Royal Ascot 2026: U.S. runners, Breeders' Cup horses and more
The Royal Ascot meeting begins Tuesday and runs through Saturday. Royal Ascot features five days of some of the best turf racing in the world. Many of the runners are based in Europe, though American trainers including Wesley Ward, Patrick Biancone and Thomas Morley have sent runners to England to run at the meeting. Furthermore, multiple Breeders' Cup winners are expected to be in action through the week.
Wagering on Royal Ascot is available through all major ADW platforms. Pari-mutuel pools are expected to be large, as all five days are World Pool fixtures. You can get free past performances for major Royal Ascot races on the Horse Racing Nation free past performances page.
All five days of Royal Ascot will be broadcast on the NBC family of networks. Coverage Tuesday through Friday begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT on both NBCSN and the Peacock streaming service. Saturday's coverage begins at 9 a.m. EDT on both NBC and Peacock.
These are the horses to watch at Royal Ascot, focusing on American contenders, horses who have run well at the Breeders' Cup and a few other global notables. Note that entries for races Thursday, Friday and Saturday are not final; we note horses who hold preliminary entries, but overnight entries are not finalized until two days before each race.
Tuesday
Race 1 – Queen Anne Stakes (G1), one mile (9:30 a.m. EDT): The first race of the meeting features 2025 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Notable Speech. The Charlie Appleby trainee lost his seasonal debut in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland in April, but took the needed step forward and scored a two-length victory in the Lockinge (G1) at Newbury on May 16. He should also get the good-to-firm ground he likes. This positions him as a well-defined favorite in European markets over stablemate Opera Ballo, who defeated Field of Gold on April 24 in his prep at Sandown.
Race 3 –King Charles III Stakes (G1), five furlongs (10:40 a.m. EDT): The first of two Group 1 sprints for older horses, the King Charles III features a pair of horses familiar from strong Breeders' Cup performances. 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust returned to training with Ralph Beckett after standing stud for a season in Australia. Now 5 years old, he finished sixth in a listed race at Carlisle on May 30 in his return. He was fourth in this race last year after an off-the-board finish in his prep. Aspect Island, third in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, was beaten less than a length in his final prep at York on May 14 but that was against 3-year-olds and trainer James Owen now sends him back out against older.
Race 4 – St. James's Palace Stakes (G1), one mile (11:20 a.m. EDT): 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Gstaad won the Irish 2,000 Guineas (G1) for Aidan O'Brien in his last start. He is second in the market for this race behind the undefeated Bow Echo, who defeated Gstaad by 2 3/4 lengths in the 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket on May 2.
Wednesday
Race 1 – Queen Mary Stakes (G2), five furlongs (9:30 a.m. EDT): This turf sprint for juvenile fillies includes four U.S.-based runners. Wesley Ward, who has won this race four times before, entered a pair. His better regarded is Ruiva, a seven-length winner in her debut April 29 in a maiden special weight on dirt at Churchill Downs. Ward also entered long shot Shining Moment, who won at second asking May 26 on the Churchill grass. Thomas Morley trains More Champagne, a debut winner on the Keeneland grass where she beat Shining Moment by 6 1/2 lengths. Patrick Biancone brought Celtic Dispute, who broke her maiden at second asking on May 9 in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream, a race that awarded an automatic bid to Royal Ascot. Biancone finished third in this race last year with Lennilu.
Race 4 - Prince of Wales's (G1), 1 1/4 miles (11:20 a.m. EDT): Ombudsman won this race last year for trainers John and Thady Gosden and on the strength of wins in both the Dubai Turf (G1) and the Brigadier Gerard (G3) this year he is favored for the repeat. However, that will be no easy task. The path leads through the top two finishers in last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Francois-Henri Graffard trainee Daryz and Aidan O'Brien charge Minnie Hauk. Also in with a chance is Ed Walker-trained Almaqam, who beat Ombudsman last year in the Brigadier Gerard and won the Gold Cup (G1) at the Curragh in his seasonal debut May 24.
Thursday
Race 4 – Gold Cup (G1), 2 1/2 miles (11:15 a.m. EDT): John and Thady Gosden train Trawlerman, a top-class stayer who finished second to Kyprios in the 2024 Gold Cup and won the race last year. He hasn't raced since winning the British Champions Long Distance Cup (G1) at Ascot last fall, but he is still the second choice in the market, suggesting a solid repeat chance. The favorite in early markets is Scandinavia, an Aidan O'Brien-trained son of Justify who has won a pair of preps at 1 3/4 miles heading into the longest race of his life.
Friday
Race 1 – Albany Stakes (G3), six furlongs (9:30 a.m. EDT): Thomas Morley holds a preliminary entry for More Champagne, but the filly holds an overnight entry in the Queen Mary on Wednesday and is expected to run there.
Race 2 – Commonwealth Cup (G1), six furlongs (10:05 a.m. EDT): Outfielder, who has won two straight stakes races for Wesley Ward, steps up to the top level for the first time this year in the Commonwealth Cup, a turf sprint restricted to three-year-olds. Aidan O'Brien trainee Brussels, who finished second behind Cy Fair in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is expected to be one of his foes. The third-place finisher in that race, Aspect Island, is also cross-entered in this and the King Charles III. However, one of the favorites in the market didn't run nearly so well last fall in the Breeders' Cup: Havana Anna was 12th and last behind Cy Fair last fall, but the Donnacha O'Brien trainee came roaring back with a Group 3 win at Naas last month and is among the favorites for the Commonwealth Cup.
Race 4 – Coronation Stakes (G1), one mile (11:20 a.m. EDT): Balantina, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall, returns to the races for trainer Donnacha O'Brien in the Coronation. She is third in the early overseas markets behind a pair of horses who have already shown Group 1 form this year. Those include True Love, the Aidan O'Brien-trained winner of the 1000 Guineas (G1) on May 3 at Newmarket, as well as Precise, True Love's stablemate who ran off the board at Newmarket but beat her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1) on May 24 at the Curragh.
Race 6 – King Edward VII (G2), 1 1/2 miles (12:35 p.m. EDT): Benvenuto Cellini, an Aidan O'Brien-trained son of 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Newspaperofrecord, was declared a non-runner in the Derby (G1) at Epsom on June 6 after one of his feet was caught in the starting gate. Early action has him as a narrow favorite to make amends at Ascot.
Race 7 – Palace of Holyroodhouse, five furlongs (1:10 p.m. EDT): This is not a group race, but two U.S.-based contenders still hold entries as of Monday. Wesley Ward-trained Bacio, who has three wins in four career starts, began his 3-year-old year with a two-length win in an allowance-level turf sprint at Churchill Downs on April 28 at Churchill Downs. George Weaver trains Sandal's Song, who returns to where he finished third in the Norfolk (G2) last year. Sandal's Song was most recently second behind Outfielder in the William Walker on May 9 at Churchill Downs.
Saturday
Race 1 – Norfolk Stakes (G2), five furlongs (9:30 a.m. EDT): Wesley Ward has four horses who still hold entries in the Norfolk as of Monday though one is Ruiva, who also holds an overnight entry in Wednesday's Queen Mary. Ward also trains EZ Tina, a frontrunning debut maiden winner May 17 on the Woodbine Tapeta; Fanshell Beach, who romped by 5 1/4 lengths on debut April 28 on dirt at Churchill Downs and Through the Years, who earned his diploma second-out when she wired a turf sprint May 14 at Aqueduct.
Race 2 – Hardwicke Stakes (G2), 1 1/2 miles (10:05 a.m. EDT): Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance won this race last year, and though he is not entered to return, another horse can pick up the mantle. Ethical Diamond, who upset the Breeders' Cup Turf for trainer Willie Mullins last fall, is entered to make his second start of the year in the Hardwicke. In his only start since the Breeders' Cup, he finished fifth behind Calandiagan in the Sheema Classic (G1) on Dubai World Cup day.
Race 3 – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1), six furlongs (10:40 a.m. EDT): The Charlie Hills-trained Khaadem had a fruitful campaign last fall in the U.S. for trainer Charlie Hills, winning the Woodford (G2) at Keeneland and winning third in both the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2) and the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Now 10 years old, he will try to turn back the clock and win the same Royal Ascot race he won in both 2023 and 2024. Starlust also holds an entry as of Monday, though he has an overnight entry in the King Charles III on Tuesday.