Breeders Cup Draw on Monday: What Gets Decided, Classic and Turf Fields, and Full Race Times

Some links in this guide are affiliate links, if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Here’s our disclosure.

When is the Breeders Cup draw, and why does it matter?

The Breeders Cup post position draw takes place on Monday 26 October at 17:00 Eastern Time at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky. It will be shown on FanDuel TV. The draw sets the starting gate for every horse in all 14 Grade 1 races at the Breeders Cup World Championships on Friday 30 October and Saturday 31 October, and it also sets the morning line odds that bookmakers and bettors will use all week. Post position matters more at Keeneland than at many tracks, because the dirt track is tight and the run to the first turn is short in some races. A wide draw in the Classic, run over one and a quarter miles on dirt, means a horse has to work harder early to get a good position, or risk being caught wide around the first turn. A wide draw in the Turf, run over one and a half miles on grass, matters less, because there is more time to find a position, but it still affects the tactics. A bad draw does not make a good horse a bad horse, but it does change the job for the jockey. The draw also ends the uncertainty that has dominated the last week. A record 255 pre-entries were announced on Wednesday 21 October, covering 222 individual horses, including 79 international runners. Since then, withdrawals have changed several fields, and five horses remain entered in two races and must choose one by Monday. After the draw, the fields are final, the morning line is set, and the week of serious betting and analysis can begin.

What are the five horses facing a Monday choice?

Five horses were pre-entered in both the Classic and the Dirt Mile, and they must choose one race before the draw. Two of them have already signalled a first preference for the Dirt Mile, which means they are more likely to run there unless their connections change their minds at the last minute. | Horse | Dual entry | First preference, where known | | Knightsbridge | Classic and Dirt Mile | Not confirmed as first preference Dirt Mile | | Napoleon Solo | Classic and Dirt Mile | Not confirmed as first preference Dirt Mile | | Further Ado | Classic and Dirt Mile | Not confirmed as first preference Dirt Mile | | Forged Steel | Classic and Dirt Mile | Dirt Mile | | T O Password | Classic and Dirt Mile | Dirt Mile | Forged Steel and T O Password have first preference in the Dirt Mile, so they are expected to run there. Knightsbridge, Napoleon Solo and Further Ado have not been confirmed as first preference Dirt Mile in the same way, so their connections still have a decision to make. If all five choose the Dirt Mile, the Classic field becomes smaller and cleaner. If any of them choose the Classic, the Classic becomes deeper and more competitive, but the Dirt Mile loses a contender. This is not a minor detail. The Classic is worth 7 million dollars, the richest race of the weekend, and the Dirt Mile is a different test, over one mile on dirt instead of one and a quarter miles. A horse that is entered in both is usually entered in both because its connections are not sure which distance suits it best, or because they want to keep their options open until they see the draw. Monday is when that option closes.

Who is in the Classic field as it stands?

The Classic, run on Saturday 31 October, is the centrepiece of the Breeders Cup. It is run over one and a quarter miles on dirt, for a purse of 7 million dollars, and it is scheduled for 18:16 Eastern Time on Saturday, which is 22:16 London time and 03:16 Karachi time on Sunday 1 November. Post times are subject to change, so check the official race card on the day. The two names at the centre of the Classic are Sovereignty and Forever Young. Sovereignty is the reigning Horse of the Year. Forever Young is the defending Classic champion. Their clash is the race within the race, and it is why the Classic is the most talked about race of the weekend. Magnitude, the Dubai World Cup winner who beat Sovereignty in the Stephen Foster, is another major contender, and Golden Tempo, who trains at Keeneland, is a local hope with home track advantage. Phileas Fogg, who had been a Classic contender, is out. His trainer Gustavo Rodriguez confirmed to the Daily Racing Form on 22 October that the horse has a left front foot issue, needs two months off, and is pointed to 2027. That withdrawal removed one of the most interesting stories from the Classic, but it also clarified the field. The Classic now has 10 pre-entries, before the dual entry decisions are made, and the draw will confirm the final number. The Classic is not just about the winner. It is about the order of finish, the pace, and the tactics. If Sovereignty and Forever Young both run their best races, the Classic will be decided in the final furlong. If one of them has an off day, Magnitude and the other contenders are ready to take advantage. That is why the draw matters: the pace scenario, which is set by the draw and the early speed in the field, will decide whether the race is won by a front runner or a closer.

What has changed in the Turf and the Mile?

The Turf, run on Saturday 31 October for a purse of 5 million dollars, has changed more than any other race in the last week. Minnie Hauk, who won the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot on 17 October, is out. Lambourn, the 2025 Epsom Derby winner, is also out, as an also eligible. Ombudsman was ruled out on 21 October by trainers John and Thady Gosden, who said it would not be fair to run him on a quick turnaround, with the Japan Cup on 29 November in Tokyo now under consideration. In their place, Johanna Walsh and Far Bridge have drawn into the Turf field, and El Cordobes is the first also eligible, meaning he will run if another horse withdraws before the draw. The Turf is scheduled for 17:36 Eastern Time on Saturday, which is 21:36 London time and 02:36 Karachi time on Sunday. Like the Classic, that post time is subject to change. The Mile, run for a purse of 2 million dollars, has also changed. Gstaad, the 2025 Juvenile Turf winner, is out, and Constitution River, a two time Grade 1 winner, is out. In their place, Ask Ikigomi from Japan, the Grade 1 NHK Mile runner-up, and Puerto Rico from the Aidan O'Brien stable have drawn in, and the Daily Racing Form adds that Qirat draws in as well. There is one conditional case to watch: if trainer Ralph Beckett runs Blue Bolt in the Filly and Mare Turf, then Lugal would draw into the Mile. Blue Bolt is conditional only, and must not be published as a confirmed Mile runner until that decision is made. The Juvenile races have also seen withdrawals. Net Par is out of the Juvenile, Al Hudaiba is out of the Juvenile Turf with Liam's Law in, and Drazinda and Nabati are out of the Juvenile Turf Sprint. These changes matter for bettors and for fans following specific horses, but they do not change the overall shape of the weekend, which is still 14 Grade 1 races worth more than 34 million dollars in purses and awards.

What is the full Breeders Cup race schedule?

The Breeders Cup runs over two days at Keeneland. Friday 30 October is the Future Stars Friday card, with five Grade 1 races for two year olds. Saturday 31 October is the main card, with nine Grade 1 races, including the Classic. The table below gives the key races and their scheduled post times, in Eastern Time, London time, and Karachi time. All post times are subject to change, and the official race card on the day is the final authority. | Day and race | Purse | Eastern Time | London GMT | Karachi PKT | | Friday, Juvenile Fillies | Grade 1 | 15:35 | 19:35 | 00:35 Saturday | | Friday, Juvenile Fillies Turf | Grade 1 | 16:15 | 20:15 | 01:15 Saturday | | Friday, Juvenile | Grade 1 | 16:55 | 20:55 | 01:55 Saturday | | Friday, Juvenile Turf | Grade 1 | 17:35 | 21:35 | 02:35 Saturday | | Saturday, Turf | 5 million dollars | 17:36 | 21:36 | 02:36 Sunday | | Saturday, Classic | 7 million dollars | 18:16 | 22:16 | 03:16 Sunday | The full Saturday card includes nine Grade 1 races, starting in the early afternoon Eastern Time and building to the Classic as the final race. The Turf is the penultimate race on Saturday, which means the Classic will be run under lights at Keeneland, with the whole weekend building to that one moment. If you are watching from the UK, the Classic is a late night race, starting at 22:16 London time. If you are watching from Pakistan, it is an early morning race, starting at 03:16 Karachi time on Sunday. The draw on Monday will also set the morning line odds for each race. The morning line is not a prediction, it is a starting point for betting, set by the official morning line maker. It reflects the perceived chances of each horse, based on form, draw, and trainer and jockey combinations. After the draw, the odds will move as money comes in, but the morning line is the reference point that every other price is measured against.

How can you watch the draw and the races?

The draw on Monday 26 October at 17:00 Eastern Time will be shown on FanDuel TV. In the UK, check Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing listings for draw coverage, because the draw is often shown as part of their Breeders Cup preview programming. In the United States, NBC and Peacock carry Breeders Cup race coverage, with FanDuel TV carrying the draw and much of the build up. For the races themselves, the main Saturday card is shown on NBC in the United States, with streaming on Peacock. In the UK, Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV both carry Breeders Cup coverage, and the races are also available through bookmaker streaming services. In France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, check local racing channels and bookmaker streams, because Breeders Cup rights vary by country. The safest approach is to check the official Breeders Cup website on the day, which lists broadcast partners by country. If you are new to the Breeders Cup, the best way to watch is to start with the draw on Monday, then follow the Classic and Turf fields through the week, and then watch the Saturday card from the early races onwards. The Breeders Cup is not just one race, it is a championship meeting, and the story builds across the two days. The Classic is the climax, but the Turf, the Mile, and the Juvenile races all have their own champions, and their own stories.

What should you watch for after the draw?

After the draw, three things will matter most. First, the Classic draw: who got a good gate, who got a wide gate, and how that affects the pace. Second, the dual entry decisions: which of the five horses run in the Classic and which run in the Dirt Mile, and how that changes both fields. Third, the morning line: who is favourite, who is overpriced, and who is underpriced, based on the draw and the form. The Breeders Cup is the biggest test of the year for many of these horses, and the draw is the moment when the test becomes real. Before the draw, everything is speculation. After the draw, everything is a race. Monday at 17:00 Eastern Time is when that change happens, and it is why the draw is worth watching in its own right, not just as a prelude to the races. Related: Breeders Cup withdrawals and Breeders Cup Classic head to head. Sources: Breeders Cup official pre-entries, Keeneland, Daily Racing Form, Paulick Report, Thoroughbred Daily News, US Racing Breeders Cup race cards.