Breeders’ Cup Turf Picks, Odds, Leading Contenders, Betting Insights & Analysis
The feature race on the grass at Keeneland during this year’s season-ending, two-day North American horse racing festival is the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
A high-quality field of international challengers will be involved in the Breeders’ Cup race, with a lucrative purse of $5 million up for grabs. The field will cover a total distance of 1 ½ miles.
As expected, European raiders will dominate the betting for the race, but the cloudy picture surrounding the runners that will take their chance at Keeneland won’t be made any clearer until after the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and British Champions Day. The latest odds and our Breeders’ Cup Turf picks can be found here.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Odds
| Horse | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Benvenuto Cellini | Aidan O’Brien | +350 |
| Ombudsman | John & Thady Gosden | +350 |
| Bay City Roller | George Scott | +700 |
| Purview | Dermot Weld | +800 |
| Tiffany | Sir Mark Prescott | +800 |
| Ethical Diamond | Willie Mullins | +1000 |
| Burnham Square | Ian Wilkes | +1200 |
| A Boy Named Susie | Joseph O’Brien | +1600 |
| Constitution River | Aidan O’Brien | +1600 |
Latest odds taken from an offshore sportsbook. Check back to find the latest BetOnline odds for the Breeders’ Cup.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Information
| Breeders’ Cup Turf | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 31, 2026 |
| Time | 5:36 PM ET |
| How to Watch | NBC, Peacock, FanDuel TV |
| Distance Covered | 1 1/2 Miles |
| Prize Money | $5 Million |
| Most Successful Trainer | Aidan O’Brien (7) |
| Most Successful Jockey | Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore (5) |
ALSO SEE: Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli Picks, Vegas Odds & Betting Preview (Oct 31)
Breeders’ Cup Turf Betting Trends
- European raiders have won the last six editions of the Turf and ten of the previous eleven.
- Nine of the previous 12 winners have been aged four or older.
- There have only been four winning favorites of the Breeders’ Cup Turf since 2014.
- Ten of the previous 12 winners have recorded at least two wins in the season leading up to the Turf.
- Nine victors since 2014 have won at least once in Grade One company before landing the Turf.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Recent Winners
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Starting Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ethical Diamond | Dylan Browne McMonagle/Willie Mullins | +2800 |
| 2024 | Rebel’s Romance | William Buick/Charlie Appleby | +190 |
| 2023 | Auguste Rodin | Ryan Moore/Aidan O’Brien | +250 |
| 2022 | Rebel’s Romance | James Doyle/Charlie Appleby | +596 |
| 2021 | Yibir | William Buick/Charlie Appleby | +850 |
Breeders’ Cup Turf Leading Contenders
Benvenuto Cellini (Aidan O’Brien)
Aidan O’Brien-trained Benvenuto Cellini will likely head the betting for the Breeders’ Cup Turf this year, with connections already indicating that their plan is to run at Keeneland. The three-year-old was disappointing in the G1 Epsom Derby in June, ruled a non-runner after getting caught in the stalls.
He made amends for that mishap to win the G1 Irish Derby, before running a stormer to finish third behind Kalpana and Calandagan in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. If at that level, he is a major contender.
However, he has been slightly underwhelming since that effort, finishing only fifth when a heavy odds-on favorite in the G2 Prix Niel. I wouldn’t put him at the same level as previous O’Brien contenders in this race, and he is only likely at the top of the market because of the excellence of his trainer.
Ombudsman (John & Thady Gosden)
The potential superstar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf field could come in the form of Ombudsman for John & Thady Gosden. The yard previously won the Turf with Enable in 2018. Ombudsman has been the world-class performer over 1 ½ miles in Europe across the last two seasons, winning the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes in back-to-back years.
Was beaten in the G1 Juddmonte International last time out, but looked unsuited by the tactics deployed at the front. Has been otherwise faultless this term, winning at Royal Ascot, Sandown, and Meydan at Group One level to take his career record to nine victories and three seconds in 13 starts.
Has gone off favorite in each of his last seven starts, and if at the levels shown in all but his last run, he will be incredibly hard to oppose. Comes out on top on ratings, and connections have indicated that a run at Keeneland is likely if British Champions Day is run on soft ground.
Bay City Roller (George Scott)
George Scott-trained Bay City Roller will be one of the most interesting contenders if taking his chance at Keeneland this year. The New Bay colt was largely regarded as a soft ground specialist following his dominant ten-length win in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June.
However, he showed that he isn’t as ground-dependent as many thought when chasing home reigning Arc champion Daryz in the G2 Prix Foy. Few other horses can boast that level of form.
The Scott yard has been in excellent form throughout this season, and Bay City Roller’s back catalog of performances is also reliable, having finished a neck second behind last year’s Derby winner Lambourn in the G2 Huxley and putting an emphatic seven lengths between himself and recent Graded winner Tiffany in the G1 Preis von Bayern.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Dark Horse to Consider
With an unpredictable betting market expected, there are horses at bigger prices worth considering for the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Among those is the George Boughey-trained Survie.
The five-year-old mare showed an electric turn of foot to beat Minaret Station in the G1 Christophe Clement Stakes at Saratoga, and she was also a dominant winner over Storm Miami in the G2 Glens Falls Stakes on her only other American run. Best to forgive her latest effort when only tenth in the G1 Prix Vermellie, as Longchamp isn’t a track that suited her closing style. Back on U.S. turf, she will be seen in a much better light.
She has form mixing in with some high-class performers, notably through Ancient Egypt, who was beaten three lengths in mid-August. The same horse only finished a neck behind Maltese Cross, who is widely considered to be the best European three-year-old colt this season. At odds of +2000, she is a key dark horse worth considering.
Breeders’ Cup Turf Picks
An ultra-competitive edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf is set for Keeneland this year, and as expected, cases can be made for many of the European raiders. That is a logical angle considering that the European turf horses are levels above their American counterparts. Survie and Ombudsman are two that must be respected if they line-up in the Turf.
However, the main win play is for Dermot Weld’s Purview. Weld is a genius when it comes to getting his horses’ peak at the perfect time, as evidenced when Tarnawa won the Turf back in 2020 (also at Keeneland).
The Kingman colt has been eased through the season, and a notable win was secured in the G3 International Stakes, beating four subsequent winners of graded races. Among those was Hotazhell, who finished third, who recently landed the G1 Irish Champions Stakes, beating Constitution River and A Boy Named Susie, who could line-up in the Turf.
Purview had an adequate warm-up for the Turf when second in the G3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown, staying on strongly under Colin Keane to take third but ultimately being left with far too much to do on the eventual winner, who had first run on the field.
- Purview to Win the Breeders’ Cup Turf
- Breeders’ Cup Turf Trifecta Box: Purview, Susie, Ombudsman
