Clasico del Caribe 2026 Schedule: What Time and How to Watch

Clasico del Caribe 2026 schedule: date and what time

The Clasico del Caribe 2026 (officially the Clásico Internacional del Caribe) is on Sunday, December 6, 2026, at Hipódromo Camarero in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. The post time has not been announced yet, so there is no confirmed time in US Eastern or anywhere else.

The race closes the two-day Serie Hípica del Caribe on December 5 and 6. When the time is published, this page will carry it, converted for each zone below.

A quick tip: Puerto Rico doesn't change its clocks, and US daylight saving time ended November 1. So in December, Puerto Rico is one hour ahead of New York and Miami.

For reference only, last year's Clásico in Panama went off around 5:00 p.m. local time on December 7, 2025, according to La Prensa. That was a different track and a different country, so don't plan around it.

The official event site's ticket listing shows 11:00 a.m. next to a Saturday, December 5 date. That is not the Clásico's post time.

How to watch

• TV and streaming: No broadcaster or stream has been announced for 2026. We found none in the news or on the organizers' channels as of November 4.
• In person: Tickets are on sale through the official site, clasicodelcaribepr.com. Hipódromo Camarero announced on X on October 21 that tickets for the December 5 and 6 weekend were on sale.
• What to follow: Hipódromo Camarero's official accounts and the Confederación Hípica del Caribe are where a broadcast plan, if any, would show up first.

The two-day program

The Confederación Hípica del Caribe confirmed the six-race program in order, as reported by Meridiano on September 29. The post times have not been announced.

Saturday, December 5

• Copa Velocidad (sprinters), 1,200 meters, $60,000
• Copa Dama del Caribe (fillies), 1,700 meters, $65,000
• Copa Confraternidad (males), 2,000 meters, $150,000

Sunday, December 6

• Copa Invitacional de Importados (imported horses), 2,000 meters, $75,000
• Copa Confraternidad de Yeguas (mares), 1,800 meters, $100,000
• Clásico Internacional del Caribe, 1,800 meters, $350,000, the main event

Puerto Rico's government announced a combined purse of $1 million for the weekend, per Meridiano. Líder en Deportes puts the Clásico's own purse at $350,000.

Why this edition matters

The first Clásico del Caribe was run on June 26, 1966, at El Comandante in Carolina, Puerto Rico. That makes 2026 the race's 60th anniversary, and it's back where it started.

Puerto Rico has hosted 22 times and its horses have won 8 times, according to Meridiano. The island last hosted in 2021, when local hero Tamborero won.

The local sponsor even made a commemorative beer can for the anniversary, the first ever dedicated to the race, per The Weekly Journal. Nine countries are named as part of the series: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Ecuador.

The field so far

The Clásico field is not set. Each country runs qualifiers and names its representatives, and some delegations are still deciding. Here is what's confirmed or reported as of November 4.

Qualified for the Clásico

• Táctico (Puerto Rico): Won the Antonio Mongil Jr. at Camarero on October 25, the second and final local qualifier, at 30-1. Trainer Luis Jonel Cruz, jockey Steven Monserrate (El Nuevo Día).
• El Beato (Puerto Rico): Won the first qualifier and finished second to Táctico. El Nuevo Día reports both secured spots.
• Maldini (Mexico): Hipódromo de las Américas posted on X that he won the Clásico Criadores Mexicanos and earned Mexico's spot at Camarero.

Still chasing a spot

• Big Valdi (Venezuela): Clásico Cría Nacional winner, with Javier Castellano named to ride. He has one more 1,800-meter prep (Líder en Deportes).
• El Irlandés (Venezuela): A three-year-old with José Luis Ortiz, running a 1,600-meter prep first.

Confirmed for other races, not the Clásico

The Dominican Republic's Comisión Hípica Nacional named four horses, none for the Sunday classic (Meridiano):

• Korean's Girl, unbeaten Triple Crown filly: Copa Dama del Caribe
• Burlao and Colosal: Copa Confraternidad
• Team Captain (imported): Copa Invitacional de Importados

Mexico's Lodyto Race, the 2025 Clásico winner with Irad Ortiz Jr. in Panama, has punched his ticket to the Copa Confraternidad this time, per Meridiano on X.

How the Clásico del Caribe works

If you're new to Caribbean racing, here's the short version.

• Who runs: The Clásico is for three-year-olds, the region's version of a Derby. Each member country sends its best via qualifying races.
• The distance: 1,800 meters, about 1⅛ miles. That's a test of speed and stamina for a young horse.
• The host rotates: Panama hosted in 2025. The Dominican Republic is next in 2027, per Meridiano.
• Quarantine: Visiting horses ship in and stay in a quarantine area inside Camarero, a reminder that moving horses between countries takes paperwork and health checks. Our health basics guide explains why biosecurity matters.
• Stars in the saddle: Puerto Rico's Gaming Commission said it expects 2026 Kentucky Derby winner José Luis Ortiz and his brother Irad Ortiz Jr., a multiple Eclipse Award-winning jockey, to ride.

New to racing words like "post time" and "purse"? Check the glossary.

What to watch next

• Venezuela's preps: Big Valdi and El Irlandés run in the next few weeks. Their results decide whether Venezuela sends a Clásico runner.
• The post time: Organizers haven't said when they will publish it. We'll add it here with every time zone.
• The broadcast: Watch Camarero's and the Confederación's channels. Until they announce, treat any "live stream" link you see as unofficial.
• The draw: Post positions haven't been drawn yet. Last year in Panama, La Prensa reported the draw on the Tuesday before the Sunday race.

Going in person? Plan for a long day on Sunday, with two Copas and the Clásico. More racing previews are on our trends page.