SCENE SETTER: The Breeders’ Cup opens with its youngest event as the Juvenile Turf Sprint renews for just the ninth time. Its first 8 editions have proven to be the most formful of all 14 Breeders’ Cup divisions by both average win price and least likely to produce an upset winner over 10-1. Keeneland-hosted events extend to 5-1/2 furlongs after a series of 5-furlong tilts in California in recent years. The European contingent, which makes up 9-of-12 slots in the starting gate, is led by LIBERTANGO, favored among international bookmakers and a Royal Ascot winner in June who exits a second in the Group 1 Cheverly Park at Newmarket. Other popular marks in the European books are FINAL OBJECTIVE, a Group 2 winner at Doncaster last out, and FORCE NOIR, beaten just a neck for Group 1 glory in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket last month. America’s most-fancied hope looks to be Grade 3 Matron heroine BRICKYARD BELLE, unbeaten in 2 starts.

JTS AT KEENELAND: Golden Pal wired the field at 4-5 in the 2020 edition; Magic Mischief rallied last-to-first at 6-1 to win the 2022 renewal. Race not yet inaugurated when Kee hosted 2015.

SCENE SETTER: EMPHATIC wired Keeneland’s Alcibiades and brings an unblemished 3-for-3 record to the Breeders’ Cup. She’ll vie for favoritism, with Bob Baffert’s Del Mar Debutante winner MISS MONICA, a blowout winner in two starts at Del Mar this summer. She’s joined in the CA-to-KY trip by DOMAIN EXPANSION, whose 14-1 upset in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita sent heads scratching. Also in the land of the unbeaten is MANUKA HONEY, guided to victory in the Grade 3 Pocahontas by Luis Saez. This race will finish at the sixteenth-pole finish line, meaning the 990-foot stretch run reduces to just 660 feet.

JF AT KEENELAND: Key preps Oak Leaf (Songbird 2015), Frizette (Vequist 2020) and Alcibiades (Wonder Wheel 2022) each represented by a winner in 3 local editions. Winners were wire-to-wire, pressing first over and deep closer in succession.

SCENE SETTER: Aidan O’Brien’s SUN GODDESS will be one of theevent’s heaviest favorites. She’s won 6 of 8, including three Group 1s and hasa dominant feel about her similar to Lake Victoria for this barn 2 years ago. O’Brien’sson, Joseph, is represented by GREEN EMPRESS, most recently a Group 1 winner inFrance. Trainer Chad Brown is in a familiar perch with a top domestic threat in this division after DOMESTIC AGENDA romped home in the Miss Grillo at Belmont. VANTA left no doubt her superiority in California with scores in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita.

JFT AT KEENELAND: Winners have hailed from Canada (Catch a Glimpse 2015), America (Aunt Pearl 2020) and England (Meditate 2022). Favorites are 3: 2-1-0 in 3 local editions.

SCENE SETTER: The east-west showdown between Champagne winner USS Valor and American Pharoah victor HUGHES lasted less than 24 hours before the former’s connections announced he was finished for 2026 (with an eye toward next year’s classics). That leaves HUGHES, at even-money on the ML, a heavy favorite for Bob Baffert. Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity went fast early-slow late as AMERICAN HISTORY reeled in dueling COACH POPE. The glamour division of Future Stars Friday at the Breeders’ Cup annually seeks the next Kentucky Derby winner – something only Street Sense (2006-‘07) and Nyquist (2015-’16) have managed to parlay. This race will finish at the sixteenth-pole finish line, meaning the 990-foot stretch run reduces to just 660 feet.

JUVENILE AT KEENELAND: Hard to argue with a winners’ roll consisting of Nyquist (2015), Essential Quality (2020) and Forte (2022), the latter pair exiting the local Breeders’ Futurity prep and Nyquist via the American Pharoah at SA. All 3 were second choice in the wagering.

SCENE SETTER: Aidan O’Brien seeks an unprecedented fifth straight win in this Breeders’ Cup division with Royal Lodge hero HAFFNER, but his chances lessened after the scratch of GREAT BARRIER REEF. Favoritism now likely goes to O'Brien's son, Joseph, with FOLSOM BLUES, who leads the UK bookmaker markets. From Kentucky, AGATE skimmed inside to win Keeneland’s Bourbon Stakes. HOW’S AL TODAY sat that one out to train up to BCJT after beating AGATE in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile. LET EM KNOW upset Belmont’s Pilgrim at 12-1 to sow further uncertainty in the US ranks.

JUVENILE TURF AT KEENELAND: Aidan O’Brien-trained Europeans won in 2015 (Hit It A Bomb) and 2022 (Victoria Road), while Mike Maker’s $62 upsetter Fire At Will held O’Brien to a runner-up finish as the favorite in 2020.

SCENE SETTER: With defending champ Splendora bypassing this spot to stretch out in distance for the Distaff, the baton will be passed to a new champion in this 7-furlong event. The last time the F&M Sprint was at Keeneland, Chad Brown had the filly to beat in Goodnight Olive. He’s got that again in WAYS AND MEANS if her Saratoga excellence transfers to Keeneland. But she’s 0-5 outside New York, which instills confidence in Kentucky-based stakes winners KILWIN, EVANESCENCE and EXPLORA, the latter a capable Bob Baffert stablemate to last year’s winner of this race. SWEET AZTECA has won 8 of her last 9 starts on the west coast in a stop-and-start career and looks to make her first Breeders’ Cup at age 6.

FMS AT KEENELAND: Trainer Chad Brown has won 2 of 3 local editions – late-running Wavell Avenue at 10-1 in 2015 and stalking 8-5 favorite Goodnight Olive in 2022. Bob Baffert wired with favorite Gamine in 2020. Sophomores have collected 2 of 3 trifecta slots in the past 2 Kee renewals.

SCENE SETTER: The Turf Sprint historically ranks as the most likely Breeders’ Cup division to produce a longshot winner at 10-1 or more. Those upset aspirants have Wesley Ward’s 3-year-old BACIO to beat. He is 5-for-6 and shipped to York to win the Group 1 Nunthorpe after scoring a listed Royal Ascot road trip win. That Nunthorpe score came over ’24 BC Turf Sprint winner STARLUST, who returns stateside after missing a fall campaign a year ago. He may not be the only past BC champ to appear. Last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint winner CY FAIR takes on the boys and look for a rare, dual title in her BC trophy case. She would be the fourth filly to win this division in the last 7 years, which includes SHISOSPICY, who tries to defend her title. COMANCHE BRAVE is the now horse from Europe as the Donnacha O’Brien colt has won 3 of his last 4, including Group 1s in England and Ireland.

TURF SPRINT AT KEENELAND: Of the 8 largest payouts in this race’s history, Keeneland has hosted 3 of them, including $87.78 event-topper Caravel upsetting in 2022. Americans have won 2 of 3, both prepping locally during Keeneland’s Fall Meet, while Glass Slippers (2020) scored via France.

SCENE SETTER: With Godolphin and Bill Mott opting to run Knightsbridge in the Classic, this race immediately became a wide-open tussle. 2024 champ FULL SERRANO is back, seeking to join Cody’s Wish and Goldencents as a two-time winner of this race. Keeneland lover FURTHER ADO, a perfect 2-for-2 at the track parlayed victory in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April to KY Derby favoritism, where he finished 11th. FORGED STEEL won the Grade 1 Goodwood last out at Santa Anita, his second major score at that track this year following the Grad 2 Gold Cup. This race will finish at the sixteenth-pole finish line, meaning the 990-foot stretch run reduces to just 660 feet.

DIRT MILE AT KEENELAND: Favorites have run the table in 3 editions, starting with Liam’s Map (2015, mid-pack trip), followed by Knicks Go (2020, wire-to-wire) and Cody’s Wish (2022, last-to-first). Winners prepped from 7, 8.5 and 9 furlongs.

SCENE SETTER: The European stronghold in this race could be in capable hands with the likes of four-time Group 1 winner BLUE BOLT and Prix de l’Opera runner-up PRECISE having entered. BLUE BOLT is universally regarded as the top three-year-old filly in Europe but stretches beyond a mile for the first time in this event. KATHYNMARISSA has been New York’s finest for Chad Brown, winning the Diana and Flower Bowl in succession. Brad Cox’s front-running STELLIFY was seventh in this event at Del Mar, but back home won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon last out for a return chance. South African export GIMME A NOTHER has been on a 3-race heater, including the Beverly D and E.P. Taylor, for a Graham Motion barn that’s previously won this race.

FMT AT KEENELAND: Stephanie’s Kitten represented the Americans in 2015, but French Prix de ‘Opera alumnae Audraya (2020) and Tuesday (2022) have won the last 2. At least 1 Keeneland-prepped runner has been in all 3 superfectas.

SCENE SETTER: A division beset by retirements and injuries to its elder stars gets buoyed by one of the more dynamic 3-year-olds in some time, ENGLISHMAN. The Keeneland-based colt will be making his local racing debut on the heels of a 4-for-5 record that includes scintillating wins in Saratoga’s Woody Stephens and Jerkens Memorial. ENGLISHMAN figures to be one of the shortest-priced favorites at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. The X-factor could be Japanese runner T O ELVIS, who dropped jaws on Kentucky Derby Day when he easily blew past a renowned field of American sprinters in the Churchill Downs Handicap. He hasn’t been seen since but has won 6 of 9 and will be one of the most anticipated horses to lay eyes on during training periods. The US-based elder sprinters are led by BUILT and NAKATOMI from Kentucky as well as the improving LISTENUPSHANCE and a seemingly out-of-nowhere rocket named LIAM SMITH in California.

SPRINT AT KEENELAND: The local Phoenix Stakes produced 2015 pace-pressing 3YO winner Runhappy as well as 2020 deep-closing winner Whitmore, while late-running Elite Power scored via New York in 2022.

SCENE SETTER:  Godolphin and Charlie Appleby seek back-to-back victories in this race with NOTABLE SPEECH, who can also extend Appleby’s record number of training wins in the Mile to five. NOTABLE SPEECH warmed up for this by defeating America’s best turf horse, DETERMINISTIC, in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in Canada, which local ace RHETORICAL prepped by winning the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf for the second year in a row. He was 4th in last year’s Mile on the road at Del Mar. Other Europeans to watch are LAKE FOREST, runner-up behind a slow pace in RHETORICAL’s Turf Mile win, and the Aidan O’Brien due of TRUE LOVE and PUERTO RICO, 1st and 3rd respectively last out in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp.

MILE AT KEENELAND: American filly Tepin scored the 2015 contest while Europeans Order of Australia ($148.40 in 2020) and Modern Games ($4.76 in 2022) have since provided payouts in the extremes. Pacemakers finished out of the money in all 3.

SCENE SETTER: NITROGEN blossomed this summer at Saratoga, winning the Phipps and finishing a bang-up second in the Whitney against the boys, an effort that teased a potential bid in the Classic. She coasted in the Beldame most recently and looks to one-up her performance last year at Del Mar behind wire-to-wire winner Scylla. Her chief competition figures to come from Personal Ensign and Spinster winner FULLY SUBSCRIBED. The Chad Brown trainee enters this year's Distaff on a three-race win streak. Add in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner SUPER CORREDORA off a bounce-back victory and there’s a lot of history here. Two-time Delaware Handicap winner REGALED adds to a deep division.

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DISTAFF AT KEENELAND: Todd Pletcher has bookended the event with Stopchargingmaria (2015) and Malathaat (2022), while Brad Cox tallied in-between with Monomoy Girl (2020). The 2 most-recent have seen 24-1 and 25-1 shots in the trifecta. The pacesetter has been out of the money in all 3.

SCENE SETTER: The Turf produced the biggest upset ($57.40) at last year’s Breeders’ Cup with former European steeplechaser ETHICAL DIAMOND and he’s back with more fanfare this time. He’s a far cry from the best from across the pond, as the combination of DIAMOND NECKLACE, BENVENUTO CELLINI, BAY CITY ROLLER, SURVIE, EL CORDOBES, HOTAZHELL, TIFFANY, and JOHANNA WALSH merit respect, as does Japan’s DEEP MONSTER. Joe Hirsch 1-2 finishers MINARET STATION and FAR BRIDGE, Arlington Million winner BURNHAM SQUARE and Del Mar Handicap 1 winner TEST SCORE are the lone Yanks left carrying the flag.

TURF AT KEENELAND: Europeans have swept locally via preps in England (Aidan O’Brien’s Found, 2015), France (Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa, 2020) and Germany (Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance, 2022). They’ve accounted for all 6 exacta spots as well as 8 of the 12 superfecta placings.