Forever Young (JPN)

Forever Young emerged as the leading international contender for the 2024 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve during by winning his first three races in his native Japan as a 2-year-old in 2023, including two stakes, and then shipping to Saudi Arabia and rallying to win the Boutique Group Saudi Derby on Feb. 24 by a head over U.S.-based Book’em Danno.

The Real Steel colt then contested the United Arab Emirates Derby March 30 at Meydan Racecourse. He drew the far outside post but was given a patient ride by jockey Ryusei Sakai and stalked the pace in fifth through the backstretch before moving up in the far turn. After finding clear running room, Forever Young rallied strongly in the stretch to pass Auto Bahn and win going away by two lengths. He earned 100 qualifying points for the May 4 Kentucky Derby with the victory.

Forever Young came to Churchill Downs to make his first U.S. start in the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 4. He was sent off as the third choice on the tote board in the field of 20. After racing near the rear of the field in the early stages of the race, Forever Young launched a rally on the final turn and continued to close throughout the stretch alongside Sierra Leone while bothered by that rival repeatedly in the final furlong. At the wire, Forever Young lost a three-way win photo by a nose and settled for an unlucky third.

After the Kentucky Derby,  Forever Young was away from racing for five months, and returned to post an easy win in the Japan Dirt Classic in his home country. That set him up for a return to the U.S., where he started in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Breaking from the inside post, Forever Young stalked a fast early pace and closed with interest, but settled for third behind U.S.-based 3-year-olds Sierra Leone and Fierceness.

Returning for a 4-year-old campaign in 2025, Forever Young showed both talent and determination at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 22 when he rallied strongly in the stretch to edge another international superstar, Romantic Warrior, by a neck in the $20 million Saudi Cup held at 1 1/8 miles. That victory cemented his status atop the first edition of the 2025 the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, and it helped make him the favorite in international betting pools for the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline April 5 at Meydan Racecourse. In the 1 ¼-mile Dubai World Cup, Forever Young stalked the pace early and through the turn at Meydan, but had too much work to do when rallying in the stretch and settled for third, two lengths behind upset winner Hit Show.

Despite that defeat, Forever Young still remained among the highest-ranked dirt racehorses in the world as his connections kept a repeat trip to the Breeders’ Cup in their sights. He returned to racing in just shy of six months, starting in the Nippon TV Hai going 1 1/8 miles at Funabashi Racecourse. Forever Young tuned up for the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic with an easy 2 ½-length victory.

For only the second time in Breeders’ Cup history, the top three finishers from a prior year’s Classic returned for a rematch, and in addition to Sierra Leone and Fierceness, Forever Young also competed against top 3-year-olds Journalism and Baeza. He broke well under Sakai and sat just off of pacesetter Contrary Thinking (who was entered in the race to aid stablemate Sierra Leone). Forever Young kept Fierceness bottled up on the inside through the backstretch and moved past tiring Contrary Thinking entering the far turn. Sakai urged his mount to take a clear lead at the top of the homestretch, and Forever Young rebuffed a challenge from Fierceness and then kept a charging Sierra Leone at bay to prevail by a half-length and cement his status as the top older dirt racehorse in the world.