2022 Breeders' Cup: running order, race times and the big names on show

The Breeders' Cup 2022 takes place at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday, with Grade 1s each way you turn at the Kentucky venue.

The year-end championship for North American Flat racing, it has attracted star horses from across the globe, with British and Irish-trained runners dominating many markets.

It all builds to the feature Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which will feature Flightline, the world's highest-rated racehorse.

Friday

7.00: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (Grade 2, 5½f)

Number of entries: 15

Last year's winner: Twilight Gleaming

Ante-post favourite:The Platinum Queen (7-2)

Wesley Ward has taken this two-year-old sprint for the last three years and will be hoping to make it four in a row with Love Reigns. The filly was beaten by the Karl Burke-trained Dramatised at Royal Ascot, but could reverse the form with the Queen Mary winner back at the scene of her debut success.

The Queen Mary is the only race in which The Platinum Queen has failed to finish outside the first two in seven starts, and the Richard Fahey-trained Prix de l'Abbaye winner spearheads the European challenge.

(Grade 1, 1m)

Number of entries: 16

Last year's winner: Pizza Bianca

Ante-post favourite:Meditate (11-4)

It has been nearly a decade since this mile event went to a European-trained filly but Aidan O'Brien's Meditate has a decent chance of ending that drought.

The Royal Ascot and Group 2-winning filly was just edged out by Lezoo in the Cheveley Park when last seen and could make her top-level breakthrough here.

9.40: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf(Grade 1, 1m)

Number of entries: 14

Last year's winner: Modern Games

Ante-post favourite:Silver Knott (5-4)

Charlie Appleby and William Buick combined to take this two-year-old mile event last year with subsequent Classic winner Modern Games and the pair could be on target again with Silver Knott.

The dual Group 3-winning colt has only been beaten in races won by Dewhurst scorer Chaldean. He has some strong form in the book and is interesting on his first start outside of Britain.

Silver Knott defeating Epictetus at Newmarket under William BuickCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The other races

Joel Rosario has won the NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (7.40) three times in the last four years so the Brad Cox-trained Chop Chop which the jockey is booked to ride must been taken seriously.

Rosario rode two Graded winners at Keeneland last weekend and has also tasted success in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented By T'bred Aftercare Alliance (9.00), the other top-level dirt contest on Friday's card.

Rosario steered Game Winner to victory in 2018 for Bob Baffert, who also won the race last year with Corniche. The trainer has National Treasure and the unbeaten odds-on favourite Cave Rock entered this year.

Saturday

4.29: Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint(Grade 1, 5½f)

Number of entries: 15

Last year's winner: Golden Pal

Ante-post favourite:Golden Pal (7-4)

Golden Pal won this race 12 months ago and has excellent claims of doing so again after a comfortable success in the Woodford Stakes.

However, he faces a much tougher field than 12 months ago, with the British challenge including three-time Group 1 winner Highfield Princess and last year's Champions Sprint star Creative Force.

Ward also runs Campanelle, who was narrowly denied in the Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot and is unlikely to be far away.

5.50: Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf(Grade 1, 1m1½f)

Number of entries: 12

Last year's winner: Loves Only You

Ante-post favourite:Nashwa (6-4)

The British and Irish contingent dominate the betting and Nashwa, a dual Group 1 winner in the summer, heads the team for the Gosdens and Hollie Doyle.

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Above The Curve also has a top-level success to her name along with Aidan O'Brien's Oaks heroine Tuesday.

Of the American contingent, Chad Brown is set to have a strong hand, with First Lady Stakes winner In Italian the pick of his team.

Nashwa (right) wins at Glorious Goodwood under Hollie DoyleCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

7.10: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund(Grade 1, 1m)

Number of entries: 16

Last year's winner: Space Blues

Ante-post joint-favourites:Modern Games (2-1)

Charlie Appleby and William Buick won this race 12 months ago and Modern Games, who is unbeaten on his trips to North America, is the one they have to beat.

Kinross has been a revelation this year and will be hunting down a rare Arc day, Champions Day and Breeders' Cup top-level hat-trick. Annapolis, who won the Turf Mile at Keeneland in October, heads a low-key American charge.

(Grade 1, 1m4f)

Number of entries: 13

Last year's winner: Yibir

Ante-post favourite: Nations Pride (9-4)

This is another race Charlie Appleby won last year and Rebel's Romance and Nations Pride provide him with another strong hand. Both have performed best away from British shores, with the latter a Grade 1 winner at Saratoga in August.

War Like Goddess is formidable on her day and spearheads the American charge, which looks decidedly weak beyond her. Mishriff and the Aidan O'Brien pair of Stone Age and Broome give further strength to the European challenge.

(Grade 1, 1m2f)

Number of entries: 8

Last year's winner: Knicks Go

Ante-post favourite: Flightline (2-5)

After winning three Grade 1s by a combined 36 lengths, Flightline gets the chance to consolidate his legacy for trainer John Sadler and jockey Flavien Prat.

Life Is Good, who won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last year, and Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter should provide the sternest resistance.

Flightline: the world's highest-rated horse goes for Classic gloryCredit: Benoit Photo

The other races

The Breeders' Cup Distaff (7.55) is set to be a fascinating race with longtime rivals Malathaat, Clairiere and Search Results locking horns with young pretender Nest, a near ten-length winner of a Grade 2 at Belmont last time.

Jackie's Warrior is a leading fancy for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (6.30) but last year's long-odds winner Aloha West could easily have a say.

The Saturday opener is the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (3.50) where Goodnight Olive will clash with last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Echo Zulu.

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