Breeders' Cup Classic

The Breeders' Cup Classic is the pinnacle event in Thoroughbred horse racing, serving as the grand finale of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Contenders are the world's top horses, including Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, cementing its status as the definitive year-end championship.

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Bet the Breeders' Cup Classic Odds

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Location: Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY

Inaugural Race: 1984

TV Coverage: Free on TwinSpires.com!

Current Distance: 1 1/4 Miles

Track Type: Dirt

Age Qualification: Three Years and Older

Purse: $7,000,000

Race Date: Saturday, October 31st

2025 Breeders' Cup Classic - Bet with TwinSpires
Track
Del Mar-Breeders Cup
Race
9
Time
November 01 2025
#
Horse Info
Horse Name
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Fierceness
Velazquez, John R
Pletcher, Todd A
3/1
2
Baeza
Berrios, Hector I
Shirreffs, John A
7/1
3
Nevada Beach
Smith, Mike E
Baffert, Bob
18/1
4
Contrary Thinking
Geroux, Florent
Brown, Chad C
66/1
5
Forever Young
Sakai, Ryusei
Yahagi, Yoshito
7/2
7
Sierra Leone
Prat, Flavien
Brown, Chad C
7/2
8
Mindframe
Ortiz; Jr, Irad
Pletcher, Todd A
7/1
9
Journalism
Ortiz, Jose L
Mccarthy, Michael W
9/2
10
Antiquarian
Saez, Luis
Pletcher, Todd A
17/1
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Expert Picks

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Last updated: October 6, 2026 at 11:48 AM EDT

Official 2026 Entries & Morning Line Odds

Race 12 - Post Time: Saturday 10/31 at 6:15 PM ET

The BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC (GI) carries a $7 million purse and has become the defining race the Breeders' Cup World Championships as the defining race of this international event. Official entries and morning line odds are listed below for 2025, with the 2026 Breeders' Cup morning line odds and entries coming soon. 

PP
Odds
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
1
4-1
Fierceness
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
2
15-1
Baeza
Hector Berrios
John Shirreffs
3
20-1
Nevada Beach
Mike Smith
Bob Baffert
4
50-1
Contrary Thinking
Florent Geroux
Chad Brown
5
6-1
Forever Young (JPN)
Ryusei Sakai
Yoshito Yahagi
7
8-1
Sierra Leone
Flavien Prat
Chad Brown
8
10-1
Mindframe
Irad Ortiz, Jr
Todd Pletcher
9
10-1
Journalism
Jose Ortiz
Michael McCarthy
10
15-1
Antiquarian
Luis Saez
Todd Pletcher

Information and winners of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series races for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Stay up-to-date on the winners of the "Win and You're In" Challenge Series races for the Breeders' Cup Classic

Date
Race
Country
Winner
1/24/2026
United States
Skippylongstocking
2/14/2026
Saudi Cup
Saudi Arabia
Forever Young (JPN)
2/22/2026
February Stakes
Japan
Costa Nova (JPN)
3/28/2026
Dubai World Cup
United Arab Emirates
Magnitude
6/27/2026
United States
Magnitude
7/18/2026
United States
Baby Vino
8/8/2026
United States
Sovereignty
8/19/2026
United Kingdom
Item
8/22/2026
United States
Knightsbridge
9/18/2026
United States
Forever Young (JPN)
9/26/2026
United States
Forged Steel

Breeders' Cup Classic WAYI Starters

Find everything you need to know about the Breeders Cup Classic Win and You're In starters potentially heading to Keeneland at the end of October. 

Skippylongstocking

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione 

Trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr. 

Owner: Daniel Alonso 

BC Challenge Race won: Pegasus World Cup Invitational


Forever Young wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Belmont Park's grand reopening

Forever Young wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Belmont Park's grand reopening (Photo by Chelsea Durand/Coglianese Photos)

Forever Young (JPN)

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai 

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi

Owner: Susumu Fujita

BC Challenge Race won: Saudi Cup & Jockey Club Gold Cup


Costa Nova became just the third horse to win the February (G1) twice

Costa Nova became just the third horse to win the February (G1) twice (Photo by Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com)

Costa Nova (JPN)

Jockey: Christpohe Lemaire 

Trainer: Tetsuya Kimura

Owner: Katsumi Yoshida

BC Challenge Race won: February Stakes (G1)


Magnitude wins the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Magnitude wins the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Magnitude

Jockey: Jose L. Ortiz

Trainer: Steven Asmussen

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC

BC Challenge Race won: Dubai World Cup & Stephen Foster Stakes


Baby Vino wins the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Stakes.

Baby Vino wins the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Stakes. (Photo by EQUI-PHOTO)

Baby Vino

Jockey: Jorge A. Vargas Jr.

Trainer: Lindsay Schultz 

Owner: Cosmo Stables and Delta Squad Racing, LLC

BC Challenge Race won: Haskell Stakes


 

Sovereignty

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Godolphin Racing

BC Challenge Race won: Whitney Stakes


 

Breeders' Cup Logo - Keeneland 2026 no background

Item

Jockey: Colin Keane

Trainer: Andrew Balding

Owner: Juddmonte

BC Challenge Race won: International Stakes


 

Knightsbridge

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: Goldolphin Racing

BC Challenge Race won: Pacific Classic (G1)


Forged Steel wins the Goodwood at Santa Anita

Forged Steel wins the Goodwood (G1) at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)

Forged Steel 

Jockey: Edwin Gonzalez

Trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr

Owner: C2 Racing Stable LLC, Mathis Stables LLC and TCC Stables LLC

BC Challenge Race won: Goodwood Stakes


Breeders' Cup Juvenile Analysis & Handicapping Picks

Our expert handicappers are excited about the upcoming Breeders' Cup Mile, and will have analysis and handicapping picks coming soon!

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Breeders' Cup Classic - 2025 Results & Payouts

Below are the final results and payouts for the Breeders' Cup Classic:

Post
Horse
Jockey / Trainer
Win / Place / Show
5
Forever Young (JPN)
Ryusei Sakai / Yoshito Yahagi
$9.00 / $4.80 / $3.20
7
Sierra Leone
Flavien Prat / Chad C. Brown
$4.60 / $2.80
1
Fierceness
John R. Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher
$3.40
9
Journalism
Jose L. Ortiz / Michael W. McCarthy
8
Mindframe
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Todd A. Pletcher
2
Baeza
Hector Isaac Berrios / John A. Shirreffs
3
Nevada Beach
Mike E. Smith / Bob Baffert
10
Antiquarian
Luis Saez / Todd A. Pletcher
4
Contrary Thinking
Florent Geroux / Chad C. Brown

Exotic Payouts:

  • $1.00 Exacta (5-7) Paid: $17.30
  • $0.50 Trifecta (5-7-1) Paid: $30.10
  • $0.10 Superfecta (5-7-1-9) Paid: $20.74

Historical Winner Results for the Breeders’ Cup Classic

In the table below, view a historical record of the winning trainers, thoroughbreds, jockeys, and times for every Breeders’ Cup Juvenile race.

YEAR
HORSE (AGE)
JOCKEY / TRAINER
TIME / VENUE
2025
Forever Young (JPN) (5)
Ryusei Sakai / Yoshito Yahagi
2:00.19 / Del Mar
2024
Sierra Leone (3)
Flavien Prat / Chad Brown
2:00.78 / Del Mar
2023
White Abarrio (4)
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Richard Dutrow
2:02.87 / Santa Anita
2022
Flightline (4)
Flavien Prat / John W. Sadler
2:00.05 / Keeneland
2021
Knicks Go (5)
Joel Rosario / Joel Rosario
1:59.57 / Del Mar
2020
Authentic (3)
John R. Velazquez / John R. Velazquez
1:59.60 / Keeneland
2019
Vino Rosso (4)
Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Todd Pletcher
2:02.80 / Santa Anita
2018
Accelerate (5)
Joel Rosario / John Sadler
2:02.93 / Churchill Downs
2017
Gun Runner (4)
Florent Geroux / Steve Asmussen
2:01:29 / Del Mar
2016
Arrogate (3)
Mike E. Smith / Bob Baffert
2:00.11 / Santa Anita

Speed Records

1:59.02

Ghostzapper (2004)

Most Wins by a Jockey

5

Chris McCarron (2001, 2000, 1996, 1989, 1988) & Jerry Bailey (2005, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1991)

Most Wins by a trainer

4

Bob Baffert (2020, 2016, 2015, 2014)

Most Wins by an Owner

2

Stronach Group (1998, 2004)


Breeders' Cup Classic Race History

Though the Breeders’ Cup Classic does not have the history of its counterparts in the Triple Crown, it is well renowned as one of the biggest horse races of the year. With a debut in 1984, the Classic is the marquee main event of the Breeders’ Cup World Championship program and typically takes place the first weekend in November.

The venue for the Breeders’ Cup changes about every year as a goal to highlight various racing markets around the USA. Santa Anita and Churchill Downs have been two of the most frequent hosts.

To further acknowledge the prestige of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the race was lumped in with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to form the coveted Grand Slam. This holy grail of American racing was thought to be unattainable, largely because a 38-year drought existed since Affirmed won the last Triple Crown in 1978 before the Breeders’ Cup even existed.

American Pharoah shattered that line of thinking in 2015 with one of the most impressive, single-year campaigns of any horse in the history of the sport. By winning the Triple Crown that season and the Breeders’ Cup Classic later in the year, American Pharoah became the first and only Grand Slam Champion in history.

The only other horse who came close was Sunday Silence who won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1989. Sunday Silence would come up short as the runner-up in that year’s Belmont Stakes, but was recognized for his achievement with a “Small Slam” which is attained by winning three of the four major races.

Beginning in 1984, the purse for the Breeders’ Cup Classic was $3,000,000. This was raised to $4,000,000 in 1996 and again to $5,000,000 in 2005. As of 2024, the purse was raised to $7,000,000 making it the second largest purse in American Thoroughbred racing behind the new Pegasus World Cup which will boast a $12 million purse.


Breeders' Cup Championship Racing List

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