Big Al's Breeders Cup Classic Preview

The Breeders Cup returns to iconic Keeneland Racecourse in 2026, where it's been held on three previous occasions (2015, 2020, and 2022).  This year's races will be contested on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, with the weekend culminating in the Breeders Cup Classic on Saturday as the last of the nine Championship races, scheduled for 6:16 pm ET.  It's not often that we get to see the winners of the last two Kentucky Derbies face each other in this Championship race.  In fact, it's only happened on one other occasion -- 1987 with Ferdinand (winner of the Derby in 1986) faced Alysheba (1987 winner) in a thrilling Classic that was won by Ferdinand by a nose.  As of this writing, we will be seeing a Kentucky Derby showdown for the second time in the Breeders Cup history, as Sovereignty (winner in 2025) is set to race, as well as Golden Tempo, who was victorious for Cherie DeVaux this past May.  

   

Ferdinand and Alysheba met again in the 1988 Breeders Cup, making it the first and only time that two Derby winners AND the winner of the previous year's Classic met in the Classic race, but that's about to change.  Last year's winner of the Classic, Japanese Superhorse Forever Young, will be back to defend his title in what will likely be his last race.  So this year we potentially have the first meeting of three Champion runners: the winners of each of the last two Derbies, plus the winner of last year's Breeders Cup Classic. But as historic as a meeting of these three would be, there are other runners worth mentioning who appear ready to try the 1 1/4 mile BC Classic with its $7 Million purse:

   

Magnitude:  After his wins in this year's Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster, this son of Not This Time was thought to be the best older horse in training in the U.S.  But a disappointing 6th place finish in the Whitney at Saratoga has put a question mark on him going into the Classic.  If he can return to his earlier form, Magnitude is a major player in here, and you'll get a very nice price to find out.

   

Napoleon Solo:  A 3-year-old like Golden Tempo, Napoleon Solo has done little wrong this year.  After winning the Preakness, he finished a close second in both of the other biggest non-Triple Crown races of the summer, the Haskell and the Travers, beating the Kentucky Derby winner in the latter.  These horses are often still improving in the fall of their three-year-old season, so if this son of Liam's Map can take a step forward, he could definitely contend in this race, especially given the tactical speed he possesses.

   

Skippylongstocking:  A fan favorite, this seven-year-old horse is a 12-time Graded Stakes winner who has danced every dance and run in the biggest races at virtually every major track in the country.  He had a three-race win streak between December 2025 and March 2026, but has lost his last three, with two third-place finishes and a second, indicating that he might finally be tailing off a bit.  He will be a huge longshot in this race, and that's often when he comes up with his biggest performances.

   
The Puma:  This 3-year-old son of Essential Quality was set to be one of the favorites in this year's Kentucky Derby before having to scratch the day of the race.  He finally made his comeback in the Haskell and Travers, finishing fourth both times.  But then he broke through in his last race -- the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on September 19 in impressive fashion.  Could he be peaking at just the right time? 

   

Knightsbridge:  Here is perhaps the most intriguing horse of the bunch.  This five-year-old son of Nyquist can only be described as a freak -- in the same way the term applied to Flightline, the undefeated superhorse who won the Classic the last time it was contested here in 2022.  Knightsbridge possesses the kind of speed that makes your jaw drop to the floor, and in his last race -- the Pacific Classic -- he appeared to answer the stamina question, blowing away a quality field in a 1 1/4 Grade 1 Stakes race that was never in doubt.  Still, his ownership group is considering the BC Dirt Mile rather than the Classic.  If he does go here, he adds a ton of intrigue to an already historically great field.

Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie