Breeders’ Cup Challenge Cup Series: Fleur de Lis & Stephen Foster Stakes

From the Breeders’ Cup Media Team:

2026 BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE SERIES FACT SHEET

Fleur de Lis and Stephen Foster Stakes

Churchill Downs

• The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In is an international series of 95 stakes races in 14 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The schedule may be viewed at BreedersCup.com/races/challenge-series.
• The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series debuted in 2007. Since its inception, 767 Challenge Series races have produced Breeders’ Cup World Championships runners, and 773 Challenge winners have gone on to run in the World Championships. There have been 96 Breeders’ Cup Challenge winners that have also won at the World Championships.
• The $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) provides the winner with an automatic starting position into the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and the $2 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) gives the winner an automatic starting position into the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
• In 2025, three Challenge Series winners won their respective divisions at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships: Forever Young (JPN) took the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Notable Speech won the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), and Ted Noffey took the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
• After the 2026 running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course, the 2027 World Championships will be held at the new Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

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$500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2), 1 1/8 Miles, 4YO & Up F&M

Winner Receives: Automatic starting position in the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), $60,000 entry fee waived, $10,000 awarded to Breeders’ Cup nominator (when applicable). All Championship starters based outside of Kentucky receive a travel allowance. The race winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup Program by the Oct. 19 pre-entry deadline in order to receive the rewards.

Recent Winner Highlights

Other Fleur de Lis Winners: Horses who won the Fleur de Lis and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (or Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic) were Royal Delta, who won the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, the 2012 Fleur de Lis, and 2012 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic; Adoration, who won the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the 2004 Fleur de Lis; Spain, who won the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finished second in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and won the 2002 Fleur de Lis;Escena, who won the 1998 Fleur de Lis and the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and Blue Prize (ARG), who won the 2018 Fleur de Lis and the 2019 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff Division – Challenge Series Races

$2 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), 1 1/8 Miles, 4YO & Up

Winner Receives: Automatic starting position in $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), $150,000 entry fee waived, $10,000 awarded to Breeders’ Cup nominator (when applicable). All Championship starters based outside of Kentucky receive a travel allowance.

Recent Winner Highlights

Other Notable Stephen Foster Winners: Fort Larned (2013) won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2012 at Santa Anita and finished fourth in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Blame (2010) won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs and was voted champion older male horse. Curlin (2008) finished second in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita as the defending Classic champion. He was voted Horse of the Year. In addition to Gun Runner and Blame, other notable horses who won the Stephen Foster and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year were Saint Liam (2005), Awesome Again (1998), and Black Tie Affair (IRE) (1991). Saint Liam and Black Tie Affair also received Horse of the Year honors.

2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Division – Challenge Series Races

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races through partnerships with host countries around the globe, and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series.

The 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade 1 Championship races run during a two-day festival worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, will be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and the 2027 World Championships will be held Oct. 29-30 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports and FanDuel TV. Press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, BreedersCup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.