The Puma drew post 4 and is 10-1 on the morning line for the Breeders' Cup Classic 2026, Race 12 at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct. 31 (6:16 PM ET). The Gustavo Delgado-trained colt won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) in his first start with blinkers and faces older horses for the first time. The Classic closes Breeders' Cup 2026.
Updated: Wed., Oct. 28 — post position and morning line from Monday's draw.
A closer coming off a career-best win, at a price that makes him an exotics play.
| The Puma at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Jockey / Trainer | Javier Castellano / Gustavo Delgado |
| Owner | OGMA Investments, Saleh Al Otaibi, TCC Stables, YNG Stables, High Step Racing and JR Ranch |
| Pedigree | Essential Quality – Eve of War, by Declaration of War |
| Earnings | $1,122,280 |
| Last Race | 1st Pennsylvania Derby (G1), Parx, Sept. 19 |
| Last Workout | 5f in 1:00.40, Keeneland, Oct. 24 |
| How Qualified | Entered; Classic fields are set by Breeders' Cup Challenge results, points and panel selection |
| Race | 1 1/4 miles, dirt, $7 million |
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| 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic Field (8) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | T O Password | Kazushi Kimura | Daisuke Takayanagi | 30-1 |
| 2 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 5-2 |
| 3 | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 5-1 |
| 4 | The Puma | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | 10-1 |
| 5 | Forever Young | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | 2-1 |
| 6 | Magnitude | Flavien Prat | Steve Asmussen | |
| 7 | Knightsbridge | Luis Saez | Bill Mott | 9-2 |
| 8 | Napoleon Solo | John Velazquez | Chad Summers | 15-1 |
Post position draw held Monday, Oct. 26 at Keeneland. Race details: Breeders' Cup Classic. Live prices: Breeders' Cup odds.
A closer in the middle of the gate, between two other closers:
| The Puma: Last 3 Starts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Race | Track / Dist | Finish | Beyer | Odds |
| 09/19/26 | Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | Parx 1 1/8m | 1st by 1/2 | — | 5-2 |
| 08/29/26 | Travers (G1) | Saratoga 1 1/4m | 4th by 2 3/4 | — | 10-1 |
| 07/18/26 | Haskell (G1) | Monmouth 1 1/8m (sloppy) | 4th | — | 3-1 |
Sources: published race results. Beyer Speed Figure: Daily Racing Form. — = not available.
| Top Equibase Speed Figures in the Classic Field | ||
|---|---|---|
| Horse | Last Race | Best Fig |
| Forever Young | 1st, Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) | 118 |
| Sovereignty | 1st, Whitney (G1) | 118 |
| Magnitude | 6th, Whitney (G1) | 116 |
| Knightsbridge | 1st, Pacific Classic (G1) | 109 |
| The Puma | 1st, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) | 108 |
| Napoleon Solo | 2nd, Travers (G1) | 103 |
| Golden Tempo | 3rd, Travers (G1) | 101 |
| T O Password | 3rd, Elm Stakes (G3), Japan | 100 |
Best Equibase Speed Figure, per America's Best Racing.
About a 6% chance to win (fair odds 15-1). Forever Young and Sovereignty are the main threats.
Improving, but he needs a lot to go his way against the older stars. A trifecta and superfecta add-on, not a win bet.
| How to Bet The Puma (#4) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Ticket | Cost | Example return |
| Win | #4 | $10 | $110 at 10-1 |
| Win | #4 | $50 | $550 at 10-1 |
| Exacta | 4 over 2, 5 | $4 ($2 each) | About $70 (Sovereignty 2nd) or $60 (Forever Young 2nd) |
| Trifecta | 4 with 2, 5 with 2, 3, 5, 7 | $6 ($1 each) | Pays more if a longshot runs third |
Examples only, based on the 10-1 morning line. Win returns include your stake. Exacta figures are estimates (winner's odds × (second horse's odds + 1) × $2); actual payouts are set by the betting pools at post time.
More: Breeders' Cup betting guide · contenders · schedule.
The Puma drew post 4 in a field of eight for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic.
The Puma is 10-1 on the morning line. Live prices: our Breeders' Cup odds page.
Javier Castellano rides for trainer Gustavo Delgado.
No. The Classic is his first start against older horses.
Race 12 at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct. 31, with post time at 6:16 PM ET.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
