Kentucky Derby third Forever Young will return to the US at the head of a powerful Japanese contingent after a solid victory in his prep race, the JBC Dirt Classic, at Ohi on Wednesday [Oct 2].
The three-year-old will head to Del Mar with a career record of six wins in seven starts, that sole unlucky defeat coming when he was touched off by Mystik Dan in a rough edition of the Kentucky Derby in May.
Seven Days in Racing: Breeders’ Cup Classic news in Japan and more …
According to Kate Hunter, the Breeders’ Cup recruiter in Japan, Forever Young will be part of the largest-ever visiting party from the country also including fellow Classic contenders Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake.
Unseen since the Kentucky Derby, Forever Young is trained by pioneering trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who recorded a historic Breeders’ Cup double for Japan at Del Mar in 2021 via Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine.
They have drawn a blank since at Keeneland and Santa Anita – but Hunter listed as many as 19 Japanese-trained horses destined for Del Mar in a post on her X account.
“I’m so excited to have 19 JPN horses booked on a plane to the Breeders’ Cup,” she said. “I actually ran out of space in cargo & have a waiting list!
“When I started recruiting runners for the BC I always thought we’d get to a point where we had nice handful yearly. I’ve outdone myself.” (Though perhaps it should be noticed she added a self-deprecating emoji!)
Having won both the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby in the early months of 2024, Forever Young’s long-awaited return to action after Churchill Downs came in the JBC Dirt Classic, a 2,000-metre (1m2f) on Japan’s NAR (National Association of Racing) circuit, where it is accorded G1 status.
Sent off 7-10 favourite in a 15-runner field for the ¥119m ($815,000/£615,000) contest under Ryusei Sakai, the son of Real Steel bobbled slightly at the break form gate one before tracking the leaders on the inner.
Asked to claim the race after they turned for home, Forever Young claimed the lead over two furlongs out and drew clear. Runner-up Mikki Fight closed nicely to be beaten a length and a quarter but was never a danger.
“I thought we couldn't lose, so I'm relieved,” said jockey Ryusei Sakai, who will carry the same colours of owner Susumu Fujita on leading contender Shin Emperor in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
“I didn't want to be inside so I thought to go to the lead. But once he settled in second position, his rhythm was better. I thought this was good competition in the race, so I couldn't let my guard down until the end.
“We were really disappointed in the US in the spring, so we have a strong desire for revenge. I want to win the next in the US.”
British bookmakers William Hill make Forever Young a 4-1 chance to win the $7m Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 2, with City Of Troy their 7-4 market leader.
Yahagi suggested Forever Young was only 80% ready for his comeback after a five-month break. “He was so tired after the Kentucky Derby that he has needed time to recover and he was turned out at Northern Farm on Hokkaido,” he reported.
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