The path leading to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships commences annually, several months ahead of the main event, through a sequence of preliminary competitions known as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. This collection of races has grown significantly over time, regularly providing enthusiasts and wagerers a glimpse of the contenders expected to compete for Breeders’ Cup recognition in the autumn. Every victor in a Challenge Series event secures an automatic entry, with all associated fees covered, into a relevant Breeders’ Cup Race – encapsulated by the series’ well-known motto, “Win and You’re In.”
Presented subsequently are various details concerning the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, which culminates in the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships slated for Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, at Keeneland Race Course located in Lexington, Kentucky.
1. This current year observes the 20th milestone of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, initiated in 2007. The history of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships extends further back by over twenty years, with its inaugural running occurring in 1984.
2. The 2026 Challenge Series commenced in 2025; its initial contest was the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini, held at San Isidro Racecourse in Argentina. This particular event serves as a “Win and You’re In” pathway to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and saw victory claimed by a horse known as Obataye.
3. The initial trio of domestic “Win and You’re In” competitions occurred during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, running from June 3-7 at Saratoga Race Course. Nitrogen secured a dominant triumph in the Ogden Phipps Stakes Presented by Ford on June 5, thereby gaining a fully funded entry into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff; Nysos triumphed effortlessly in the $1 million Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 6 to ensure eligibility for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile; while Reef Runner powered through to win the Jaipur Stakes and claim a position in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
4. Broadcast presentation for Challenge Series events is available via NBC, NBCSN, Peacock, and FOX for the duration of the year. NBC Sports plans to stream every one of the five days of the Royal Ascot meeting in England next week on Peacock, alongside providing live televised coverage for four of those days. The esteemed Royal Ascot event includes four global “Win and You’re In” competitions. Following this, national coverage resumes with a program on NBCSN and streamed on Peacock on June 27, highlighting the Stephen Foster Stakes (Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic) and Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes (Longines Distaff) from Churchill Downs. Numerous Challenge Series races this forthcoming summer and autumn are scheduled to be shown on FanDuel TV, encompassing significant fixtures originating from Woodbine in September.
5. The Challenge Series launched in 2007, featuring 24 “Win and You’re In” contests spread across two nations. By the year 2014, its scope had expanded to include 71 races in 13 countries. Looking ahead to 2026, the series comprises 95 events scheduled to be held in 14 distinct countries.
6. Among the two new entries to the Challenge Series for 2026, one occurred in January, specifically when Skippylongstocking claimed victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park. That 1 1/8-mile contest provided a “Win and You’re In” spot for the Longines Classic.
7. During the previous year, 46 champions from the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series competed in the 2025 World Championships held at Del Mar, with three of them emerging victorious in their specific category races.
8. The trio of Challenge Series race victors who advanced to achieve Breeders’ Cup prestige in 2025 included Forever Young in the $7 million Longines Classic; Notable Speech in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF; and Ted Noffey in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA.
9. Keeneland, serving as the venue for this year’s World Championships, will host eight “Win and You’re In” competitions for Breeders’ Cup 2026. This scenic Kentucky racetrack, known for its motto “Racing As It Was Meant to Be,” initially welcomed the World Championships in 2015, repeating as host in 2020 (under severe attendance restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and again in 2022. All Challenge Series contests at Keeneland are scheduled to occur over a three-day period designated as Fall Stars Weekend, from October 2-4. Prominently featured among these preparatory events are the Darley Alcbiades Stakes (NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies), Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (FanDuel Juvenile), Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (FanDuel Mile), and Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (Longines Distaff).
10. A total of 11 guaranteed entries are set to be granted for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, recognized as the premier event of the World Championships. Four of these coveted positions have already been claimed by Skippylongstocking, as previously mentioned, through the Pegasus World Cup; Forever Young, the two-time victor of the February 14 Saudi Cup; Costa Nova, who also achieved a second win in the February 22 February Stakes in Japan; and Magnitude, who secured his place in the Classic by defeating Forever Young in the March 28 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline. The supplementary seven qualifying races encompass the June 27 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs, the July 18 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, the August 8 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, the August 19 Juddmonte International Stakes at York, the August 22 Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar, the September 18 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park, and the September 26 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
