classic (not that he needed it).
As of Monday, other automatic qualifiers are Skippylongstocking (Pegasus World Cup Invitational winner), Magnitude (Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster winner), Baby Vino (Haskell Stakes winner) and Knightsbridge (Pacific Classic winner).
The field is limited to 14 starters. Among other expected starters are 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty, Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo, Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and Travers Stakes (G1) runner-up Napoleon Solo, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner The Puma, Original Sin, Phileas Fogg and Renegade.
On Saturday, the $300,000 Goodwood Stakes (G1) offers the winner a fees-paid berth to the Classic. Probables for the 1 1/8-mile race at Santa Anita include defending champ Nevada Beach as well as Privman, both trained by Bob Baffert, and a pair of Saffie Joseph, Jr., trainees in Forged Steel and Caldera.
When the Classic field comes into focus in a few weeks, expect Forever Young, winner of $32.3 million, to be the early favorite to win a second Classic, with Sovereignty (hopefully healthy) and Golden Tempo the next two top choices, with Knightsbridge and Magnitude likely at tempting odds.
While most of the official entries and odds for weekend races will be posted later in the week, here's a look of some of the top races across America: this weekend:
The $250,000 Beldame Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares 3 and up on Friday features champion Nitrogen as the strong favorite in a field of five. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Nitrogen ran second to Sovereignty in the Whitney Stakes (G1) against the boys following a 12 3/4-length romp against fillies in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1).
The $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) for 3-year-olds and up drew a field of seven, including well-seasoned graded stakes veterans Tiztastic (a $1.7 million earner), Banishing (making his 33rd start), McAfee and Chunk of Gold, a top 3 finisher in 11 of his 12 career starts.
The $400,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going a mile features a trio of 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) also-rans in Owen Almighty (fifth), East Avenue (eighth) and Coal Battle (11th) and Bishops Bay, a winner in three of his last five races the with two seconds in the other two – one to East Avenue in the Salvator Mile (G3). Last out Bishops Bay won the Philip H. Iselin (G3).
In the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G1), T Kraft and First Officer meet again after they finished in a dead heat for second to Hymm in the Forego Stakes (G1) on Aug. 29.
The winner of the 7-furlong Vosburgh for 3-year-olds and up gains a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). A field of 10 is entered.
Kathynmarissa, a 5-year-old American Pharoah mare, comes into the $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G2) off a strong closing victory in the Diana Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on June 5. Trained by Chad Brown, seeking a ninth win the Flower Bowl, Kathynmarissa takes on 10 rivals in the 1 ¼-mile turf test.
The winner earns a fee-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). Gezora, winner of last year's BC Filly & Mare Turf, also is in the field for trainer Bill Mott.
A field of eight is entered for the 1 ½-mile Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, which carries a $500,000 purse.
El Cordobes and Far Bridge ran third and fourth, respectively, in last year's Joe Hirsch. The Ireland-bred El Cordobes then ran third in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Far Bridge, trained by Miguel Clement, won the Pan American Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in March in his only start in 2026.
Program Trading also is in the field, coming off a third in the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes (G1).
"He’s very much on a winter program, for sure, and hopefully will do well and go and win this and put himself in the Breeders’ Cup picture again,'' El Cordobes' trainer Charlie Appleby said.
The final fees-paid "Win and You're In" spot for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) is the $300,000 Goodwood Stakes (G1).
A field of seven is set, with Bob Baffert-trained Nevada Beach making his first start since running 12th of 13 in the Saudi Cup in March. The 4-year-old won last year's Goodwood and then ran seventh in the BC Classic. Others in the field include Forged Steel (Hollywood Gold Cup winner; seventh in the Pacific Classic) and Mr. A.P. (second in last year's BC Juvenile).
The $200,000 City of Hope Mile on turf is a fee-paid automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). The top three finishers in last month's Del Mar Mile (G2) -- winner King of Gosford, Detain and El Potente are the leading contenders.
The $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), and this edition could mark the return of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Super Corredora, trained by John Sadler. The daughter of Gun Runner hasn't raced since finishing sixth in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in March.
Also possible: Magnificat, winner in the 1-mile Tranquility Lake earlier this month for trainer Richard Mandella; Om N Joy, a Grade 2 winner for trainer Aggie Ordonez; and lightly raced Rabeeba, a 3-year-old Curlin filly trained by Bob Baffert who won the 1-mile Torrey Pines (G3) at Del Mar.
A "Win and You're In'' race to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) the 6-furlong test could include Imagination, who won last year's edition and went on to finish second in the BC Sprint for trainer Bob Baffert.
He won the Riyadh Dirt Sprint earlier this year, but last out was off the board in the 1-mile Hanshin Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Other nominees include Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) winner Listenupshance for trainer Doug O'Neill, Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) runner-up Moonlight for Peter Miller and Big City Lights for Richard Mandella.
And finally, on Sunday night (post time 9:45 p.m. ET), a solid 10-horse field goes at it in the $400,000, 1 1/8-mile Oklahoma Derby (G3) with Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Silent Tactic the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
A Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, Silent Tactic was scratched from the race with a foot injury. He didn't run again until finishing third in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on Aug. 1. In the Travers Stakes four weeks later, he was eased in the stretch.
Among others entered are The Hell We Did (10-1), J J Grey (5-1), Zihnal (7-2), and Pavlovian (8-1).
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
