Expert Pick of the Week: 2026 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Oct 07, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Luster wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)

A fantastic field of 11 three-year-old fillies will travel 1 1/8 miles over the turf at Keeneland Race Course in Saturday’s historic, $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1). The Josie Carroll-trained Luster has been fantastic in her six-race career up to this point and will be a formidable foe with something resembling her best performance. The gray daughter of Knicks Go has been a clear winner in five of her assignments to date, led by a jaw-dropping romp in the King’s Plate on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine last time out when she decimated her male counterparts.

Luster has local experience in the Bluegrass State when she toyed with her foes on the Keeneland grass to commence 2026, eventually drawing off to a facile five-length win under pilot John Velazquez, who will guide the miss in this endeavor. The Ontario-bred three-year-old is perfect from a pair of career assignments on the grass, and the ascending top choice has also improved her Brisnet Speed rating in a trio of runs in succession, as well. She has had this race tabbed for her since the summer and will put her best foot forward on Saturday.

LUSTER is a dominant winner and stays perfect in race 4 at Keeneland for trainer @jcarrollracing with @ljlmvel aboard! 💪

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/5ICNgJBbvO

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 9, 2026

Regret (G3) victress Faithful Departed has been in fine form this campaign and comes off of runner-up performances in both the Belmont Oaks (G1) and Saratoga Oaks (G2) for conditioner Grant Forster. The bay daughter of Yoshida possesses a robust turn of foot in the closing portion of her races, and the filly also comes in fresh with good morning activity in preparation for her second lifetime race at Keeneland. Regular rider Jose Ortiz will be in the saddle.

Tam Tam earned her much-deserved Grade 1 tally in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) most recently and comes in with a 6-4-1-1 line on the turf in her career for Phil Bauer. The excellent daughter of Medaglia d’Oro owns the speed to stay close early in her races, and she also has the closing burst to be a super tough customer on her best day. She figures to be right there inside the final furlong, with Junior Alvarado retaining the ride.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #2 Luster on top of #3 Tam Tam and #4 Faithful Departed in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday is the Best Bet of the Week.