We are less than one week away from the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland and, as usual, top horses from around the world are shipping in to take their shot at the riches in America.

2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Susie Raisher/NYRA)

United States runners will look to dominate on dirt and challenge on turf, but with 79 international runners pre-entered the foreign contenders are sure to make serious noise in the bluegrass of Kentucky.

Last year, there were six international winners of Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar, led by Forever Young edging the U.S. champion Sierra Leone in the Classic. Japan’s globe-trotting star will be back to see if he can repeat in the $7 million Longines Classic this year as will Notable Speech in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF and Ethical Diamond in the $5 million Longines Turf.

Listed below are 10 of the most notable international names expected to run in this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Both Diamond Necklace and Blue Bolt are pre-entered in more than one race but are designated here with their first preference event.

Forever Young (Breeders’ Cup Classic) - American racing fans have become quite familiar with this fantastic son of Real Steel. Based in Japan but running in the biggest dirt races throughout the world, he will be making his fifth start in the United States as he seeks a repeat victory in our richest race. The probable favorite for the Classic, he just missed in the 2024 Kentucky Derby and won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in his most recent start.

Breeders' Cup Turf hopeful Diamond Necklace (Eclipse Sportswire)

Diamond Necklace (Breeders’ Cup Turf) - The leading 3-year-old filly in Europe this year, this Aidan O’Brien Irish-bred is already a four-time Group 1 winner. The bay daughter of St Mark’s Basilica has never finished worse than third with six wins from eight career starts. Most recently, she finished a solid third behind older males at Longchamp in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s premier weight-for-age race. She is cross-entered in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Bay City Roller (Breeders’ Cup Turf) - Although he has finished second more than he has won, this 4-year-old colt by New Bay has nonetheless proven himself to be one of Europe’s top runners. Second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe two starts back, the Group 1 winner will come into the Breeders’ Cup Turf on short rest, having finished third behind Ombudsman in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 17.

Tiffany (Breeders’ Cup Turf) - This well-traveled Irish-bred mare has run her last four races in France, England, Germany, and the United States. The 6-year-old broke a string of five consecutive second-place finishes two starts back when she won the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin. Tiffany followed that up with a victory over a strong field in the rich AGS Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs in her most recent start. Better than ever, this consistent racemare is very likely to be heard from against males in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Notable Speech (Breeders’ Cup Mile) - Another horse who is very familiar to American racing fans is the defending champion in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The English-bred star was also third in the race in 2024. Coming off an impressive win in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and perhaps better than ever this year, the 5-year-old by Dubawi will be the horse to beat on Saturday with his devastating turn of foot.

Breeders' Cup Sprint hopeful T O Elvis (Coady Media)

T O Elvis (Cygames Sprint) - Forever Young is not the only standout coming from Japan. This Kentucky-bred Volatile colt rattled off four impressive wins in a row to close out his sophomore season in Japan before shipping to America for a dominating win in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford on Kentucky Derby day. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint, where he is expected to be the second betting choice behind Englishman, will be his first start since May.

Blue Bolt (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf) - One of the leading contenders for Europe’s Horse of the Year title, this 4-year-old filly has been perfect in six starts this season. A daughter of Blue Point trained by Andrew Balding, the Juddmonte filly has won four straight Group 1 races going one mile in England, France, and Ireland. Most recently, she scored a popular victory in the Group 1 Bet MGM Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 3. She is cross-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Great Barrier Reef (Brown Advisory Juvenile Turf) - No trainer has dominated a race at the Breeders’ Cup more than Aidan O’Brien has the Juvenile Turf. An eight-time winner of the race, O’Brien has won the last four editions and his top candidate this year is this No Nay Never colt. A group stakes winner in Ireland and England, he was a solid third last time out to division leaders Darkness Falls and Desert Castle in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hopeful Sun Goddess (Eclipse Sportswire)

Sun Goddess (John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf) - The top 2-year-old filly in the world will be making her next stop in America as the heavy favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The Sioux Nation filly has already won six of eight career starts for trainer Aidan O’Brien. She comes to the United States on an impressive five-racing winning streak in England and Ireland, including a course-record victory last time out in the Group 1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Libertango (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint) - A solid second behind Sun Goddess in the Cheveley Park Stakes last time, this George Boughey trainee has not finished worse than second in five career starts. A daughter of No Nay Never, she was the last horse to defeat Sun Goddess, doing it at Royal Ascot in the Albany Stakes. A consistent performer in important sprint stakes since, she looks to be the class of the race when she takes on males in the U.S. Friday.