Horse racing's biggest stars are targeting the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic.
This year's Classic is set for 6:16 p.m. ET on Oct. 31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and is set to feature some of the sport's marquee names. Defending champion Forever Young, reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty and Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo are all set to enter the starting gate in the $7 million race.
Other top horses likely to be in the field include Dubai World Cup winner Magnitude, Preakness winner Napoleon Solo and Sovereignty's Pacific Classic-winning stablemate Knightsbridge.
Breeders' Cup Classic snapshot
- When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 at 6:16 p.m. ET
- Where:
Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. - Purse:
$7 million - Race conditions:
1 ¼ miles on dirt for 3-year-olds and up - TV/streaming info: NBC, Peacock and FanDuel TV
What is the Breeders' Cup Classic?
The Breeders' Cup Classic is one of horse racing's biggest events, with Horse of the Year honors often decided by the 1 ¼-mile dirt race that currently carries a purse of $7 million.
First run in 1984, the Breeders' Cup Classic doesn't have the history of the Kentucky Derby or its fellow Triple Crown races, but attracts a more accomplished field of older horses as well as 3-year-olds who competed during the Triple Crown season.
Who is running in the Breeders' Cup Classic?
The full draw for the Breeders' Cup will be held Monday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. ET, but 11 horses were pre-entered for the race.
Breeders' Cup Classic pre-entries
- Forever Young
- Forged Steel
- Further Ado
- Golden Tempo
- Knightsbridge
- Magnitude
- Napoleon Solo
- Phileas Fogg
- Sovereignty
- The Puma
- T O Password
Of that group, five horses have also been pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile - Forged Steel, T O Password, Knightsbridge, Further Ado and Napoleon Solo. The Dirt Mile is listed as the first preference by the connections of Forged Steel and T O Password, while the Classic is the first preference for the remaining three. Phileas Fogg was pre-entered, but Daily Racing Form's David Grening reported that the two-time winner of the Suburban at Saratoga won't run due to a left front foot issue.
When is the Breeders' Cup Classic?
The post time for the Breeders' Cup Classic is 6:16 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31. It's listed as the 12th race on the card.
Over two days, 14 Breeders' Cup races will take place at Keeneland.
Breeders' Cup schedule
Friday, Oct. 30 races
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, 2:55 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, 3:35 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, 4:15 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile, 4:55 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, 5:35 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 31 races
- Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Spring, 1:10 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Turf Spring, 1:48 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, 2:26 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, 3:04 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Sprint, 3:42 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Mile, 4:20 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Distaff, 4:58 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Turf, 5:36 p.m. ET
- Breeders' Cup Classic, 6:16 p.m. ET
How can I watch the Breeders' Cup Classic?
The Breeders' Cup Classic will be televised by NBC and FanDuel TV and streamed by Peacock. Post time is 6:16 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Over the two-day Breeders' Cup, every race will be broadcast on either NBC or USA Network and FanDuel TV, and all races will be streamed on Peacock.
Breeders' Cup TV schedule
- Friday, Oct. 30: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on USA Network, FanDuel TV and Peacock
- Saturday, Oct. 31: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on USA Network, FanDuel TV and Peacock; 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on NBC, FanDuel TV and Peacock
Where is the Breeders' Cup Classic?
This year's Breeders' Cup Classic is being held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. It's the fourth time that the Breeders' Cup will be hosted at the Kentucky track. Previous Breeders' Cup Classic winners at Keeneland were American Pharoah in 2015, Authentic in 2020 and Flightline in 2022.
Is Forever Young running in the Breeders' Cup Classic?
Forever Young is set to try and defend his Breeders' Cup Classic for his Japanese connections of owner Susumu Fujita, trainer Yoshito Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai.
One of the richest racehorses in history with more than $32 million in career earnings, Forever Young arrived at Keeneland this week after spending the late summer and early fall at Belmont Park, where he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup on the track's reopening day.
Is Sovereignty running in the Breeders' Cup Classic?
All systems appear to be "go" for reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The 2025 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers winner was the morning-line favorite for last year's Classic at Del Mar, but trainer Bill Mott scratched him the week of the race after he developed a fever.
Brought back to race as a 4-year-old, Sovereignty lost his first two starts of 2026 before an emphatic win against a star-studded field in the Whitney at Saratoga in August. Mott then targeted a start against Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but scrapped that plan after a foot abscess derailed Sovereignty's preparations and opted to train the star horse up to the Breeders' Cup instead.
Is Golden Tempo running in the Breeders' Cup Classic?
Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo is pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He hasn't raced since finishing third despite an uneven trip in the Travers at Saratoga in late August.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux, who earlier this year became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, would be the second woman trainer to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, following Katherine Ritvo with Mucho Macho Man in 2013.
Who won last year's Breeders' Cup Classic?
Forever Young became the first Japanese horse to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, scoring the victory by a half-length over 2024 winner Sierra Leone. Fierceness was third. Sovereignty was the morning-line betting favorite for the race, but was scratched due to illness.
Has a horse ever won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice?
Only one horse has pulled off that feat, with Tiznow winning back-to-back editions in 2000 and 2001. Notable horses denied a second win include Cigar in 1996, Curlin in 2008, Zenyatta in 2010 and Sierra Leone in 2025.
Breeders' Cup Classic winners
The full list of Breeders' Cup Classic winners with jockeys and trainers listed in parentheses.
- 2025: Forever Young (Ryusei Sakai, Yoshito Yahagi)
- 2024: Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)
- 2023: White Abarrio (Irad Ortiz Jr., Rick Dutrow)
- 2022: Flightline (Flavien Prat, John Sadler)
- 2021: Knicks Go (Joel Rosario, Brad Cox)
- 2020: Authentic (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert)
- 2019: Vino Rosso (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher)
- 2018: Accelerate (Joel Rosario, John Sadler)
- 2017: Gun Runner (Florent Geroux, Steve Asmussen)
- 2016: Arrogate (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert)
- 2015: American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza, Bob Baffert)
- 2014: Bayern (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert)
- 2013: Mucho Macho Man (Gary Stevens, Katherine Ritvo)
- 2012: Fort Larned (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes)
- 2011: Drosselmeyer (Mike Smith, Bill Mott)
- 2010: Blame (Garrett Gomez, Albert Stall Jr.)
- 2009: Zenyatta (Mike Smith, John Shirreffs)
- 2008: Raven's Pass (Frankie Dettori, John Gosden)
- 2007: Curlin (Robby Albarado, Steve Asmussen)
- 2006: Invasor (Fernando Jara, Kiaran McLaughlin)
- 2005: Saint Liam (Jerry Bailey, Rick Dutrow)
- 2004: Ghostzapper (Javier Castellano, Bobby Frankel)
- 2003: Pleasantly Perfect (Alex Solis, Richard Mandella)
- 2002: Volponi (Jose Santos, Philip Johnson)
- 2001: Tiznow (Chris McCarron, Jay Robbins)
- 2000: Tiznow (Chris McCarron, Jay Robbins)
- 1999: Cat Thief (Pat Day, D. Wayne Lukas)
- 1998: Awesome Again (Pat Day, Patrick Byrne)
- 1997: Skip Away (Mike Smith, Sonny Hine)
- 1996: Alphabet Soup (Chris McCarron, David Hofmans)
- 1995: Cigar (Jerry Bailey, Bill Mott)
- 1994: Concern (Jerry Bailey, Richard Small)
- 1993: Arcangues (Jerry Bailey, Andre Fabre)
- 1992: A.P. Indy (Ed Delahoussaye, Neil Drysdale)
- 1991: Black Tie Affair (Jerry Bailey, Ernie Poulos)
- 1990: Unbridled (Pat Day, Carl Nafzger)
- 1989: Sunday Silence (Chris McCarron, Charlie Whittingham)
- 1988: Alysheba (Chris McCarron, Jack Van Berg)
- 1987: Ferdinand (Bill Shoemaker, Charlie Whittingham)
- 1986: Skywalker (Laffit Pincay Jr., Michael Whittingham)
- 1985: Proud Truth (Jorge Velasquez, John Veitch)
- 1984: Wild Again (Pat Day, Vincent Timphony)
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There’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Forever Young, Sovereignty, Golden Tempo and more. What to know about the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic.