Forever Young - The Eternal Rebel

Forever Young isn't just a horse. He's a globetrotting rockstar, a dirt-dominating phenom who's racked up $15.4 million in earnings, nine wins from 12 starts, and a legacy that's rewriting the rules of international racing.

Buckle up—this is the wild, whirlwind tale of the colt who's just getting started - again.

Born on February 24, 2021, in the snowy pastures of Northern Farm in Hokkaido, Japan.

Trained by the wizardly Yoshito Yahagi (who also masterminded Real Steel's desert dash) and piloted by the cool-as-ice Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young was bred for battles, not backyard trots.

As a two-year-old in 2023, he didn't just arrive—he erupted.

Debut at Kyoto, wire-to-wire by four lengths. Then the JBC Nisai Yushun at Monbetsu, a stakes scorcher by 1½.

A demolition derby in the Zennippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki—seven lengths in a blistering 1:43.5, leaving rivals choking on dust.

Undefeated in three, he snagged Japan's highest-ever juvenile dirt rating of 113, tying his barn buddy Shin Emperor.

The colt was a comet streaking across Japan's ovals, untouchable and unstoppable.

But why settle for domestic glory when the world beckons?

At three, Forever Young went full Indiana Jones, jetting to the Middle East for a "Triple Crown" tease.

February 2024: Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz. Gate trouble? He laughs it off, nipping a nose clear in a near-record 1:36.2—Fujita's first overseas graded gem.

A month later, Meydan's UAE Derby: From post 11, he ghosts the pace, then explodes for two lengths and 100 Derby points. Undefeated in five.

Then the roses came calling and enter the Derby circus.

At 7-1, Sakai keeps him mid-pack amid the chaos—bumping, boxing, the usual Derby Bumper Cars rumble.

Turning for home, Forever Young unleashes and he flies to a photo-finish frenzy with Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone. A nose short with a Beyer figure in a scorching 120. It was salt in a wound, but it did etch him as the best overseas attempt - ever.

Undaunted, he freshened back up in Japan and came roaring back to the Winner's Circle once again.

In the October Prep, Japan's Dirt Classic at Oi: Overcomes a shuffle and wins by 1¼ lengths.

November's Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar: Third again, three lengths shy of Sierra Leone, rallying like a Champ.

But it was December's Tokyo Daishoten that was pure poetry, a two length win in 2:04.9, after globe trotting across the seas with no rest.

Earnings exploding past $10 million.

Fast-forward to 2025, age four, and Forever Young has not let off the pedal.

Back to Saudi for the richest prize in racing: The $20 million Saudi Cup. From off the pace, he surges 1½ clear in 1:49.0—$6 million richer and a career high water mark.

No win in the Dubai World Cup, ending up with a 3rd place trophy off by two lengths from the rail, game but outgunned.

Another Japan pit stop, and boom—October 1 at Funabashi's Nippon TV Hai. He smoked that field by three in 1:52.2. Trainers say he's peaking like a fine sake with eyes locked on redemption in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.

A rematch with something to prove against Sierra Leone? A chance to beat a Derby Winner with Sovereignty? Another opportunity to finally surge past Fierceness?

What makes Forever Young more than muscle and money?

No worse than third in 12 tries, all on dirt from a mile to 10 furlongs. He's the underdog on overdrive, the colt who turns "almost" into "always next time."

If he stakes claim to that BC Classic trophy, it'll be more than a win—it will be a cultural earthquake.

So, as the leaves turn and Del Mar beckons, one question burns - Will Forever Young finally seize an American crown that's so far eluded him to this day?

Overall Career Statistics

Forever Young has raced exclusively on dirt surfaces, primarily at distances from 1 mile to 1¼ miles. As of his most recent start on October 1, 2025, he has competed in 12 races, securing 9 victories (75% win rate), 0 seconds, and 3 thirds, with no finishes worse than third.

His career earnings exceed $15.4 million USD (approximately ¥2.3 billion JPY, including major international purses). He earned a historic rating of 113 from the JPN Thoroughbred Rankings for his two-year-old season—the highest ever for a juvenile dirt horse in Japan, tying with stablemate Shin Emperor. Forever Young was undefeated in his first five starts before encountering elite competition in the U.S.

Achievements and Legacy

• Major Wins: Saudi Derby (G3, 2024), UAE Derby (G2, 2024), Japan Dirt Classic (2024), Tokyo Daishoten (G1, 2024), Saudi Cup (G1, 2025), plus domestic juvenile titles.

• Historic Marks: First horse sired by Real Steel to win a Group 1; tied for highest JPN 2yo dirt rating (113); one of few Japanese horses to place in both Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.

• International Impact: Has raced in Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and USA, boosting Japanese dirt racing's global presence. His Saudi Cup win earned a $6 million purse, the richest in his career.

• Future Outlook: Entered as a probable for the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 1 at Del Mar, seeking redemption from his 2024 third-place finish. No retirement announced; potential for further campaigns in 2026.

Forever Young's career exemplifies the rising prowess of Japanese Thoroughbreds on the world stage, blending speed, stamina, and resilience across continents.

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2023 - 2 years old.

Date	Track/Race	Distance	Finish	Margins/Key Notes	Earnings (USD/JPY equiv.)
Oct 14	Kyoto / Maiden	1⅛ m	1st	4 lengths; debut wire-to-wire	$50K
Nov 3	Monbetsu / JBC Nisai Yushun (Listed)	1⅛ m	1st	1½ lengths; first stakes romp	250K
Dec 13	Kawasaki / Zennippon Nisai Yushun (G1)	1 m	1st	7 lengths; blistering 1:43.5	$300K

2024 - 3 years old.

Date	Track/Race	Distance	Finish	Margins/Key Notes	Earnings (USD/JPY equiv.)
Feb 24	King Abdulaziz / Saudi Derby (G3)	1 m	1st	Nose; overcame trouble, near-record	$1M
Mar 30	Meydan / UAE Derby (G2)	1⅛ m	1st	2 lengths; post 11, 100 Derby pts	$1.5M
May 4	Churchill Downs / Kentucky Derby (G1)	1¼ m	3rd	Nose from 1st; Beyer 120, photo DQ drama	$500K
Oct 2	Oi / Japan Dirt Classic (Listed)	1¼ m	1st	1¼ lengths; post-freshen fire	$500K
Nov 2	Del Mar / Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)	1¼ m	3rd	3½ lengths to Sierra Leone (2:00.78); inside hustle, drifted late but clear of 4th	$630K
Dec 29	Oi / Tokyo Daishoten (G1)	1¼ m	1st	2 lengths; G1 capper	$700K

2025 - 4 years old

Date	Track/Race	Distance	Finish	Margins/Key Notes	Earnings (USD/JPY equiv.)
Feb 22	King Abdulaziz / Saudi Cup (G1)	1⅛ m	1st	1½ lengths; $6M richest prize	$6M
Apr 5	Meydan / Dubai World Cup (G1)	1¼ m	3rd	2 lengths; rail run, game effort	$1.8M
Oct 1	Funabashi / Nippon TV Hai (Listed)	1⅛ m	1st	3 lengths; comeback crusher, BC prep	$285K

Forever Young vs. Sovereignty – The Breeders' Cup Showdown

Enter Sovereignty, the Godolphin homebred who's been scripting history books since his awkward debut. This 3-year-old Into Mischief colt – out of the unraced Crowned – fumbled the break and ended with a fourth in a Saratoga 6f maiden sprint on August 24, 2024. Under Hall of Famer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado, he's blossomed to 6 wins, 2 seconds with earnings north of $5.6 million as of late 2025.

His resume reads with the best of them: Fountain of Youth (G2), a come-from-the-clouds Kentucky Derby stunner at 7-1 edging Journalism in a 2:02.31 thriller for a career-best 104 Beyer. A Belmont Stakes blowout, Jim Dandy (G2) demolition, and a Travers Stakes (G1) masterclass on August 24, 2025, where he held off Baeza like a boss.

	Forever Young	Sovereignty
Age (2025)	4YO (foaled Feb 24, 2021)	3YO (foaled Feb 22, 2022)
Record	12-9-0-3 (9 WINS)	9-6-2-0 (6 WINS)
Earnings	$15.4M+	$5.6M+
Key Wins	Saudi Cup (G1 '25), KY Derby 3rd ('24) No 10f wins outside of Japan though	KY Derby (G1 '25), Belmont (G1 '25), Travers (G1 '25) - 10f USA Master
Style	Closer with international grit	Late-closing powerhouse
Early Odds (BC '25)	8-1	2-1
X-Factor	Global traveler, undefeated in Japan DP = 4-2-6-0-0 (12) DI = 3.00   CD = 0.83	Unbeaten in G1s post-Derby, closing DP = 2-3-3-0-0 (8) DI = 4.33   CD = 0.88

Both are closers who feast on pace meltdowns – imagine Fierceness or Baeza blistering early, only for these two to unleash a furlong duel that echoes Arrogate vs. Gun Runner. Forever Young's Saudi surge (1½ lengths in 1:49.0) mirrors Sovereignty's Travers tenacity, but the Japanese star's dirt versatility (from Kawasaki sprints to Churchill's Classic) gives him an edge in adaptability.

Sovereignty, though? His Derby Beyer edges Forever Young's 120 from '24, and Mott's cool-as-ice prep (a bullet workout at Saratoga) screams peak form. Even Racing Post figures fall to Sovereignty with best at 133, while Forever Young's top at 127.

Some will back Sovereignty's youth and "home turf" momentum; others will ride with Forever Young's "eternal grit" for the upset, especially if Sakai claims the mount.

But the danger lies with the simple fact, Forever Young has yet to post a 10f win outside of Japan, while Sovereignty can't get enough of those Classic distance trophies.

It's a bridge between two empires. Forever Young reps Japan's dirt revolution, chasing Uma Musume dreams and a first BC Classic win for the Rising Sun. Sovereignty is Godolphin's Derby-Belmont-Travers triple-threat, Mott's second shot at BC immortality after Cigar back in '95.

A Forever Young victory flips the script – vindication for that '24 photo-finish agony, a $3.6M payday, and global headlines screaming "Japan Conquers America."

But then again, Fierceness may just have the final say after all is said and done.

OCTOBER RANKINGS: LONGINES