Keeneland Race Course to host Breeders' Cup World Championships for 4th time. What to know
Keeneland Race Course in Lexington has been named the host site for the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Breeders' Cup announced Wednesday the host sites for the 2026 and 2027 races. Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., will host the 2027 event.
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'Keeneland exemplifies an unwavering dedication to excellence in thoroughbred racing and is currently making a significant investment to benefit our great sport, making it an ideal venue to host the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships,' said Drew Fleming, President & CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. 'We look forward to welcoming fans back to the Horse Capital of the World, celebrating the rich history of the Bluegrass and highlighting the tremendous farms that make the area so special as we celebrate the pinnacle of thoroughbred racing.'
Anchoring the Keeneland development plan is the three-level Paddock Building, which extends the entire length of the Saddling Paddock and Walking Ring and is scheduled to open this fall. The Paddock Building will provide new ticketed experiences for more than 1,000 fans during race meets, including traditional sit-down dining, new bar concepts and access to a Paddock Lawn on the north side of the Saddling Paddock.
'Keeneland is honored to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2026, and we're thrilled to share this global racing celebration with fans from all over the world and with the Lexington community,' Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. 'We are especially excited to host guests in our new Paddock Building with further enhanced hospitality experiences.'
Keeneland will host the Breeders' Cup for the fourth time, also hosting in 2015, 2020 and 2022. Race dates — pending approval by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation — in 2026 are set for Oct. 30-31.
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This year's Breeders' Cup is set for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar in California.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
More horse racing: Check out the list of contenders for the 2025 Belmont
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky to host Breeders' Cup 2026
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Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Miami Herald
After skipping the Preakness, what is expected from Sovereignty in the Belmont?
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Sovereignty posted a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure in that Derby triumph, which delivered Godolphin its first victory in the Run for the Roses. Godolphin, a global racing outfit, has tasted victory in the Belmont Stakes before. Essential Quality — who, like Sovereignty, is a Kentucky homebred for Godolphin — won the 2021 Belmont after finishing third in that year's Kentucky Derby. This year's shortened Belmont distance of 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga figures to work well for Sovereignty, whose three career wins have come at distances of 1 1/16 miles (twice) and 1 1/4 miles in the Derby. 'I would anticipate that'll be fine for him,' Banahan said of the Belmont distance for Sovereignty, who began his racing career with a fourth-place effort in a maiden special weight race at Saratoga last August. 'I suppose if it was a regular Belmont at Belmont Park, that'd be another question to answer going that far (1 1/2 miles). 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New York Post
17 hours ago
- New York Post
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Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
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Journalism opens as the Belmont favorite. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is the 2nd choice
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