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Sports
Horse Racing
The races that matter: the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup, and the great days at Epsom, Ascot, Longchamp, Aintree, Cheltenham, the Curragh, Meydan and Riyadh.
Golden Tempo — jockey Jose Ortiz, trainer Cherie DeVaux
First run in 1875 and never skipped since, the Run for the Roses is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in America. Three-year-olds only, the first leg of the Triple Crown, and the most exciting two minutes in sports. In 2026, Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train the winner.
Napoleon Solo — jockey Paco Lopez, trainer Chad Summers
The middle jewel of the Triple Crown dates to 1873, two years before the first Kentucky Derby. The winner's owner gets the Woodlawn Vase and the weathervane atop the Pimlico infield is painted in his silks. The 2026 running was held at Laurel Park while Pimlico was rebuilt; in 2027 it returns to Pimlico on a new Sunday date, May 23.
United States
Belmont Stakes
Track
Belmont Park, Elmont, New York (Saratoga 2024–2026)
Distance
1½ miles traditionally (1¼ miles at Saratoga)
Purse
$2,000,000 (2026)
Next running
TBA Early June 2027 — date not yet confirmed
Last winner (2026)
Golden Tempo — jockey Jose Ortiz, trainer Cherie DeVaux
First run in 1867, the Test of the Champion is the oldest of the Triple Crown races and the one that has broken the most Triple Crown dreams. Secretariat's 31-length win in 1973 still stands as the benchmark. The race spent 2024–2026 at Saratoga while Belmont Park was rebuilt.
United States
Travers Stakes
Track
Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York
Distance
1¼ miles (dirt)
Purse
$1,250,000 (2026)
Next running
TBA Late August 2027 — date not yet confirmed
Last winner (2026)
Leading Change — jockey Manuel Franco, trainer Brad H. Cox
The Midsummer Derby, first run in 1864, is America's oldest major stakes race for three-year-olds. Saratoga is called the Graveyard of Champions for a reason: favorites lose here, and the winner's name gets painted on a canoe in the infield lake.
United States
Pegasus World Cup Invitational
Track
Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida
Distance
1⅛ miles (dirt)
Purse
$3,000,000 (2026)
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Skippylongstocking — jockey Tyler Gaffalione, trainer Saffie A. Joseph Jr.
The new money of American racing. Launched in 2017 as the richest race in the world, the Pegasus brings older dirt horses to South Florida every January, along with a celebrity crowd that treats it like a cocktail party with a horse race in the middle.
United States
Breeders' Cup Classic
Track
Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky (2026 host; site rotates)
Distance
1¼ miles (dirt)
Purse
$7,000,000*
Next running
Last winner (2025)
Forever Young — jockey Ryusei Sakai, trainer Yoshito Yahagi
Created in 1984 as racing's season-ending championship, the Classic usually decides Horse of the Year. The host track moves around the country. Japan's Forever Young won in 2025, a sign of just how global the sport has become.
United States
Breeders' Cup Turf
Track
Keeneland, Lexington, Kentucky (2026 host; site rotates)
The Breeders' Cup's marquee grass race, and the American race European stables target most. Run every year since 1984, European-trained horses have won it many times. In 2025 Willie Mullins, better known for jumps racing, won it with Ethical Diamond.
Europe
Europe
The Derby (Epsom)
Track
Epsom Downs, Surrey, England
Distance
1 mile 4 furlongs 6 yards (turf)
Purse
£1,500,000*
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Christmas Day — jockey Ronan Whelan, trainer Aidan O'Brien
The original. First run in 1780 and named after the 12th Earl of Derby, who reportedly won a coin toss for the honor. Every 'Derby' in the world, Kentucky's included, is named after this one. The track's camber and Tattenham Corner make it a uniquely tough test.
Europe
Royal Ascot — Gold Cup (highlight)
Track
Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire, England
Distance
Gold Cup: about 2½ miles (turf)
Purse
Varies by race
Next running
Royal Ascot runs June 15–19, 2027; the Gold Cup is traditionally on the Thursday
Last winner (2026 Gold Cup)
Scandinavia — jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O'Brien
Five days of top-hat racing founded by Queen Anne in 1711, with a royal procession down the course every afternoon. Highlights include the Queen Anne Stakes, the Prince of Wales's Stakes, and the Gold Cup, a 2½-mile test of stamina first run in 1807.
Europe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Track
ParisLongchamp, Paris, France
Distance
2,400 meters / about 1½ miles (turf)
Purse
€5,000,000*
Next running
TBA Expected first Sunday of October 2027 (Oct. 3) — not yet confirmed
Europe's championship race since 1920, run on the first Sunday in October in the Bois de Boulogne. In 2026 Daryz won it for the second year in a row. European racing authorities have also approved opening the race to geldings.
Europe
Grand National
Track
Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England
Distance
About 4 miles 2 furlongs, 30 fences (jumps)
Purse
£1,000,000*
Next running
Last winner (2026)
I Am Maximus — jockey Paul Townend, trainer Willie Mullins
First run in 1839, the world's most famous steeplechase stops Britain. Becher's Brook, the Chair and the Canal Turn are known by name to people who never watch racing. I Am Maximus won in 2025 and again in 2026, back-to-back in the style of Red Rum.
Europe
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Track
Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, England
Distance
About 3 miles 2½ furlongs (jumps)
Purse
£625,000*
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Gaelic Warrior — jockey Paul Townend, trainer Willie Mullins
The championship race of jump racing and the climax of the four-day Cheltenham Festival, first run as a steeplechase in 1924. Arkle won three in a row in the 1960s, and the Cheltenham roar as the field sets off still sends a chill through the Cotswolds.
Europe
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Track
Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire, England
Distance
1½ miles (turf)
Purse
£1,250,000*
Next running
TBA Expected late July 2027 (Sat. July 24) — not yet confirmed
Last winner (2026)
Kalpana — jockey Colin Keane, trainer Andrew Balding
Britain's midsummer championship, first run in 1951, where the Classic generation takes on older horses for the first time. Winners such as Mill Reef, Dancing Brave and Enable read like a Hall of Fame list.
Europe
Irish Derby
Track
The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland
Distance
1½ miles (turf)
Purse
€1,500,000*
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Benvenuto Cellini — jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O'Brien
Ireland's premier Classic, first run in 1866 on the plains of the Curragh. In recent decades it has been a showcase for Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle operation, which has won it more times than anyone.
Middle East
Middle East
Dubai World Cup
Track
Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, UAE
Distance
2,000 meters / about 1¼ miles (dirt)
Purse
$12,000,000 (2026)
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Magnitude — jockey Jose Ortiz, trainer Steve Asmussen
Founded in 1996 by Sheikh Mohammed and run under the lights at Meydan since 2010, the World Cup closes a night with eye-watering prize money. Cigar won the first running in 1996, a name this club can respect.
Middle East
Saudi Cup
Track
King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Distance
1,800 meters / about 1⅛ miles (dirt)
Purse
$20,000,000*
Next running
Last winner (2026)
Forever Young — jockey Ryusei Sakai, trainer Yoshito Yahagi
The richest race on the planet since it debuted in 2020. The Saudi Cup draws the best dirt horses from America, Japan and the Middle East to Riyadh each February. Japan's Forever Young won it in 2025 and again in 2026.
Théodore Géricault, The Derby at Epsom (1821) — the race that gave every Derby its name. Photo: Théodore Géricault / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Curated race guide, last verified October 18, 2026 against official race and racecourse sites and major news coverage. There is no free live feed for these races, so this page is updated by hand after each race. "TBA" means the date has not been officially published. Purses marked * are the most recent published figure and may change. Countdowns are calculated on your device. No odds, no wagering.
