The posts for the 14 races of the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships were drawn Monday evening at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky and the main buzz involved Godolphin’s Knightsbridge being entered in the Classic on Hallowe’en.
The speedy Knightsbridge was also entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile but will join his stablemate SOVEREIGNTY in the gate for the 10 furlong classic worth $7 million. There are eight horses entered in the Classic, which is race 12 on Saturday with a post time of 6:16 p.m. eastern.
The Breeders’ Cup gets underway with Future Stars Friday on Oct. 30.
Woodbine trainer KEVIN ATTARD, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race with Moira two years ago, has entered two American bred fillies in the Juvenile Filly Turf on Friday. DE LA RENTA, second in the Grade 1 Natalma to Voyager (who will compete in the Juvenile Fillies on dirt) and GO FOR LAUNCH, second in the Grade 3 Algonquin Stakes, are each 30 to 1 for the one-mile race on turf, race 8.
And Canadian breeders Ivan and Colleen Dalos are represented by COACH POPE, a son of Tapit from the Dalos-family broodmare Gamble’s Ghost (Ghostzapper) in the Juvenile, which is race 9. Coach Pope is a Kentucky bred sold by the Dalos family for $350,000 as a yearling at the 2025 Fasig Tipton October sale. Coach Pope, second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, is 4 to 1.
There are no Canadian bred entrants in the Breeders’ Cup this year.
Contenders bred in eight countries—Argentina, Australia, Chile, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, United States, and South Africa—across six continents will compete in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, reflecting the international breadth of a competition that continues to attract elite talent from racing jurisdictions around the globe. A total of 186 horses have been entered across the 14 Championship races, including 62 international contenders.
Among the entries are 10 Breeders’ Cup Champions: Cy Fair, Ethical Diamond (IRE), Forever Young (JPN), Full Serrano (ARG), Immersive, Notable Speech (GB), Shisospicy, Splendora, Starlust (GB), and Super Corredora.
Fans can see the official post positions and morning-line odds for all Breeders’ Cup races and learn more about their favorite Breeders’ Cup runners via BreedersCup.com/Horses/Entries, which also provides extensive statistics, race replays, news, photos, and more, as well as through the official Breeders’ Cup mobile app.
Defending Champion Forever Young Headlines Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic
Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young, who made history last year as the first winner of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) for Japan, returns to defend his title in the $7 million centerpiece of the World Championships. Eight will go forward in the marquee race, which returns to its traditional position as the final Championship race on Saturday with a scheduled post time of 6:16 p.m. ET.
Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, has been installed at morning-line odds of 2-1 and will break from post 5 under jockey Ryusei Sakai. The son of Real Steel (JPN) will seek to become just the second horse to win consecutive editions of the Classic, joining Tiznow (2000-01).
Among his principal challengers is Godolphin LLC’s reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1), who added the Whitney Stakes (G1) to his distinguished résumé this summer. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the son of Into Mischief has been installed at morning-line odds of 5-2 and will break from post 2 under Junior Alvarado.
The Classic field also features Godolphin’s Knightsbridge (9-2, post 7), winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Magnitude (6-1, post 6), whose victories in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) established him among the division’s leading performers. Tomoya Ozasa’s T O Password (JPN), a multiple stakes winner from Japan who ran fifth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, will also take a chance at Classic glory for trainer Daisuke Takayanagi at odds of 30-1 from post 1.
Adding depth to the field are leading 3-year-olds Golden Tempo (5-1, post 3), winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable and trainer Cherie DeVaux; Espoir USA’s Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo (15-1, post 8) for trainer Chad Summers, and the Gustavo Delgado-trained Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner The Puma (10-1, post 4) for OGMA Investments, Saleh Al Otaibi, High Step Racing LLC, TCC Stables LLC, YNG Stables LLC, and JR Ranch.
Photo gallery from Breeders’Cup.com
Knightsbridge exercises in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 26, 2026.Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire
De la Renta, trained by Kevin Attard, exercises during morning workouts in preparation for racing during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on October 26, 2026. Karina Serio/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders’ Cup
Go for Launch, trained by Kevin Attard, exercises during morning workouts in preparation for racing during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on October 26, 2026. Karina Serio/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders’ Cup
Coach Pope, trained by Kenneth G. McPeek, exercises during morning workouts in preparation for racing during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on October 26, 2026. Tim Sudduth/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders’ Cup
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