Breeders’ Cup 2026: Under the radar internationals on Saturday

An epic edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) is on tap at Keeneland, but the international team is well represented throughout Championships Saturday on both dirt and turf.

If you’re looking for longshots to include in your wagering strategy, here are Breeders’ Cup contenders eligible to factor at a price.

Race 5: Turf Sprint (G1), 1:48 p.m. ET

The first also-eligible, #15 Big Mojo (20-1), ran a very good fourth in his prior Breeders’ Cup appearance in the 2024 Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1). That is reminiscent of #13 Starlust (20-1), who had been third in the 2023 Juvenile Turf Sprint before scoring his signature win in the 2024 Turf Sprint. Big Mojo lacks consistency, but when he gets a decent trip on better going, he’s capable of a big effort. Starlust is also better than his overall record suggests. After standing a season at stud in Australia last year, he has raced his way back into solid form. The closer will also get the blazing pace he craves, giving him a realistic chance of hitting the board.

Race 6: Dirt Mile (G1), 2:26 p.m. ET

#6 Lord Fons (15-1) has been holding his own with Japan’s leading dirt horses outside of Forever Young. He’s traded decisions with Wilson Tesoro, who’s competed in the Saudi Cup (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1) in past years, and two-time February (G1) winner Costa Nova. The son of the brilliant Lord Kanaloa is effective going two turns on tight dirt tracks, and he’ll appreciate the shorter stretch of the Dirt Mile configuration at Keeneland.

Race 7: Filly & Mare Turf (G1), 3:04 p.m. ET

#4 Red Letter (12-1) has mixed it up in top company throughout her career, and just this season, she’s placed to See the Fire, Estrange, and Thundering On. The Juddmonte homebred often breezes into contention before flattening out, suggesting that she keeps reaching the limit of her stamina. The 1 3/16-mile trip at a flat track like Keeneland could boost her, especially considering that her first stakes victory came around a tight left-handed circuit at Killarney. The Frankel filly is trained by Ger Lyons, whose Magnum Force upset the 2024 Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Race 9: Mile (G1), 4:20 p.m. ET

Japanese turf sprinter #10 Lugal (30-1) hinted that he may handle a mile in U.S. conditions when he set a course record at about seven furlongs in last December’s Hanshin Cup (G2). The descendant of two-time Mile legend Miesque (1987-88) took his game on the road earlier this year, just missing in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) on Dubai World Cup night and racing in contention for some way in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1) at Royal Ascot before winding up eighth. But he was only beaten a grand total of 2 3/4 lengths. If he can handle the two left-handed turns, it wouldn’t be a shock for Lugal to perform better than expected. 

Race 11: Turf (G1), 5:36 p.m. ET

#15 Map of Stars (20-1) has begun to put it all together of late for top French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, thanks to the combination of a gelding operation and the addition of cheekpieces. Last year, the blueblood son of Sea the Stars and Group 1 winner Bateel placed in a pair of Group 1s, notably missing by a neck to Sosie in the 2025 Prix Ganay (G1), and he appears poised to make his mark back at the top level soon. 

Race 12: Classic (G1), 6:16 p.m. ET

As #5 Forever Young (2-1) has every right to score an historic repeat in the Classic, is it too far-fetched to imagine that fellow Japanese shipper #1 T O Password (30-1) can get a piece of the purse? This isn’t the first time they’ve represented their homeland together, for T O Password was a rallying fifth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) when Forever Young was a heroic third. On paper, it’s an ambitious call to go for the Classic rather than the Dirt Mile, but trainer Daisuke Takayanagi’s horses tend to outperform their odds stateside.