2026 Champagne Stakes Preview at Belmont Park

Key Takeaways:

• The Champagne returns to Belmont Park after four years at Aqueduct, with a field of six juveniles racing a mile for a $500,000 purse, a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile automatic bid, and Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
• It’s an inexperienced but intriguing field: all six are making their graded-stakes debuts, though every horse has won a maiden race and two have already tried stakes company; U. S. S. Valor brings the standout recent form after a 13¼-length win that was the fastest race by a juvenile this year.
• U. S. S. Valor is the top pick despite likely being a heavy favorite, with the strongest form in the field and the added advantage of having shown he can pass horses after a troubled debut; that versatility could be especially useful in a race loaded with speed.
• Earth Song is the second pick after overcoming a slow start to win his debut by 11¼ lengths, with an outside post, stalking ability, and a pedigree that points toward handling the stretch-out to a mile; his price should also reflect the class question from facing a short field at Monmouth.
• Gaudreau rounds out the picks after winning a particularly live maiden race that produced two subsequent blowout winners; Chad Brown and Flavien Prat provide proven Champagne credentials, while Gaudreau’s ability to press rather than need the lead could help him navigate a crowded pace scenario.

On Saturday, October 3 at Belmont Park, a field of promising juveniles lines up for the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, a $500,000 race that covers one mile on the dirt. After four years at Aqueduct Racetrack, while its traditional home was being renovated, the Champagne is back at Belmont this year. The spoils are rich: in addition to the purse, the winner gets an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and the first five across the wire earn 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

The 2026 Champagne Stakes drew a field of six. All are making their graded-stakes debut, though two have open stakes experience and every horse in the field has a maiden win to their name. The most talked-about horses are some of the last-out maiden winners: U. S. S. Valor was perhaps the most impressive maiden winner of the Saratoga meet, Club Reign also won by open lengths at the Spa, and Earth Song overcame a slow break to win in runaway fashion at Monmouth.

Though no horse has swept the Champagne and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile since Shanghai Bobby in 2012, some excellent horses have won it in the last ten years. Its most recent winner, Napoleon Solo, won the 2026 Preakness Stakes. Other major winners in recent years include prominent sire Practical Joke (2016), durable sprinter Firenze Fire (2017), Belmont and Travers winner Tiz the Law (2019), and the brilliant Jackie’s Warrior (2020). Going earlier in its history, two Triple Crown winners have also won the Champagne: Seattle Slew and Count Fleet. Secretariat also crossed the wire first, but was disqualified for interference.

Champagne Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, October 3
• Track: Belmont Park in Elmont, NY
• Post Time: 3:53 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 mile on the dirt
• Age/Sex: Two-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV, Fox Sports 1
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2026 Champagne Stakes Draw and Odds

These horses were entered in the Champagne Stakes. The chart includes post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Champagne Prep Race Results

None of the runners in the Champagne have graded-stakes experience, but two come out of ungraded stakes attempts. Raku fared the better of the two, missing by just a nose in the one-mile Sapling at Monmouth on September 5. Johnny Hockey was a flat fifth of eight in the Skidmore, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint at Saratoga on August 27, and moves back to the dirt for the Champagne.

The other four runners come straight out of open-company maiden special weight wins. Three of the runners come out of debut victories. Club Reign won by six lengths at Saratoga in a six-furlong race August 29. Gaudreau won by half a length over Breeders’ Futurity (G1) entrant Coach Pope and Champagne entrant U. S. S. Valor in a 6 ½-furlong race at the Spa on August 8. Earth Song, a 11 ¼-lengths winner in his six-furlong debut September 7 at Monmouth, is cross-entered in the Champagne and a stakes at Delaware Park; he is expected to go forward in the Champagne.

U. S. S. Valor is the only last-out maiden winner who didn’t graduate on debut. He missed by three-quarters of a length to Gaudreau on debutt, but moved forward and ran up a 13 ¼-length victory on September 5.

Champagne Stakes Contenders

These are the nine entrants for the 2026 Champagne Stakes, in order of their post positions.

1. Johnny Hockey: The most experienced runner in the field, Johnny Hockey has six starts underneath him. He graduated at fifth asking in a six-furlong race at Monmouth, where he battled early, led much of the way, and won by 2 ½ lengths. None of his races are fast enough to hold up to what the top contenders in this field have done so far. On one hand, his pedigree suggests that the stretch out to a mile can move him forward. On the other, he’s not the only one with that kind of upside, and he has a lot further to go, especially given how well beaten he was in his New York attempts, even in the maiden ranks.
2. Raku: A debut winner in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Monmouth, he stepped up to a mile for the Sapling, was always forward, and missed by a nose at the wire. The fact that he has gone a mile is a good thing, at least fitness-wise; he is the only horse in the field who has gone longer than seven furlongs. He will be one of many who will be on or near the lead, though at least he has shown he can fight when challenged.
3. Gaudreau: He won what may well be the most live maiden special weight of the year so far – both second-place Coach Pope and third-place U. S. S. Valor came back to win in decisive fashion. The question is – how much does he move forward? Does he move forward as much as those other horses he beat on debut? That isn’t impossible; Chad Brown runners do well stretching out, and Flavien Prat is back in the irons. He won’t have it easy up front, but to his credit, he doesn’t have to be on the top, since he pressed the pace early in his debut win.
4. Club Reign: This Whit Beckman trainee was shrugged off at 8-1 in a seven-horse field at Saratoga on debut, but pressed the pace before taking over in the lane to win by six lengths. There is a lot of speed in this race, but not needing to be right on top is a positive. Beckman shines when stretching horses out to a mile or more for the first time, and often wins at a price in that situation, though he still underperforms in graded-stakes races, raising concerns in this spot.
5. U. S. S. Valor: He had a troubled trip on debut but still only lost by three-quarters of a length to Gaudreau. He stretched out to seven furlongs for his second start and moved forward strongly: he pressed the pace and blew clear in the lane, winning by 13 ¼ lengths geared down. If he runs to that, he’ll be very hard to beat; it was the fastest race by a juvenile this year. The question is how low a price to take given the chance to bounce, though trainer Shug McGaughey is strong enough with last-out maiden winners that it would be no surprise if he stays sharp.
6. Earth Song: He was cross-entered in the Champagne Stakes and the ungraded Rocky Run at Delaware, and it’s a sign of confidence that trainer Jorge Delgado sends him to New York. Despite breaking a bit slow, he romped by 11 ¼ lengths on debut – but he was facing a three-horse field at Monmouth, and he’ll need to move forward to hold up against this New York-quality company. The outside gate is a solid draw, and he should revel in the extra distance, both based on pedigree and on trainer Jorge Delgado’s tendency for his runners to move forward at a price first time at a route.

Champagne Stakes: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack:

1. U. S. S. Valor (3-5)

U. S. S. Valor will probably be the heavy favorite, but he brings the strongest form into the race. And, if he were a short price but had only proven himself on the lead, that would be a concern, since so much of the field has only proven themselves with a very forward trip. However, there’s one horse in the field who has done much of anything from off the pace – and it’s U. S. S. Valor.

Yes, his blowout maiden win came very close to the lead. But, on debut, he had to deal with trouble and remained invested, and was making up ground over a 6 ½-furlong distance that was likely on the short side for him. That suggests that – if he’s fast enough to just do it up front, he could, but he can stay engaged and pass horses if that ends up being something he has to do. Given the composition of this field, even with this being a two-year-old race, it looks like a good spot to consider the favorite as the goods.

2. Earth Song (15-1)

Earth Song has class to prove, as his maiden win came in a short field at Monmouth. But, he was unfazed after a bit of a slow start and won in blowout fashion. Being able to overcome that, and being able to press the pace instead of just having to hustle all the way to the front, are both points in his favor. That suggests he should be able to get an outside tracking trip in this spot, breaking from post 6 in a six-horse group.

The stretch out to a mile is also a point in his favor. Being a Justify half-brother to both Further Ado and Kimbear, he should have no trouble handling a mile and may want a little more than that when all is said and done. And, over the last three years, trainer Jorge Delgado is firing at 23% with a positive ROI with runners trying a mile or longer for the first time. He’ll be a square price again this time, as well, and brings upside to the table.

3. Gaudreau (8-5)

How much can Gaudreau improve? He won perhaps the most live maiden race of the season to date in August, and now he has to come back and try to prove he has moved forward as much as the horses he beat that day. He comes out for connections you can trust in big races like this – Chad Brown has won this race five times, and two of those wins have come with Flavien Prat riding his horse. Prat rode Gaudreau to victory, so there’s rapport there. The step up in trip should suit as well; Brown wins at 31% with horses stretching out to a mile or more for the first time, and being by Nyquist out of a Congrats mare, he should have no trouble handling it.

The question with him, as with so many in this field, is what will happen in a field replete with so many frontrunning horses. However, he has at least shown the ability to prompt the pace instead of get his head immediately in front, and he was able to hold on against two horses who ran huge races in their next starts, suggesting there’s at least some kind of grit there.

Champagne Stakes FAQ

Q: When and where is the Champagne Stakes?

A: The Champagne Stakes happens on Saturday, October 3 at Belmont Park. Post time is scheduled for 3:53 p.m. EDT, and it is the eighth race on Saturday’s 11-race card.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Champagne Stakes?

A: Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with six victories in the Champagne between 2004 and 2014 with Proud Accolade, Scat Daddy, Uncle Mo, Shanghai Bobby, Havana, and Daredevil. Chad Brown has won the race five times, most recently in 2024 with Chancer McPatrick, and can tie Pletcher’s mark if Gaudreau wins this year.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Champagne Stakes?

A: U. S. S. Valor is the 3-5 morning-line favorite and is likely to hold as a strong favorite at post time. His maiden win September 5 at Saratoga was impressive enough to suggest he has moved forward from his debut, where he finished a close third behind Gaudreau.

Q: Who is the best Champagne Stakes jockey?

A: Braulio Baeza leads all jockeys with five wins between 1964 and 1975. However, he is long-retired. Among jockeys who are riding in the 2026 edition of the Champagne, Flavien Prat leads with two wins, with Blazing Sevens in 2022 and Chancer McPatrick in 2024. Both of those winners were for trainer Chad Brown, who also trains Prat’s 2026 mount Gaudreau.

Q: Who was the Champagne Stakes winner in 2025?

A: Napoleon Solo won the 2025 Champagne Stakes for trainer Chad Summers and jockey Joel Rosario. Neither returns to the race in 2026.

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