This year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland has a bit of everything: tough older geldings, Group 1-class European runners, and a new wave of 3- and 4-year-olds. Expect tight turns, traffic, and a pace that could blow up. Front-runners and closers will both need a clean trip and one well-timed move.
Here are all 16 contenders, followed by the pace scenario that could decide it.
Quick look: the 2026 Turf field
| # | Horse | Age/Sex | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnham Square | 4, gelding | Ian Wilkes |
| 2 | Benvenuto Cellini | 3, colt | Aidan O’Brien |
| 3 | Minnie Hauk | 4, filly | Aidan O’Brien |
| 4 | Ombudsman | 5, horse | John & Thady Gosden |
| 5 | Ethical Diamond | 6, gelding | Willie Mullins |
| 6 | Tiffany | 6, mare | Sir Mark Prescott |
| 7 | Atitlan | 5, horse | Richard Mandella |
| 8 | Survie | 5, mare | George Boughey |
| 9 | Test Score | 4, colt | Graham Motion |
| 10 | Minaret Station | 4, colt | William Walden |
| 11 | Program Trading | 6, horse | Chad Brown |
| 12 | Fort George | 4, gelding | Ed Walker |
| 13 | Deep Monster | 8, horse | Yasutoshi Ikee |
| 14 | Ancient Egypt | 3, colt | Charlie Johnston |
| 15 | Gold Phoenix | 8, gelding | Philip D’Amato |
| 16 | Arabian Crown | 5, gelding | Charlie Appleby |
1. Burnham Square
Burnham Square is a 4-year-old gelding by Liam’s Map, trained by Ian Wilkes for Whitham Thoroughbreds. His turf stamina comes from his dam, Linda, a Grade 2 winner by Scat Daddy. He has won 7 of 16 starts, including the Blue Grass Stakes, and finished second in the 2025 Haskell before moving to long turf races this year.
With Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, he won the Elkhorn, the Louisville, and the 1¼-mile Arlington Million, where he ran a career-best 109 Equibase figure. His last start was a flat seventh in the Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs, so he has something to prove.
2. Benvenuto Cellini
This Irish-bred 3-year-old is by Frankel out of Newspaperofrecord and trained by Aidan O’Brien. He has 4 wins from 8 starts in the last 12 months, and his wins include the 2026 Irish Derby, the Chester Vase, and the 2025 Champions Juvenile Stakes. Ryan Moore rides.
As a 3-year-old, he gets a weight allowance against older horses, and O’Brien has used that edge in this race before. His latest start was a ninth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which is a worry.
3. Minnie Hauk
Minnie Hauk is a 4-year-old filly by Frankel out of Multilingual, a Dansili mare, and she’s trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners. She cost €1.85 million as a yearling and has about $3.25 million in earnings, with 6 wins from 14 starts.
Her 2025 was outstanding: the Cheshire Oaks, Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks. This year she won the Mooresbridge Stakes, finished second in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, and third in the Yorkshire Oaks. She was supplemented into the Arc for €120,000 and finished tenth on soft ground. In 2025 she lost the Arc by a head. Her peak official rating is 119, and as a filly she gets a sex allowance. She’s dangerous if the pace collapses.
4. Ombudsman
A Godolphin homebred trained by John and Thady Gosden, Ombudsman is one of Europe’s best 10-furlong runners, with two wins in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. This year he added the Brigadier Gerard Stakes and the Dubai Turf.
The key question is whether he can stretch from 1¼ to 1½ miles against top company. The Gosden barn’s record with stayers and travelers suggests he can, and he’s reportedly in top shape for his 5-year-old autumn.
5. Ethical Diamond
The defending champion has one of the strangest résumés in Breeders’ Cup history. He’s a 6-year-old gelding by Awtaad out of the Areion mare Pearl Diamond, trained by Willie Mullins. As recently as early 2025, he was running over two miles in jump races. Then he won the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar at 27-1 and ran a 124 Equibase figure.
He’s won 6 of 19 starts for the H O S Syndicate. This season he was unplaced in the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Hardwicke, then won the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown. His latest start was a closing second, beaten less than two lengths, in the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup, which is a good sign.
6. Tiffany
Tiffany is a 6-year-old mare by Farhh out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Affinity, trained by Sir Mark Prescott for Elite Racing Club. She’s finished in the top two in 16 of 19 starts. Her best win came at 1½ miles in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, where she beat the boys.
She wins by grinding, not by a big kick. Her most recent win was this year’s Kentucky Turf Cup, the same race that Ethical Diamond, Fort George, and Burnham Square used as a prep.
7. Atitlan
Atitlan is a 5-year-old by The Factor out of Armanda, a German-bred Acatenango mare, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella for John M. B. O’Connor. He’s won the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship, the Charles Whittingham, and the Twilight Derby.
He’s a speed horse who wants to dictate. When left alone on the lead at Santa Anita, he has run away from Grade 1 route fields. He lost in August, which started rumors he might skip the Breeders’ Cup, but he followed that with a fast 8-furlong work in 1:43.20 and is back on track.
8. Survie
A 5-year-old mare by Churchill out of the French-bred Sotteville, Survie was moved from Nicolas Clement in France to George Boughey in England. Her owner is Doreen Tabor. She won the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes at Saratoga this summer with a big last-to-first move, which earned her a fees-paid spot in this race.
That win showed she can handle tight U.S. turns and sloppy pace setups. Her last start was a tenth in the Prix Vermeille.
9. Test Score
Test Score is a 4-year-old by Lookin At Lucky out of Joy Of Learning, a Kitten’s Joy mare, bred by Amerman Racing and trained by Graham Motion. His wins include the 2026 Del Mar Handicap, the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Turf, the 2025 Belmont Derby, and the 2025 Transylvania.
He’s a mid-pack grinder without the explosive kick of the Europeans, but a steady, sustained finish. He could be a quiet value spot in the field.
10. Minaret Station
Minaret Station might be the fastest-rising American horse in the race. He’s a 4-year-old by Instilled Regard out of Beau Recall, a multiple Grade 2 winner by Sir Prancealot. He’s trained by 35-year-old William Walden for OXO Equine.
On October 1, he won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont under Jose Ortiz with a big closing kick, then survived a stewards’ inquiry. This year he was second to Survie in the Christophe Clement and placed in the Bowling Green and Arlington Stakes. He has 4 wins from 9 starts and a 114 Equibase figure. Walden pointed him to this race right after the Hirsch.
11. Program Trading
The anchor of Chad Brown’s turf team is a 6-year-old by Lope de Vega out of Dreamlike, an Oasis Dream mare, owned by Klaravich Stables. He’s hit the board in 11 of 15 starts. He won the Saratoga Derby and Hollywood Derby at 3, and this year he won the Listed Monmouth Stakes and stretched to 1⅜ miles to take the United Nations by 2¾ lengths. He also placed in the Muniz Memorial and the Coolmore Turf Mile.
Brown spaces his races carefully, so Program Trading should arrive fresh.
12. Fort George
A 4-year-old British-bred gelding by Territories out of Dusty Red, a Teofilo mare, Fort George is trained by Ed Walker for Mrs. Fitriani Hay and bred for 1½ miles. This year he won the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes and was second in the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold, then shipped to North America, where he was second in the Bowling Green at Saratoga and third in the Kentucky Turf Cup.
He has 3 wins and 5 seconds from 14 starts and a 114 Equibase figure. He’s a mid-pack presser who keeps grinding at the leaders.
13. Deep Monster
Deep Monster, an 8-year-old by Deep Impact out of Sisterly Love, a Bellamy Road mare, is trained by Yasutoshi Ikee for DMM Dream Club. He’s won 7 of 30 starts, including the 2025 Kyoto Daishoten. This year he was third in the Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin under Joao Moreira, blocked in the last furlong while Romantic Warrior won. He was fourth in his most recent start on October 4.
He’ll drop to the back and try a long, steady rally down the middle of the track. If the early pace falls apart, he could be a scary closer.
14. Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt is the boldest 3-year-old in the field. He cost 1.1 million guineas as a yearling, is by Frankel out of Atone, an Oasis Dream mare, and races for Amo Racing USA with Charlie Johnston. He has 3 wins from 9 starts and lost the Grand Prix de Paris in July by a head.
Last time out, he was fourth in the Canadian International at Woodbine on October 3, pressing the pace before fading late behind Arabian Crown. David Egan rides, and he’ll likely send Ancient Egypt forward to sit beside Atitlan.
15. Gold Phoenix
The West Coast’s tough veteran is an 8-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Belardo, trained by Philip D’Amato, with 13 wins from 35 starts. He won the Del Mar Handicap three straight years (2022–2024) and is making his fourth Breeders’ Cup Turf start.
This year he won the Eddie Read and the San Juan Capistrano, with Equibase figures in the 116–118 range. Hector Berrios rides him, and he is a smart, ground-saving closer who finds room between horses and turns well.
16. Arabian Crown
Charlie Appleby’s runner may be the scariest older horse from Europe. He’s a 5-year-old French-bred gelding by Dubawi out of Dubai Rose, a Dubai Destination mare, with 7 wins from 14 starts. On October 3, he won the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine by 3¾ lengths under Jamie Spencer, running a 120 Equibase figure, the highest in North America that week.
Before that, he won a Group 3 at Leopardstown and was second in a Group 2 at Newmarket. Appleby’s plan with turf routers in North America is to keep a high cruising speed and strike at the quarter pole, and that fits this horse.
The pace scenario
Everything depends on what Atitlan and Ancient Egypt do early. If they battle into the first turn, the fast pace should wear down the mid-pack stalkers and favor deep closers like Survie, Minaret Station, and Deep Monster.
If Atitlan gets an easy lead, his sustained speed will be hard to catch. Riders on Program Trading and Arabian Crown would need to pressure him at the half-mile pole without spending too much too soon.
Then there’s Ethical Diamond. His jump-racing stamina makes a pace meltdown less of a worry for him, which makes the final quarter mile unpredictable.
The winner will have enough cruising speed for the tight turns and enough stamina to survive 1½ miles in a long stretch battle.
FAQ
When is the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Turf?
Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. (Confirm the date.)
How far is the Breeders’ Cup Turf?
1½ miles (12 furlongs) on turf.
Who won the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf?
Ethical Diamond, at Del Mar, at 27-1.
Who are the top contenders for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Turf?
Arabian Crown, Minaret Station, Ethical Diamond, Benvenuto Cellini, and Minnie Hauk are among the horses to watch, along with Survie and Program Trading.
Which horse is likely to set the pace?
Atitlan, with Ancient Egypt likely to press him.
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