The 2026 Turf Classic Stakes is set for Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Rhetorical, a New York-bred horse, is the 5-2 morning-line favourite. He has five wins in eight starts but has lost his last two.
Other top choices include Test Score (7-2), Program Trading (4-1), Make Me King (6-1) and Asbury Park (8-1).
Post time for the Turf Classic Stakes 2026 is 5:39 p.m. ET.
Expert Hochman’s Turf Classic Stakes Picks
Jeff Hochman, a longtime horse racing guru, has revealed his picks for the 2026 Turf Classic Stakes.
Hochman has shown a profit in 22 of the past 39 Triple Crown races.
He swept the 2022 Triple Crown, and in 2023, he cashed the Preakness with National Treasure.
Surprise Top Pick and a Longshot
Hochman’s top pick is not Rhetorical, even though he is the 5-2 favourite.
He is high on Mercante, even though he is a 12-1 longshot. Hochman says Mercante excels on the Churchill grass, having won the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes over this course last summer. He is using Mercante prominently in his wagers.
Hochman’s top pick is a horse who “checks all the boxes”. He is also high on a double-digit longshot who has “tactical versatility.”
Hochman’s Summer Success
Hochman delivered exceptional handicapping results during the summer 2025 racing season at Saratoga and Del Mar.
His combined 65.7% win rate across the two tracks represents elite-level performance.
See Hochman’s 2026 Turf Classic Stakes picks at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the 2026 Turf Classic Stakes? Which big double-digit longshot is a must-back? How has Hochman constructed his wagers?