Breeders' Cup live stream 2023: how to watch for FREE online from anywhere – runners and riders, race time

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione rides Caravel to win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in last year's Breeder's Cup
(Image credit: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Breeders' Cup 2023 live stream

Horse racing fans can watch the Breeders' Cup 2023 for FREE on ITVX in the UK, Virgin Media Player in Ireland, and Racing.com in Australia. It's on Peacock and NBC in the USA. Full details below. Don't forget: you can use a VPN watch a FREE Breeders' Cup 2023 live stream from anywhere.

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Breeders' Cup 2023 preview

14 Grade 1 races over two days, with a combined purse totalling $28 million? It can only be the Breeders' Cup World Championships, both the pinnacle and epilogue of the North American horse racing season. 

There are five races scheduled for Future Stars Friday, but the main event is of course Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic, a 1.25-mile dash around Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, the dirt track that produced the $6 million race's one and only victorious filly, back in '09. 

And the 40th anniversary edition is poised beautifully, despite the withdrawal of much-fancied Arcangelo. Outright favourite Arabian Knight, trained by four-time winner Bob Baffert and ridden by the reigning champion Flavien Prat, will start from a position of weakness, having been drawn into stall No.12.

Worse still, his main competition has had much better luck. Japanese stalker Ushba Tesoro, who won the prestigious 1.25-mile Dubai World Cup in March, will start the Classic from No.8, while White Abarrio, fresh from his breakthrough at the Whitney Stakes in August and carrying Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. on his back, has been drawn into stall No.3.

Read on as we explain how to watch a FREE 2023 Breeders' Cup live stream from anywhere with a VPN. We've also listed the full Breeders' Cup schedule below and the Breeders' Cup Classic runners and riders at the bottom of this page.

Breeders' Cup 2023 schedule: races and times

(All times ET)

Friday, November 3 (Day 1)

  • 5pm - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint ($1 million)
  • 5.40pm - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies ($2 million)
  • 6.20pm - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf ($1 million)
  • 7pm - Breeders' Cup Juvenile ($2 million)
  • 7.40pm - Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf ($1 million)

Saturday, November 4 (Day 2)

  • 2.30pm - Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile ($1 million)
  • 3.10pm - Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf ($2 million)
  • 3.50pm - Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint ($1 million)
  • 4.30pm - Breeders' Cup Mile ($2 million)
  • 5.10pm - Breeders' Cup Distaff ($2 million)
  • 5.50pm - Breeders' Cup Turf ($4 million)
  • 6.40pm - Breeders' Cup Classic ($6 million)
  • 7.25pm - Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint ($1 million)
  • 8pm - Breeders' Cup Sprint ($2 million)

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FREE Breeders' Cup live stream in the UK

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The great news for horse racing fans is that Breeders' Cup 2023 is free-to-air on the ITV channels. 

That means the two-day event is also being live streamed for FREE on ITVX

Live coverage runs from 8.30pm GMT to midnight on ITV3 on Friday, from 1pm to 4pm on ITV on Saturday afternoon, and from 8.30pm to midnight on Saturday night.

Post time for the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic is set for 10.40pm on Saturday.

Outside the UK but want your usual coverage? Use ExpressVPN to watch your favourite streaming services from anywhere on the planet.

How to watch Breeders' Cup 2023 from outside your country

If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your usual coverage, you'll want a VPN. This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching a Breeders' Cup live stream in particular parts of the world.

They're a useful means of getting around this issue, are cheap, and easy to set-up as well. Here's how it's done.

Use a VPN to watch Breeders' Cup 2023 from anywhere

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How to use a VPN to watch Breeders' Cup 2023

Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'UK' for ITVX.

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - ITVX for UK citizens abroad.


Ireland flag

How to watch Breeders' Cup 2023 in Ireland 

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Breeders' Cup 2023 is being shown for FREE on the Virgin Media channels in Ireland.

This means you can also live stream the Breeders' Cup using Virgin Media Player - or check out its TV Anywhere app, which is available for nearly all modern devices including smartphones, tablets, computers and more. Away from home?

Use a VPN to watch the free Breeders' Cup live stream from abroad.

Live coverage runs from 8pm GMT to midnight on Virgin Media Three on Friday, and from 5pm to 11pm on Virgin Media Two on Saturday.

Post time for the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic is scheduled at 10.40pm on Saturday night.

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How to watch Breeders' Cup 2023: live stream in the US without cable

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Breeders' Cup 2023 is being shown across USA Network, NBC and Peacock TV in the US.

Coverage runs from 4pm ET / 1pm PT to 8pm ET / 5pm PT on USA Network on Friday, from 1.30pm ET / 10.30am PT to 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT on USA Network on Saturday, and from 3.30pm ET / 12.30pm PT to 7pm ET / 4pm PT on NBC and Peacock on Saturday.

Post time for the Breeders' Cup Classic is set for 6.40pm ET / 3.40pm PT on Saturday.

Peacock costs $5.99 a month for an ad-supported version of the service that also offers live coverage of the NFL, EPL soccer, every big WWE event, Premiership Rugby, plus plenty more live sports. You also have the option of paying $11.99 a month for commercial-free coverage.

Alternatively, OTT streaming service Sling TV is reasonably priced and includes NBC as part of its Sling Blue package in most major markets. The usual cost is $45 a month, but if you're new to the service you can get your first month half-price.

Another over-the-top streaming service that includes NBC is FuboTV. It's a much more comprehensive cable replacement, and carries more than 100 channels including Fox, CBS and ESPN.

Prices start at $74.99 a month after a FREE FuboTV trial.

If you subscribe to Sling, Peacock, or any other US streaming service and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN as outlined below - of the many options, we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best.

Canada flag

Can you watch a 2023 Breeders' Cup live stream in Canada?

In Canada, the Breeders' Cup is usually shown on TSN, though at the time of writing it appears as if the 2023 event hasn't been picked up by any broadcasters. 

The only alternative is to use one of the best VPN service providers to tap into coverage from another region, as described above.

The software is generally ideal for this as it allows you to change your IP address and appear to be in a completely different location – and all through a safe, encrypted connection. But do bear in mind that most paid streaming services do require a credit card based in the country the service is from.

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How to watch Breeders' Cup 2023: live stream in Australia

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Fans of the horses can watch Breeders' Cup 2023 for FREE in Australia, courtesy of Racing.com.

Available on Freeview, live coverage runs from 10.30am AEDT to 11.30am on Sunday morning. Post time for the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic is scheduled at 9.40am. Away from home?

Use a VPN to watch free on Racing.com from abroad.

You can also stream the Breeders' Cup live on the Racing.com website, though you'll have to register for an account first.

2023 Breeders' Cup Classic runners and riders

  1. Arcangelo (withdrawn), Javier Castellano, Jena Antonucci
  2. Zandon, Frankie Dettori, Chad Brown
  3. White Abarrio, Irad Ortiz Jr., Rick Dutrow Jr.
  4. Missed the Cut, Luis Saez, John Sadler
  5. Derma Sotogake, Christophe Lemaire, Hidetaka Otonashi
  6. Saudi Crown, Florent Geroux, Brad Cox
  7. Clapton, Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Summers
  8. Ushba Tesoro, Yuga Kawada, Noboru Takagi
  9. Senor Buscador, Geovanni Franco, Todd Fincher
  10. Dreamlike, Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher
  11. Bright Future, John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher
  12. Arabian Knight, Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert
  13. Proxy, Joel Rosario, Mike Stidham

Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.