A night of upsets at Meydan culminated in Saturday’s $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), as the 41-1 Hit Show struck top gear late to deny fellow American longshot Mixto, leaving 1-2 favorite Forever Young behind in third.

Saturday’s $5 million Dubai Turf (G1) was supposed to be all about Hong Kong legend Romantic Warrior, but the 1-5 favorite was mugged on the line by Japan’s Soul Rush.

Last year’s Japanese champion three-year-old male, Danon Decile, scored in his first international foray in Saturday’s $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) at Meydan.

As a late addition to the field for Saturday’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), Dark Saffron was an unlikely candidate to crash the Straight No Chaser versus Tuz party for several reasons.

Jockey Rachel King had a banner day at Tokyo on Sunday, winning both stakes with U.S. racing implications.

The richest race in the world became a race for the ages on Saturday, as Forever Young and Romantic Warrior fulfilled hopes of an epic clash in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1).

On the Saudi Cup (G1) undercard, Straight No Chaser exuded class in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2), and Golden Vekoma rallied in the Saudi Derby (G3).

Reigning Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Idiomatic earned a fees-paid berth back to the Breeders’ Cup when dominating Sunday’s $600,000 Spinster (G1) at Keeneland for the second straight year.

Potential Breeders’ Cup contenders were out in full force for a trio of graded stakes on Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct.

Juddmonte’s homebred Bluestocking crowned her season in Sunday’s $5.5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1), giving the late Khalid Abdullah’s operation a record-setting seventh victory in Europe’s fall championship.

Keeneland offered a pair of “Win & You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge series on the main track Saturday, and East Avenue and Zeitlos stamped their respective tickets for the Juvenile (G1) and Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) in opposite manner.

A pair of unbeaten two-year-old fillies captured Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on Friday’s opener at Keeneland.

Subsanador prevailed in a three-way photo over National Treasure and Newgate in the California Crown (G1) at Santa Anita, earning a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Both graded stakes on Saturday night’s “Downs After Dark” program at Churchill Downs will have Breeders’ Cup implications.

The Curragh hosted day two of the Irish Champions Festival, highlighted by four Group 1s including a pair of Breeders’ Cup Challenge events.

British invader New Century stamped his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in Saturday’s $368,918 Summer (G1) at Woodbine.

The William Haggas-trained Economics added to his burgeoning profile by dethroning Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion (G1), one of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge races at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby will send out the morning-line favorites in Saturday’s Summer (G1) and Natalma (G1), “Win and You’re In” events for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), respectively.

Koichi Shintani stablemates Crown Pride and Remake once again swept Seoul’s two major races on Sunday, this time earning free tickets to Breeders’ Cup events.

Whisper Hill Farm’s homebred Grand Sonata finished with a crescendo to surprise Saturday’s Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) in course-record time at Kentucky Downs.