MAGNITUDE UPSETS FOREVER YOUNG, SHAKES UP CLASSIC PICTURE

By Claire Crosby —-

MAGNITUDE UPSETS FOREVER YOUNG, SHAKES UP CLASSIC PICTURE

If the results of one of racing’s premier international racing festivals, the March 28 Dubai World Cup card at Meydan Racecourse, are any indication, the sport is in for plenty of excitement in 2026. That excitement will culminate in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Oct. 30-31, and on Saturday four of the top racehorses from around the globe clinched their spots at the World Championships through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.

The biggest star of the day was Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Magnitude, who took advantage of his early leading position in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) to pull the upset on 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Forever Young (JPN). Calandagan (IRE), Ombudsman (IRE), and Dark Saffron also secured Breeders’ Cup berths. Click here to read this week’s recap, or view the Challenge Series schedule here.

Featuring 95 Challenge Series races held in 13 countries, the route to the Breeders’ Cup stretches around the world. The Road to the Cup will help you stay on top of the biggest moments — with previews, recaps, and updates on the horses securing their spot at the World Championships.

Cover Photo: Magnitude winning 2025 Risen Star; Hodges Photo

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

Breeders’ Cup Limited administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races through partnerships with host countries around the globe, and the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series.

The 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade 1 Championship races run during a two-day festival worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, will be held Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and the 2027 World Championships will be held Oct. 29-30 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports and FanDuel TV. Press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, BreedersCup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.