Four Punch Their Tickets to Keeneland During Breeders’ Cup Challenge Weekend at Santa Anita

Forged Steel, Cabo Spirit, Super Corredora and Listenupshance secured automatic Breeders’ Cup berths during a major “Win and You’re In” weekend in California.

ARCADIA, Calif. — The road to the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships made an important stop at Santa Anita Park this past weekend, with four horses securing automatic berths to Keeneland through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

Across Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, Santa Anita hosted four “Win and You’re In” events covering four different Breeders’ Cup divisions: the Classic, Mile, Sprint and Distaff. The winners were Forged Steel, Cabo Spirit, Listenupshance and Super Corredora.

The results added another layer to the championship picture with the Breeders’ Cup now just over a month away. The 2026 World Championships will be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland.

Forged Steel Takes the Goodwood and Heads to the Breeders’ Cup Classic

One of the weekend’s most significant performances came from Forged Steel, who captured Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Goodwood Stakes and earned an automatic berth into the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, Forged Steel showed a new dimension in the 1 1/8-mile contest.

Rather than controlling the race from the start, as he had when dominating the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) earlier this season, the son of Vekoma settled behind pacesetter Taif. Gonzalez moved Forged Steel into contention approaching the far turn, and the colt took command before turning for home.

Stablemate Caldera mounted a challenge from the outside, but Forged Steel had enough left to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, completing the nine furlongs in 1:48.48. Defending Goodwood winner Nevada Beach, making his first start since the Saudi Cup in February, finished third.

The result gave Joseph a one-two finish and punched Forged Steel’s ticket into a Classic field that continues to take shape ahead of Keeneland.

For Forged Steel, it was also redemption after finishing seventh in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. He had previously shipped west to capture the Hollywood Gold Cup by 9 1/2 lengths.

Cabo Spirit Turns Back the Clock in City of Hope Mile

Veteran Cabo Spirit proved there is still plenty of fight left in him with a determined victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile, earning a berth in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

The 7-year-old gelding, trained by George Papaprodromou for Kretz Racing, was making the 45th start of his career.

With Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard, Cabo Spirit was allowed to control the early tempo. The veteran saved enough for the stretch, where favorite El Potente launched his challenge.

The two battled through the final furlong, with Cabo Spirit drifting away from the rail while El Potente attacked on the inside. Cabo Spirit refused to surrender, prevailing by a head in 1:33.06. King of Gosford finished third.

The victory marked Cabo Spirit’s sixth graded stakes success and sends him back to the Breeders’ Cup two years after competing in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

This time, his target will be the Mile.

Super Corredora Returns in Style in the Zenyatta

Sunday belonged in part to Super Corredora, who made an emphatic return to competition by winning the Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes and securing her place in the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

The 2025 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion 2-year-old filly had not raced since March, but there was little sign of rust.

With Hall of Famer Joel Rosario riding her for the first time, Super Corredora immediately went to the front in the 1 1/16-mile event. She established fractions of :23.12, :46.44 and 1:10.46 before continuing strongly through the stretch.

Super Corredora crossed the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front in 1:42.92, completing an impressive comeback for trainer John Sadler.

Majestic Oops finished second, while previously unbeaten Rabeeba was third.

The performance immediately puts Super Corredora back into the Breeders’ Cup conversation. After winning on racing’s championship stage as a juvenile in 2025, she will now have the opportunity to return to the World Championships and test herself against older fillies and mares in the Distaff.

Listenupshance Makes It Two Straight in Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Listenupshance continued his rise among the country’s top sprinters with a front-running victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, another Challenge Series qualifier for the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

The field was reduced to three following scratches, but Listenupshance still had to deal with favorite Maximum Bourbon.

Ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old son of Shancelot went to the front and carved out sharp fractions of :21.98 and :43.86.

Maximum Bourbon attempted to reel him in through the stretch, but Listenupshance kept finding enough to hold his rival off by three-quarters of a length, stopping the clock in 1:08.70 for six furlongs. March of Time finished third.

Technically, Listenupshance did not need another ticket to Keeneland. He had already secured an automatic Breeders’ Cup Sprint berth by winning the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. His Santa Anita victory instead provided another important signal about his current form: he has now won consecutive graded stakes heading toward the World Championships.

Santa Anita Produces Four Major Breeders’ Cup Contenders

The weekend ultimately produced four important results on the road to Keeneland:

• Forged Steel — Goodwood Stakes (G1) → Breeders’ Cup Classic
• Cabo Spirit — City of Hope Mile (G2) → Breeders’ Cup Mile
• Super Corredora — Zenyatta Stakes (G2) → Breeders’ Cup Distaff
• Listenupshance — Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) → Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Under the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Challenge program, eligible nominated winners receive an automatic starting position in the corresponding Breeders’ Cup race with pre-entry and entry fees paid.

With the Breeders’ Cup scheduled for Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland, the championship fields are quickly coming into focus.

Santa Anita’s opening weekend added four familiar names to that picture, but perhaps the most intriguing developments were the continued emergence of Forged Steel as a Classic contender and the return of Super Corredora.

Forged Steel demonstrated he does not necessarily need the early lead to produce his best race, while Super Corredora showed that a lengthy absence did little to diminish the ability that made her a Breeders’ Cup champion last season.

For Cabo Spirit, experience and determination earned the veteran another opportunity on racing’s biggest stage, while Listenupshance will arrive at Keeneland with consecutive graded victories and an already-secured spot in the Sprint.

Four races. Four winners. Four performances that helped bring the 2026 Breeders’ Cup picture into sharper focus.

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