Champagne Stakes 2026: U.S.S. Valor vs Gaudreau at Belmont

Champagne Stakes 2026: what is on the line Saturday

The Champagne Stakes 2026 is a Grade 1, $500,000 one-turn dirt mile for 2-year-olds, run Saturday, Oct. 3 at Belmont Park. Post time for Race 8 is about 3:53 p.m. ET, and FS1 carries it.

It matters for two reasons. The winner gets a Win-and-You're-In berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, and the top five finishers earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points of 10-5-3-2-1 toward the 2027 Derby. See our Breeders' Cup 2026 guide for the big weekend itself.

The field: U.S.S. Valor, Gaudreau and four rivals

Six colts are entered, with morning-line odds from HorseRacingNation:

Raku (post 2, 12-1, trained by Kelly Breen) and Johnny Hockey (post 1, 20-1) complete the field. Entries can change, so check NYRA for scratches and final odds.

The rematch

U.S.S. Valor finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Gaudreau, in their Aug. 8 Saratoga debut, a 6½-furlong maiden race. Coach Pope was second. Gaudreau has not raced since, so the Champagne is his second start.

U.S.S. Valor's next start was a 13¼-length maiden win at Saratoga on Sept. 5, the one that earned the 105 Beyer. For the record, he is trained by Shug McGaughey, not Chad Brown, who saddles Gaudreau.

The others

Club Reign won his debut by 6 lengths on Aug. 29 at Saratoga. Earth Song won his by 11¼ lengths at Monmouth Park on Sept. 7. Raku was second in the Sapling, a two-turn mile at Monmouth.

Why the Champagne matters as a juvenile prep

The Champagne dates to 1867. Its winners include Seattle Slew, Easy Goer and Spectacular Bid, and in recent years Jack Christopher (2021) and Napoleon Solo (2025).

For a young horse, it is a rare chance to prove two things at once: that he can handle a Grade 1 field and that he can stretch out to a mile around one turn. A one-turn mile asks for speed and a clean trip, with less room to recover from trouble than a two-turn race. The winner's reward is the Juvenile berth. If you want the basics, read what a Grade 1 race means and why two-year-old races matter.

How Beyer figures work, in plain terms

A Beyer Speed Figure turns a horse's finishing time into a single number. It is adjusted for how fast or slow the track was that day, so a win on a sloppy day can be compared with a win on a fast one. Higher is faster.

• Compare figures only across similar distances and surfaces.
• One big number can be a peak; look for a pattern across starts.
• Two-year-olds improve quickly, so early figures are a snapshot, not a ceiling.

U.S.S. Valor's 105 is the highest of any juvenile in 2026. The Champagne is the first time he has to show it against Grade 1 company, and Gaudreau's reported 89 Beyer comes from his debut, a half-length win in a sprint.

How Derby points and Win-and-You're-In fit together

They are two separate ladders that this race happens to sit on.

1. Win-and-You're-In: the Champagne is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race. Win it and the colt earns a berth in the Juvenile. Read the full explainer on Win and You're In.
2. Derby points: the top five earn 10-5-3-2-1 points on the Road to the 2027 Kentucky Derby. Points are cumulative, so they only help if the horse keeps running well next spring.

A colt can use one, both or neither. Some connections skip the Juvenile and head to a later prep, so a win does not lock in a route.

Two horses with one name behind them

Two colts in the field were named in memory of the late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau shares his surname, and Johnny Hockey carries his nickname. It is a quiet, respectful link, and one more reason this race will draw non-racing eyes.

What to watch next

• Pace: with only one turn, who gets the early position?
• The rematch: can Gaudreau repeat, or does U.S.S. Valor's improvement hold up?
• Newcomers: Gaudreau, Club Reign and Earth Song have only a start or two each, so a step up is a real question.
• After the race: watch which connections announce the Juvenile at Keeneland.

Result: the race has not been run yet. A results line will be added after Saturday.

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