3 Breeders’ Cup Sleeper Picks to Consider in 2026
One of the most exciting events on the horse racing calendar is just days away, as the world’s best thoroughbreds will be in action at Keeneland for this year’s Breeders’ Cup, beginning on Friday. All eyes will be on Championships Saturday, as Forever Young bids to go back-to-back in the Classic.
But, with 14 Grade Ones spread across the two days, there will be huge opportunity to find value in the betting markets. We have pinpointed 3 Breeders’ Cup sleeper picks that should be considered at double-digit prices at Keeneland this weekend.
How to Bet On The 2026 Breeders’ Cup
These are the best sportsbooks for U.S. bettors to place wagers on the Breeders’ Cup:
Breeders’ Cup Sleeper Picks
Curracloe (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf)
All of the attention in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf will be on Sun Goddess, who has been the dominant two-year-old in Europe this season. She is the most likely winner of the race this Friday, but at a bigger price, Curracloe could be an interesting selection to play underneath. Johnny Murtagh was a winning jockey at the Breeders’ Cup, but is yet to train a winner at the meeting. Curracloe presents his best chance across the two days this year, and there is plenty to like about her form in the book.
She has winning form in a big field after breaking her maiden at Gowran Park, before taking her form to the next level at the end of September when landing the G3 Darley Fillies Stakes. She won going away on that day, with Alpine Wedding finishing two lengths further back. There is a bit of substance to that form, with the runner-up running out a three-length winner at Cork before being well beaten.
The strength of her maiden win has also worked out well, with the runner-up recently winning over seven furlongs at Leopardstown by four lengths. Curracloe is a +2000 shot for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, highlighting how highly regarded she is by connections.
She is by Baaeed, which indicates plenty of speed over the distance, with the sire winning the French 2,000 Guineas and G1 Queen Anne over a mile. She is likely still a work in progress, but is worthy of outrunning her odds in what is a wide-open race if you overlook Sun Goddess.
Majestic Oops (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint)
Championships Saturday kicks off with the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Ways And Means will be a well-supported favorite, but could be slightly underpriced. Therefore, Majestic Oops could be one of the best Breeders’ Cup sleeper picks on Saturday.
The six-year-old for Philip D’Amato will need a fast pace to aim at, but she has performed to a high standard over further already this season. That stamina could be crucial in the final stretch at Keeneland, especially against a field of runners that are unproven over further. The sleeper was last seen finishing a close second behind Super Corredora in the G2 Zenyatta, but the drop back in distance will play to her strengths.
She was an excellent winner of the American Beauty Stakes over six furlongs in February, and won the G2 Azari Stakes over an extended mile earlier in the year. She will need a perfect trip through the race to get the win, but with plenty of pace likely to be on the cards, she could be the contender that strikes late to pick up the glory.
Test Score (Breeders’ Cup Turf)
European trainers have held a stranglehold in the Breeders’ Cup Turf for the last six years, but runners such as Diamond Necklace, Bay City Roller, Benvento Cellini, and Tiffany all have questions to answer this year. Busy seasons for the top four in the betting ensure that this is one of the most open renewals of the race in recent memory, and it could set up perfectly for Test Score.
The four-year-old is still unexposed over this distance, but it appears it should suit based on his finishing effort when winning the recent G2 Del Mar Handicap. The Graham Motion runner does typically run patchy, but no-shows in the G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and G1 Arlington Million do have excuses, with the former arguably coming over an inadequate distance. Test Score was the winner of the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf earlier this season, but he looks set to play more of a leading role over staying distances as he grows older.
Sire Lookin at Lucky has produced plenty of excellent middle-distance horses, including Chilean Derby winner Full of Luck and Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Accelerate. Chances are Test Score will improve over this distance, and he shouldn’t be ignored when assessing the Breeders’ Cup sleeper picks.
