Forever Young salutes in first Classic win for Japan
The star four-year-old hangs on to score in highlight race of Breeders’ Cup World Championships
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Forever Young (Ryusei Sakai) and connections celebrating in the winners' circle after the Yoshito Yahagi-trained colt claimed the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (2,000m) at Del Mar on Nov 1, the second day of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
PHOTO: AFP
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DEL MAR – Forever Young has won the US$7 million (S$9.1 million) Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2,000m) at Del Mar on Nov 1, holding off defending champion Sierra Leone to give Japan their first success in the showpiece of the US$34 million Breeders’ Cup racing extravaganza.
At the highlight of the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the son of Real Steel went off at $17 after finishing third in the same race in 2024, and settled into the pack midway before pulling away around the final turn.
The Yoshito Yahagi-trained four-year-old fended off a late challenge from 2024 winner Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat) in the home straight, as the Todd Pletcher-trained favourite Fierceness (John Velazquez) slipped into third place after getting off to an early hot start.
It was a moment of sweet redemption for Forever Young, who also finished third at the 2024 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby (2,000m) where the first runner-up Sierra Leone bumped him down the final straight multiple times in a controversial finish.
“I can’t believe it, he is an amazing horse,” said jockey Ryusei Sakai, who has ridden Forever Young in all his 13 starts.
Yahagi was over the moon and likened the bay colt’s 10th victory, and his first in the US, to winning the Fifa World Cup.
“We got the No. 1 in America,” said Yahagi, who bagged a third Breeders’ Cup triumph after saddling the first two Japanese-trained-and-campaigned Breeders’ Cup winners – Loves Only You in the Filly And Mare Turf and Marche Lorraine in the Distaff – back in 2021.
“In horse racing, this is like the Japanese team winning the football World Cup.”
With the return of 2024’s top three finishers, the Classic featured a formidable field despite the withdrawal of 2025 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty.
Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown, made a valiant late push but came up short by half a length in a bid to become just the second repeat winner of the Classic after Tiznow in 2000 and 2001.
“Huge run,” said Brown.
“I’m so proud of my horse’s effort.
“He and Forever Young are closely related and they’ve had a wonderful rivalry from the Derby on.
“Today, it was Forever Young’s day to find the winner’s circle. And hat’s off to them.”
Ethical Diamond ($78) produced a stunning late run to spring a surprise in the US$5 million Grade 1 Turf (2,400m), giving Ireland’s 19-time champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins a first Breeders’ Cup victory.
The Awtaad five-year-old galloper surged wide on the outside around the final turn under Dylan Browne McMonagle and pounced just as it appeared favorites Minnie Hauk (Christophe Soumillon), Rebel’s Romance (William Buick) and Goliath (Mickael Barzalona) would be battling it out down the straight.
Rebel’s Romance, seeking to claim an unprecedented third Turf victory after winning in 2022 and 2024, finished second ahead of El Cordobes (Billy Loughnane).
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Minnie Hauk, who piled up three Group 1 wins in a five-race winning streak ended by a second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m), faded to sixth.
Mullins could barely believe it. He said winning the Grand National with his son Patrick riding remained his greatest achievement, but “this might come second best”.
“I thought Dylan had gone mad going outside, but he said he was going to do that and a furlong down that was it,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe it. I looked at where he was and the speed he was going and I said, ‘This is going to be on’.”
Legendary American trainer Bob Baffert bagged two wins with Splendora ($23) in the Grade 1 Filly & Mare Sprint (1,400m) and Nysos ($8) in the Grade 1 Dirt Mile (1,600m) to take his Breeders’ Cup tally to 21 – tied with O’Brien for most wins by a trainer.
The Irish master trainer had just recorded his 21st Breeders’ Cup triumph on Oct 31 when Gstaad won the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf (1,600m), while his son and trainer Donnacha bagged his first with Balantina’s upset win in the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf (1,600m).
Shisospicy ($37) romped to victory in the Grade 1 Turf Sprint (1,000m) to give trainer Jose Francisco D’Angelo his first Breeders’ Cup victory, before he nabbed a second with Bentornato ($14) winning the Grade 1 Sprint (1,200m) less than an hour later on Nov 1.
AFP, REUTERS
