Fourteen Countries to Host ‘Win and You’re In’ Qualifiers for 2026 Breeders’ Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

Breeders' Cup has announced that 14 countries on five continents will host 'Win and You're In' qualifiers in 2026 as the Challenge Series enters its 20th year.

A selection of the premier contests in Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Uruguay feature as part of the 2026 Challenge Series. The 45-race international schedule is available to view here, with the North American portion of the Challenge Series, including races in Canada, set to be announced in the spring when racing schedules have been finalised.

In addition, Breeders' Cup has allocated a record $6.5 million in free entry fees to this year's 'Win and You're In' qualifiers, with all winners guaranteed a starting position in a corresponding race at the 43rd Breeders' Cup World Championships, which take place at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky on October 30-31.

“Global participation is a cornerstone of the Breeders' Cup, and the Challenge Series remains the premier pathway for horsemen worldwide to secure automatic qualification for the World Championships,” said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders' Cup Limited.

“We are grateful to the racing authorities and partner organizations spanning five continents for their continued commitment, which is essential to the strength of the Challenge Series, and we anticipate another outstanding edition of the World Championships at Keeneland this fall.”

Last year, 46 Challenge Series winners competed at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar and three won their respective divisional races: Forever Young in the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic; Notable Speech in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile; and Ted Noffey in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The 2026 Challenge Series launched in December last year, with Obataye winning an entry to the $5 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf through the G1 Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini Stakes in Argentina. On January 6, the international action continued with Herr Kitten securing a berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile via the G3 Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua in Uruguay.

Obataye and Herr Kitten, along with every other Challenge Series winner based outside of North America, will be offered a $40,000 travel allowance by Breeders' Cup. In order to receive the reward, each winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup programme by the pre-entry deadline of Monday, October 19.

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