Champagne Stakes 2026: Odds, Picks, and Strategic Analysis for the Juvenile Classic

U.S.S. Valor and Gaudreau will clash again in Saturday’s $500,000 Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) at Belmont Park, headlining a full undercard of Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races.

The mile event draws a six‑horse field of 2‑year‑olds, with the victor earning an automatic spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland on October 30.

Also on the Belmont program are three other “WAYI” contests: the Futurity Stakes (G3), the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) and the Pilgrim Stakes (G2).

U.S.S. Valor entered the stakes on the back of a 13¼‑length triumph at Saratoga on September 5, his second start. The War of Will colt had finished third to Gaudreau in their joint debut a month earlier.

Gaudreau, a Nyquist son trained by Brad Cox, notched a half‑length victory over Coach Pope on his most recent start, with U.S.S. Valor closing third.

Team Valor International’s U.S.S. Valor is the morning‑line favorite at 3‑5, while Gaudreau stands at 8‑5. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey rides U.S.S. Valor from post 5 aboard Manny Franco, and Flavien Prat takes the mount on Gaudreau from post 3.

The Champagne awards 10‑5‑3‑2‑1 qualifying points to the top five finishers toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs next May.

The remainder of the field includes Johnny Hockey (30‑1), Raku (12‑1), Club Reign (8‑1) and Earth Song (15‑1).

U.S.S. Valor posted a 105 Beyer Speed Figure when he captured a 7‑furlong test at Saratoga, the highest mark among 2‑year‑olds this season. He battled for the lead and pulled away under Franco after rallying from sixth in his debut.

“I think he was [ready], but I didn’t want to run him three‑quarters [6½ furlongs]; I just wanted to run him. Then he drew the one post, so I thought it was a very good learning experience,” McGaughey said. “He came out of it really good, and obviously he ran very well the next time. I was expecting him to run well, but I didn’t expect him to run like that.”

Gaudreau pressed the pace in his maiden effort, opening a half‑mile clear and holding off Coach Pope, the 4‑5 favorite for the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He logged a 4‑furlong workout of 49.83 seconds on September 26 at Saratoga’s training track.

“He’s doing well and had his final piece of work in Saratoga,” Cox noted. “We’re looking forward to running him back here, and that’s been the plan all along.”

The Louisiana‑bred colt is named in honor of the late seven‑time NHL All‑Star Johnny Gaudreau. “He’s a good‑looking horse, typical of the sire—he throws good horses and really stamps them, and he’s no different, this fellow,” Cox added. “Athletic, strong, good‑moving horse. Always trained really well.”

Club Reign, co‑owned by Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson’s Three Brand Racing stable and trained by Whit Beckman, won his Saratoga debut by six lengths on August 29 and is expected to press the pace under jockey Edgard Zayas.

Earth Song exploded 11¼ lengths to victory on his career debut at Monmouth on September 7 and is also entered in Saturday’s Rocky Run at Delaware Park. Raku finished a nose second in the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth on September 5, while Johnny Hockey (also named for Gaudreau) is 1‑for‑6, winning at his fifth start and placing fifth in the Skidmore Stakes on turf at Saratoga on August 27.

Post time for the Champagne, race 8, is 3:53 p.m. ET.

The Picks: 1 Gaudreau 2 U.S.S. Valor 3 Club Reign
The Field for the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:

# Horse Jockey Trainer Odds
1 Johnny Hockey (KY) Katie Davis Antonio Arriaga 30-1
2 Raku (KY) Paco Lopez Kelly J. Breen 12-1
3 Gaudreau (LA) Flavien Prat Chad C. Brown 8-5
4 Club Reign (KY) Edgard J. Zayas D. Whitworth Beckman 8-1
5 U. S. S. Valor (KY) Manuel Franco Claude R. McGaughey III 3-5
6 Earth Song (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. Jorge Delgado 15-1

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