AIDAN O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia returns to Keeneland tonight as the likely favourite in a field of 13 for the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile (10.46pm).

The card also includes the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity for two-year-olds over a mile and a 16th and the Grade 1 First Lady for fillies and mares over a mile on turf.

Order Of Australia posted a 73/1 shock when he prevailed by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last November.

He has won one of five starts in 2021 and comes off a runner-up finish to Baaeed in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September. John Velazquez has the mount and they must overcome stall 10.

Ivar bids to become only the third horse to win the Turf Mile in consecutive years. Trained by Paulo Lobo, he finished fourth, two lengths behind Order Of Australia, in the Breeders’ Cup.

Ivar was sixth in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill in May on his only start this year. Danny Tudhope rides the Clipper Logistics runner Space Traveller, now trained by Brendan Walsh.

It looks a good opportunity for Order Of Australia if he can break well.

Godolphin’s Althiqa, already a dual Grade 1 winner in the US, headlines 13 fillies and mares entered for the Grade 1 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (9.44pm).

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Althiqa was a Group 2 winner in the UAE before she took the Grade 1 Just A Game at Belmont in June and the Diana in July at Saratoga. Althiqa will be ridden by Jamie Spencer from stall three.

She will have to contend with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Empress Josephine. The Galileo filly has kept Group 1 company in her last four outings and won the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. John Velazquez has the mount from stall two.

Heading the US contingent are Harvey’s Lil Goil and Princess Grace. Trained by Bill Mott, Harvey’s Lil Goil won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup here last fall and followed that with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, beaten a neck.

She has won one of four starts in 2021, and was well behind Althiqa last time. She will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post position eight.

Princess Grace, a four-time graded stakes winner, has won six of seven career starts for trainer Mike Stidham.

Trainer Chad Brown, who has saddled the last three First Lady winners, runs Juddmonte’s Viadera and Peter Brant’s Regal Glory and Blowout.

Viadera, a three-time graded stakes winner, comes off a victory in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga but is drawn wide in 13. Regal Glory is a multiple graded stakes winner.

Steve Asmussen’s Stellar Tap and Anthony Dutrow’s Saratoga maiden winner Don’t Wait Up head a field of 13 two-year-olds for the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (10.15pm).

Stellar Tap already has earned a spot in racing history as he became the 9,446th for Asmussen when he won in Saratoga in August to make him the all-time leading trainer in North America.

In his most recent start, Stellar Tap finished fifth as the favourite in a Grade 3 at Churchill.

Belmont

Many of the US turf usual suspects line up in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic with Arklow, Cross Border, Channel Maker and Rockemperor involved. Aidan O’Brien pitches Japan in again and he was arguably unlucky in Saratoga’s Sword Dancer when just failing by a neck to overhaul Gufo after meeting trouble in the straight.

Gufo is the favourite again and was deserving of that first Grade 1 having suffered narrow losses himself and is probably the second best turf male in the US behind Domestic Spending. Belmont’s bigger track might suit Japan more and Wayne Lordan takes the mount this time.

It might be worth a look at the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes (7.45pm) as it has Firenze Fire as favourite and he featured more than the winner after his last run where he attacked Youpon when duelling for the lead in the Forego Stakes in Saratoga.

Wayne Lordan rides Good Effort, fourth in the King George Stakes at Goodwood, for Ishmail Mohammed.

Sunday

The Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster features the top female dirt mare Letruska. She comes on a winning streak of four in a row including three Grade 1s.

Back to challenge Letruska from the Grade 1 Personal Ensign in Saratoga are Juddmonte’s Bonny South and Peter Brant’s Dunbar Road.

Trained by Brad Cox, Bonny South has been a runner-up twice to Letruska. She came up a half-length down in the Personal Ensign while Dunbar Road finished fourth.