U. S. S. VALOR - Photo: NYRA
Belmont Park’s Breeders’ Cup Preview Day provided an important final look at several of America’s leading 2-year-olds before the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, with four “Win and You’re In” races producing automatic qualifiers for Keeneland.
Domestic Agenda, U.S.S. Valor, Good to Be King and Let Em Know all earned guaranteed starting positions in their respective Breeders’ Cup divisions.
But earning a ticket does not always mean using it.
Less than 24 hours after the races, the picture had already become clearer: Let Em Know is confirmed for the Breeders’ Cup, Good to Be King is pointing there, Domestic Agenda is expected to go if all remains well — while impressive Champagne winner U.S.S. Valor is set to skip the World Championships.
Here’s how Saturday’s four Breeders’ Cup Challenge races unfolded — and what comes next.
DOMESTIC AGENDA — Miss Grillo Stakes (G2)
Breeders’ Cup target: Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1)
Domestic Agenda may have only two races on her résumé, but she will arrive at the Breeders’ Cup looking like a filly with significantly more experience.
The Klaravich Stables homebred delivered one of the most visually impressive performances of Belmont’s Saturday card, rallying from last in the six-horse field to dominate the $250,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) by 4½ lengths.
With Flavien Prat aboard, the Chad Brown-trained filly remained relaxed at the back while Bittersweet Memory established fractions of :24.04 and :47.55. Domestic Agenda began advancing on the turn before finding clear running room, sweeping past the field and opening up through the stretch.
She completed 1 1/16 miles over the firm Widener turf course in 1:41.34, defeating Bounce Back, with Golden Siren third.
The daughter of American Pharoah is now a perfect 2-for-2, having also won her debut at Saratoga on September 4. Her Miss Grillo performance produced a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
It was also another remarkable chapter in Chad Brown’s domination of the Miss Grillo. The victory was his record-extending 10th in the race.
That statistic becomes even more significant when looking toward Keeneland. Brown previously used the Miss Grillo as the launching pad for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victories with Maram, Lady Eli, New Money Honey, Newspaperofrecord and Hard to Justify.
Could Domestic Agenda be next?
Brown indicated after the race that, provided she comes out of the effort in good condition, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is the plan. His team reported Sunday that she emerged from the Miss Grillo in excellent shape.
Winner: Domestic Agenda
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Margin: 4½ lengths
Distance: 1 1/16 miles, turf
Final Time: 1:41.34
Beyer Speed Figure: 84
Breeders’ Cup: Juvenile Fillies Turf
Keeneland status: Expected, pending continued good health
U.S.S. VALOR — Champagne Stakes (G1)
Breeders’ Cup berth earned: Juvenile (G1)
Current status: Will skip the Breeders’ Cup
If there was one performance Saturday that immediately generated championship-level attention, it came from U.S.S. Valor in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1).
The Team Valor International homebred entered off a spectacular 13¼-length maiden victory at Saratoga, and the question was whether he could reproduce that form against Grade 1 competition.
He answered emphatically.
After breaking slightly slowly, U.S.S. Valor recovered to sit behind a tightly packed group through fractions of :23.19, :46.08 and 1:10.18.
Jockey Manny Franco waited patiently before angling the colt outside entering the stretch. Once clear, U.S.S. Valor accelerated past his rivals and quickly turned the Champagne into a runaway.
He defeated Gaudreau by 6½ lengths, with Club Reign another two lengths behind in third, completing the one-turn mile in 1:34.84.
The performance earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, following the 105 figure U.S.S. Valor had recorded in his Saratoga maiden victory.
Trainer Shug McGaughey was particularly encouraged by the colt’s ability to overcome adversity and relax behind horses before producing his decisive acceleration.
U.S.S. Valor’s victory secured an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and also earned him 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
That immediately made him one of the most intriguing potential Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runners.
But there was a twist.
By Sunday, McGaughey said the final decision belonged to Team Valor’s Barry Irwin, and NYRA subsequently reported that Irwin had announced U.S.S. Valor will skip the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
That means one of the weekend’s most impressive “Win and You’re In” winners will not use his automatic starting position at Keeneland.
His Champagne performance nevertheless places U.S.S. Valor firmly among the leading American 2-year-olds — and makes his progression toward the 2027 Kentucky Derby trail particularly intriguing.
Winner: U.S.S. Valor
Owner/Breeder: Team Valor International
Trainer: Shug McGaughey
Jockey: Manny Franco
Margin: 6½ lengths
Distance: 1 mile, dirt
Final Time: 1:34.84
Beyer Speed Figure: 95
Breeders’ Cup berth: Juvenile
Keeneland status: ❌ Will skip the Breeders’ Cup
GOOD TO BE KING — Futurity Stakes (G3)
Breeders’ Cup target: Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1)
A wild pace scenario set the stage for Good to Be King to earn his first stakes victory in the $200,000 Futurity Stakes (G3).
The six-furlong turf sprint changed complexion almost immediately when filly My Kid’s Said No opened a huge advantage, blazing through the opening quarter in :21.71 and the half-mile in :43.76.
Good to Be King, meanwhile, was well back in sixth under Manny Franco.
Franco never panicked.
As the early leader began to weaken and the field compressed entering the stretch, Good to Be King was launched to the outside and produced a sustained late run.
He caught Regent’s Park in deep stretch and prevailed by one length, stopping the clock in 1:09.06 over the firm inner turf.
The victory was the first stakes success for the Cherry Valley Farm homebred and secured his automatic position in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Good to Be King had already shown his ability against stakes company, entering Belmont off a runner-up finish to Mid American in the Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs.
His Futurity performance earned a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure.
Most importantly, trainer Rusty Arnold provided a positive Breeders’ Cup update Sunday.
Arnold said the Juvenile Turf Sprint is the plan as long as the colt returns home in good condition, adding that all indications following the Futurity were positive and that Good to Be King would return to Keeneland to prepare.
In other words: all systems are currently go for the Breeders’ Cup.
Winner: Good to Be King
Owner/Breeder: Cherry Valley Farm
Trainer: Rusty Arnold
Jockey: Manny Franco
Margin: 1 length
Distance: 6 furlongs, turf
Final Time: 1:09.06
Beyer Speed Figure: 80
Breeders’ Cup: Juvenile Turf Sprint
Keeneland status: ✅ Pointing to the Breeders’ Cup
LET EM KNOW — Pilgrim Stakes (G2)
Breeders’ Cup target: Juvenile Turf (G1)
Belmont’s final Breeders’ Cup Challenge race produced perhaps the clearest answer regarding who will be at Keeneland.
Let Em Know is going.
Trainer Whit Beckman confirmed the colt will proceed to the Breeders’ Cup after his determined victory in the $250,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G2).
Breaking from the outside post, Let Em Know was kept in the clear by Edgard Zayas, settling fourth through the opening quarter in :24.81 before advancing to third through a half-mile in :49.24.
Zayas allowed the son of Jackie’s Warrior to build momentum rather than asking him for an explosive acceleration.
The strategy worked.
Let Em Know took command from Stock Rising approaching the final furlong and then held off the late challenge of familiar rival Roscoe Goose, winning by half a length.
The final time for 1 1/16 miles over the firm Widener turf was 1:42.15.
It was the second time Let Em Know had defeated Roscoe Goose narrowly, following their head decision in a Saratoga maiden race in August.
His development on grass has been particularly interesting. Connections originally believed Let Em Know could be a dirt horse, but after finishing last on dirt in his debut, he has raced exclusively on turf.
A difficult inside trip contributed to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, but the outside draw at Belmont allowed Zayas to keep the large colt in rhythm and in clear running room.
Now the next stop is Keeneland.
Beckman confirmed after the race — and again Sunday — that Let Em Know is Breeders’ Cup-bound. The colt will return to Kentucky and prepare for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf from Beckman’s Churchill Downs base.
Winner: Let Em Know
Owners: Anthony Tate, Joe Pickerrell, Robert Ogilvie & Diamond T Racing
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
Margin: ½ length
Distance: 1 1/16 miles, turf
Final Time: 1:42.15
Breeders’ Cup: Juvenile Turf
Keeneland status: ✅ Confirmed Breeders’ Cup-bound
Four Tickets — But Only Three Currently Pointing Toward Keeneland
Belmont Park produced four automatic Breeders’ Cup qualifiers on October 3, but the situation heading toward Future Stars Friday at Keeneland on October 30 is already more complicated than the results alone suggest.
| Belmont Winner | WAYI Race | Breeders’ Cup Division | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Agenda | Miss Grillo G2 | Juvenile Fillies Turf | 🟢 Expected |
| U.S.S. Valor | Champagne G1 | Juvenile | 🔴 Skipping BC |
| Good to Be King | Futurity G3 | Juvenile Turf Sprint | 🟢 Pointing to Keeneland |
| Let Em Know | Pilgrim G2 | Juvenile Turf | 🟢 Confirmed |
The biggest surprise is unquestionably U.S.S. Valor. His dominant Champagne victory established him as one of the most exciting juveniles in the country, yet his connections have elected not to use the Breeders’ Cup berth he earned.
For the others, Keeneland is coming quickly.
Domestic Agenda gives Chad Brown another formidable prospect in a race he has already won six times. Good to Be King will try to give Rusty Arnold his first Breeders’ Cup victory. And Let Em Know has already been confirmed for a Juvenile Turf division that promises to bring together some of the best 2-year-old grass horses from the United States and Europe.
And there was another important Belmont performance outside the four WAYI races.
Dotsy captured the Grade 1 Frizette and earned a $30,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen entry credit toward the Juvenile Fillies. Her connections said Sunday they are seriously considering Keeneland, meaning Belmont could ultimately send another major juvenile contender to the World Championships even though the Frizette was not an automatic “Win and You’re In” race.
With fewer than four weeks remaining before the Breeders’ Cup, Belmont’s Preview Day did more than distribute qualifying berths.
It gave us several new contenders to follow — and one fascinating reminder that winning a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup does not guarantee that ticket will be used.
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