Winter Meeting 2026-2027: Schedule, key information and more
Updated: 14 hours ago
On October 29, the winter meeting will officially start at Vincennes. The meeting will include 569 harness races and 210 monté races, making a total of 779 races across just over four months, from October 29 to March 6.
The elite horses will meet in the two competitions that shape the winter meeting calendar: the Amérique Races and the Cornulier Races. Both competitions consist of multiple races throughout the winter meeting, leading up to their respective finals.
Throughout the winter season, we'll look into the big races 1-3 days before they take place.
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Amérique Races
There are several opportunities to qualify for the Prix d'Amérique, which takes place on Sunday, January 31, 2027.
In the 'B' races, the Prix de Bretagne, Prix du Bourbonnais, Prix de Bourgogne and Prix de Belgique, the first four finishers receive a direct ticket to the Prix d'Amérique, Prix de France and Prix de Paris.
In the age-restricted qualifiers, the Critérium Continental and Prix Ténor de Baune, only the winner will grab a direct ticket to the finals.
The remaining open starting positions that are not filled by automatic qualifiers will go to horses that qualify based on earnings.
To account for the difference in earnings between generations, younger horses receive a bonus because they have had less time to earn prize money than older horses.
The age-based earnings bonus works as follows:
30% for 4-year-olds
20% for 5-year-olds
10% for 6-year-olds
Horses aged 7 to 11 are assessed on their actual earnings
This bonus is only used for the qualification ranking and does not increase the prize money earned.
Cornulier Races
There are also several opportunities to qualify for the Prix de Cornulier, the most prestigious race in the monté discipline.
The winners of the Prix Jag de Bellouet and Prix Bilibili, as well as the first three finishers in the Prix du Calvados, receive a direct ticket to the Prix de Cornulier and the Prix de l'Île-de-France.
The remaining open starting positions that are not filled by automatic qualifiers will go to horses that qualify based on earnings.
To account for the difference in earnings between generations, younger horses receive a bonus because they have had less time to earn prize money than older horses.
The age-based earnings bonus works as follows:
30% for 4-year-olds
20% for 5-year-olds
10% for 6-year-olds
Horses aged 7 to 11 are assessed on their actual earnings
This bonus is only used for the qualification ranking and does not increase the prize money earned.
Group 1 races by generation
The "O" generation: 2-year-olds
Sunday, February 21:
Prix Comte Pierre de Montesson / Critérium des Jeunes - 2,700m
The "N" generation: 3-year-olds
Sunday, December 13:
Prix Ready Cash - 2,100m - autostart
Saturday, January 30:
Prix Ourasi - 2,700m
Monté
Sunday, December 20:
Prix de Vincennes - 2,700m
The "M" generation: 4-year-olds
Sunday, December 27:
Critérium Continental - Amérique Races Q3 - 2,100m - Autostart
Saturday, January 30:
Prix Bold Eagle - 2,700m
Monté
Sunday, December 20:
Prix Jag de Bellouet - Cornulier Races - Q1 - 2,700m
The "L" generation: 5-year-olds in 2026
Sunday, December 27:
Prix Ténor de Baune - Amérique Races - Q4 - 2,700m
Monté
Sunday, December 20:
Prix Bilibili - Cornulier Races - Q2 - 2,700m
Two additional group 2 races in 2027
During the 2026/2027 winter meeting, the aim is to provide more opportunities for fillies. Therefore, two additional group 2 races will be introduced as early as this winter.
The Prix Charles Tiercelin will be split into two races.
The Prix Charles Tiercelin for 4-year-old fillies, on January 9.
The Prix Coktail Jet for 4-year-old colts, on January 10.
The Prix Éphrem Houël will also be split into two races:
The Prix Éphrem Houël for 4-year-old colts
The Prix Belina Josselyn for 4-year-old fillies
Both races will take place on February 13
In 2027, more group 2 races will be added to the program to provide more opportunities for the 4- and 5-year-old generations.
International Drivers' Cup
A new addition to Prix d'Amérique Weekend:
The Drivers' Cup will take place on Saturday, January 30.
The race is a category D race for 5- and 6-year-olds, with €46,000 in prize money.
It will bring together twelve drivers: six European drivers selected by the SETF and six American drivers selected by the Hambletonian Society. The drives will be allocated by draw.
This contest between the two continents follows an earlier Drivers' Cup, held under a different format at Yonkers and Vincennes between March and June 2016.
The new competition has received support from the SETF's Saudi partners.
The winter meeting in numbers
€43,565,000 budget (+4.67%)
93 race meetings (+6)
779 races (+46)
€55,924 average allocation per race (-1.51%)
17 group 1 races, 38 group 2 races, 45 group 3 races
154 European races and 40 international races, with €16,999,000 in prize money for those categories (+€98,000)
36 races for apprentice drivers and lad-jockeys*
26 claiming races
16 amateur races
* A lad-jockey is a stable employee who works with racehorses and is authorised to drive in races reserved for this category.
Amérique Races 2026/2027 calendar
Sunday, November 22:
Prix de Bretagne - Q1 group 2 - 2,700m - ages 4 to 10
Sunday, December 13:
Prix du Bourbonnais - Q2 group 2 - 2,850m - ages 4 to 10
Sunday, December 27:
Critérium Continental - Q3 group 1 - 2,100m - autostart - 4-year-olds
Prix Ténor de Baune - Q4 group 1 - 2,700m - 5-year-olds
Sunday, January 3:
Prix de Bourgogne - Q5 group 2 - 2,100m - autostart - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, January 17:
Prix de Belgique - Q6 group 2 - 2,850m - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, January 31:
Prix d'Amérique - Final - Legend Race group 1 - 2,700m - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, February 14:
Prix de France - Final - Speed Racegroup 1 - 2,100m - autostart - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, February 28:
Prix de Paris - Final - Marathon Race group 1 - 4,150m - ages 4 to 11
Notes:
The Prix d’Amérique, Prix de France and Prix de Paris form the “Triple Crown”.
11-year-olds are not allowed to compete in the Prix de Bretagne and Prix du Bourbonnais, as they turn 12 on January 1, 2027
Cornulier Races 2026/2027 calendar
Sunday, December 20:
Prix Jag de Bellouet - Q1 group 1 - 2,700m - 4-year-olds
Prix Bilibili - Q2 group 1 - 2,700m - 5-year-olds
Sunday, January 10:
Prix du Calvados group 2 - 2,850m - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, January 24:
Prix de Cornulier group 1, 2,700m - ages 4 to 11
Sunday, February 7:
Prix de l'Île-de-France group I - 2,175m - ages 4 to 11
Note:
The Prix Henri Desmontils was upgraded to a group 1 race in 2024 to become the monté equivalent of the Prix de Paris. As it was only recently upgraded, it is not yet part of the official Cornulier Races label.
However, it is part of the monté Triple Crown, alongside the Prix de Cornulier and Prix de l'Île-de-France.
The final race meeting of the winter meeting takes place on Saturday, March 6, with three group 1 races: the Prix Henri Desmontils, the Prix de Sélection/Face Time Bourbon and the Prix des Centaures.
Throughout the winter season, we'll focus on the big races, horses, trainers and drivers.
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