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Defending Coolmore Turf Mile champion Rhetorical will try to go back-to-back in the $1.25 million race when the starting gate opens in the 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Trained by Will Walden, Rhetorical has six wins and two thirds in 11 career starts. He is coming off a fourth place finish in the Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga. For Saturday, Rhetorical has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile odds. Bet the Coolmore Turf Mile with the TwinSpires promo code SPORTSLINE and get an exclusive $400 bonus, double the regular offer:

Zulu Kingdom (3-1), Lake Forest (4-1), Brilliant Berti (6-1) and Pass the Hat (8-1) round out the top five choices in the nine-horse Coolmore Turf Mile field. Post time for the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In race is 5:48 p.m. ET.

With talented horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile picks or horse racing predictions considering his track record.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year he struck big on Fountain of Youth day, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile field and revealed his picks. One surprise: Menez is completely fading Rhetorical, even though he is the 2-1 favorite. "Rhetorical has the pace edge in a race without much speed, but there's no way I can bet him at 2-1 against this field," Menez told SportsLine.

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who has a "great chance." Menez is including this horse in his 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile bets, and so should you.

So which horse wins the 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Coolmore Turf Mile picks and bets, all from the expert who finished 115th out of 643 entries in last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.

Don't miss out: All new SportsLine memberships include Paramount+ Premium -- a $13.99/month value -- for no extra cost! Join now and get it all.

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