BREEDERS’ CUP ANNOUNCES RETURN OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO KEENELAND

By Amy Gregory —-

BREEDERS’ CUP ANNOUNCES RETURN OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO KEENELAND

Lexington Track to Host Prestigious International Festival of Racing Oct. 30-31, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 28, 2025) – Keeneland Race Course has been selected to host the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, one of Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious international festivals. The Lexington oval is currently undertaking a transformative $100+ million capital construction project, the most significant in its 89-year history, demonstrating its dedication to the future of Thoroughbred racing.

The news was released as part of a multiyear announcement that names the new Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., as the 2027 host site for the Breeders’ Cup, underscoring an ongoing commitment from Breeders’ Cup Limited to promote horse racing and invest in its future. Since its founding in 1984, the non-profit organization has given back more than $1 billion to the industry in purses, awards, and charitable donations while conducting the World Championships at 12 elite racetracks across North America.

“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. New Jockeys’ Quarters within the building will give patrons a unique experience when riders walk directly through one of the dining venues before and after each race. A reconfigured Saddling Paddock, with saddling stalls housed on the lower floor of the Paddock Building, will provide the safest environment possible for horses and human participants and give fans an unmatched view of the pre-race pageantry.

“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. In addition, we will hold our third annual Championship Sale the Wednesday before Breeders’ Cup, a dynamic way to help kick off the week’s festivities. Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup share a strong commitment to showcasing the very best of Thoroughbred racing, and we look forward to helping deliver another world-class event.”

The 2026 running will mark the fourth time that Keeneland will host the World Championships after 2015, 2020, and 2022. The Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland will take place Oct. 30-31, 2026. Race dates are pending approval by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation.

The Breeders’ Cup excitement at Keeneland will be enhanced by the track’s major Thoroughbred auctions that will surround the World Championships. The Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, 2026, is a one-of-a-kind event offering ownership opportunities in the world’s top racing and breeding stock including horses with Breeders’ Cup connections. Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale, the most important auction of its kind in the world, will immediately follow the Breeders’ Cup, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Additional materials – including video footage, high-resolution images, fact sheets, and track-specific press releases – are available at BreedersCup.com/media-center.

ABOUT KEENELAND

Since its first race meet 89 years ago, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts five on-site sales a year, in January, April, September and November. Graduates of Keeneland sales dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the fourth time in 2026, following 2015, 2020 and 2022. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research, and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races through partnerships with host countries around the globe, and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series. The 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade 1 Championship races run during a two-day festival worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar in Del Mar, California. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports. Press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, BreedersCup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.