Horse Racing Odds

Odds and information for the greatest races in the horse-racing calendar, including the Breeders Cup, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Belmont Stakes, Dubai World Cup, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Breeders Cup

When: October 30th – 31st, 2026
Location: Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Surface: Dirt and Turf
Distance: Various
Prize Purse: $34,000,000+

The Breeders Cup World Championships return to Keeneland for the fourth time in 2026, following previous editions at the Lexington track in 2015, 2020, and 2022. Inaugurated in 1984, this racing festival attracts the best racehorses from around the world and features 14 championship races worth over $34 million in prize money. Keeneland is currently undergoing a transformative $100+ million capital construction project to enhance the racing experience.

View 2025 Breeders’ Cup Information & Odds

Kentucky Derby

When: First Saturday in May (May 2nd, 2026 for the 152nd running)
Location: Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Surface: Dirt
Distance: 1.25 miles (10 furlongs)
Prize Purse: $5,000,000

While not the race with the largest prize purse, the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting and iconic races in the world. The race is nicknamed “Run for the Roses” as winners are covered in a blanket of 554 red roses.

America’s equivalent of the British Epsom Derby, and the first leg of the American Triple Crown, the first Kentucky Derby ran in 1875. Entrants to the race must be three years old. The fastest horse in the history of the race is Secretariat, one of only two horses to win the Derby in under two minutes. As well as being a firm favorite race for horse-racing enthusiasts, the Derby attracts massive betting action from both serious handicappers and casual fans who bet once or twice a year.

View Kentucky Derby Information & Odds

Kentucky Oaks

When: The Friday before the first Saturday in May (May 1st, 2026)
Location: Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Surface: Dirt
Distance: 1-1/8 miles (9 furlongs)
Prize Purse: $1,500,000 ($846,300 to the winner)

First run in 1875, the Kentucky Oaks is America’s premier race for three-year-old fillies. It’s also a hit with racegoers, with over 100,000 fans packing into Churchill Downs annually. That makes it America’s third most popular race in attendance behind the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

This is the first leg of the Fillies Triple Crown, with the other legs being the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico and the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. The Kentucky Oaks is called the “Lilies for the Fillies,” with the winner receiving a garland of 133 Star Gazer lilies sewn onto white moire fabric.

The Oaks field is restricted to 14 runners. Of the currently active trainers, Brad Cox has been particularly successful with three recent wins. The race traditionally celebrates breast cancer awareness with the “Pink Out” tradition, encouraging attendees to wear pink in support of women’s health issues.

Belmont Stakes

When: Early June (June 6th, 2026 for the 158th running)
Location: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York (2025-2026 while Belmont Park undergoes renovation)
Surface: Dirt
Distance: 1.25 miles at Saratoga (traditionally 1.5 miles at Belmont Park)
Prize Purse: $2,000,000

The Belmont Stakes is a Grade I stakes event for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds, while fillies carry 121 pounds.

The Test of the Champion and The Run for the Carnations are two nicknames for the race, which is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. The race is temporarily held at Saratoga while Belmont Park undergoes a $455 million renovation. The new Belmont Park is scheduled to open in September 2026, with the Belmont Stakes returning to its traditional home in 2027.

View 2026 Belmont Stakes Odds & Information

Dubai World Cup

When: Last Saturday in March (March 28th, 2026 for the 30th running)
Location: Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Surface: Dirt
Distance: 2,000 meters (about 1.25 miles or 10 furlongs)
Prize Purse: $12,000,000 (the winner receiving $6,960,000)

First run in 1996 and part of a valuable race day featuring Group 1 and 2 races, the Dubai World Cup celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026. The total prize purse across all races on Dubai World Cup night is $30.5 million, making it the world’s richest race day. The main race carries a $12 million purse, regaining its place as the world’s richest horse race.

The contest has an impressive roll of honor with many of the great names of the sport listed as winners: Cigar was the first winner in 1996, followed by Silver Charm, Street Cry, Curlin, Animal Kingdom, California Chrome, and Arrogate. The contest is open to four-year-olds and upwards.

American horses have won this race multiple times. The race is held at the spectacular Meydan Racecourse, which opened in 2010 and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

When: First Sunday in October (October 4th, 2026 for the 105th running)
Location: Longchamp Racecourse, Paris, France
Surface: Turf
Distance: 2,400 meters (1.5 miles)
Prize Purse: €5,000,000 (€2,850,000 to the winner)

The Arc may have only started in 1920 but it is undoubtedly Europe’s most prestigious all-aged horse race. Open to three-year-olds and above, the race often brings together the cream of Europe with the French, Irish, and English Derby winners regularly in the line-up.

During the past 20 years, the Japanese have taken a strong interest in the race and have sent many of their best horses to contest it. They have had several near misses but are yet to win the race. With this being the richest turf race in the world, the reason for their interest is obvious.

Of the jockeys currently active, Frankie Dettori has the best record with six wins, with 1995 being the first occasion. With a maximum field size of 18 and horses entering a turn relatively soon after the start, horses drawn low have fared best in recent times. In fact, 18 of the last 25 Arc winners at Longchamp have broken from stalls one through seven.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

When: Second or third Friday in March (March 13th, 2026)
Location: Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, England
Surface: Turf
Distance: Three miles two furlongs (3m 2f 70 yards)
Prize Purse: £625,000 (approximately $855,000; £351,688 to the winner)

First staged in its modern form in 1924, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the most famous steeplechases in the world. It features 22 fences and a stamina-sapping uphill finish.

The race is the showpiece event of the four-day annual Cheltenham Festival which, in non-Covid years, attracts 250,000 racegoers with 70,000 on Gold Cup Day. The race lasts over six and a half minutes.

The race is open to horses aged 5 and above, but it’s rare for a horse aged 6 or under to take part. The majority of winners are aged 7, 8, or 9, and it was 1991 when a 10-year-old last took this coveted prize.

This is the biggest betting race of the year for UK and Irish bettors. For the most part, the prize goes to fancied horses, with 9 of the last 20 winners starting as favorites. Only two of the last 20 winners started at bigger than 10/1. Irish-trained horses have dominated in recent years, winning eight of the last 25 editions including four of the last five.