FOREVER YOUNG wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup G1 - Photo: Chesea Durand - NYRA
Japanese superstar wins the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup by 3 1/4 lengths as Belmont Park begins a new era — and Yoshito Yahagi believes his champion has significant room to improve before the Breeders’ Cup Classic
ELMONT, N.Y. — Forever Young came to New York with expectations befitting one of the world’s premier dirt horses. He left Belmont Park with another Grade 1 victory, an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and, perhaps most intriguingly, a warning from trainer Yoshito Yahagi:
This was not yet the best version of Forever Young.
The Japanese superstar captured Friday’s $1 million Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, defeating Stars and Stripes by 3 1/4 lengths over 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.23, providing an international centerpiece for the historic first day of racing at the newly reimagined Belmont Park.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup marked the centerpiece of Belmont Park’s September 18 reopening and returned to Belmont after being contested at Saratoga from 2021 through 2025. It also carried an automatic “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. (Nyra)
For Forever Young, however, the victory appears to be as much a beginning as an accomplishment.
“I will never see a horse like this again”
Forever Young was making his first start following a six-month layoff, and while he delivered exactly what was expected in terms of the result, Yahagi was unusually candid afterward about the performance itself.
“I’d like to say thanks to Belmont Park to support us and we are really glad to have won the Opening Day Jockey Club Gold Cup,” Yahagi said. “That’s a special memory, our day. This achievement is great for us.”
But the trainer quickly turned his attention toward what comes next.
“Obviously, at the race side, I’m not satisfied with how he ran today. You know he had a big spell [time off], but we will target the Breeders’ Cup next.”
That assessment is particularly significant considering Forever Young still won decisively.
Asked about the horse recording his fifth Grade 1 victory, Yahagi offered perhaps the most powerful statement of the afternoon:
“I think I will never see a horse like this again in my life and in my career.”
It is extraordinary praise from a trainer who has campaigned elite horses around the world — and an indication of the place Forever Young has earned within Yahagi’s accomplished career.
Winning at less than 100 percent
Forever Young completed the 10 furlongs in 2:01.23, following fractions of 25.04, 48.34, 1:11.96 and 1:36.03 before asserting his superiority.
Yet Yahagi estimated his horse’s physical fitness at only around 80 percent.
“Physically, we think fitness is 80 percent, but inside for lungs or these things performance-wise, it wasn’t enough for me,” Yahagi explained.
When asked how satisfied he was with the performance, the trainer made an important distinction between the result and the way Forever Young achieved it.
“Obviously we won this race, that’s of course 100 percent satisfied [with] that, but Forever Young’s performance-wise, I’m not happy about, around 50 percent satisfied how he performed like today.”
Forever Young also failed to switch leads late in the race, something Yahagi attributed to the lengthy absence.
“Obviously, the six-month spell made that happen because normally he switches leads.”
Rather than viewing the Jockey Club Gold Cup as a peak performance, therefore, the Japanese team appears to have treated Belmont as the major steppingstone toward its ultimate autumn objective.
“Of course, we will try to improve for next race,” Yahagi said.
Sakai wanted a stronger pace
Regular jockey Ryusei Sakai, who has accompanied Forever Young throughout his international career, offered a similar assessment.
The pace was slower than he would have preferred for a horse being prepared for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“He doesn’t have any problems with a slow pace, but I wish we had a quicker pace to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup,” Sakai said. “He had a good response at the top stretch, because the pace was not quick enough. When I asked him, he responded well.”
That response ultimately proved decisive.
Sakai was also encouraged by the way Forever Young entered the race following his extended break.
“How he breezed, I was very satisfied. He had a six-month spell, but we have to think about how much he can improve for the next race.”
That “next race” is the one that matters most.
Belmont becomes Forever Young’s American base
Instead of immediately shipping to Kentucky, Yahagi plans to keep Forever Young at Belmont Park for approximately another month.
“You know Belmont Park complex has a great society and good for training, so we will try to stay until October 20th,” Yahagi said. “Then we will fly from here to Keeneland on October 20th, so we will prepare here.”
The decision gives Forever Young several weeks to build upon Friday’s performance while remaining in the United States.
Yahagi praised the new Belmont Park while noting that he felt the main track was somewhat demanding on Opening Day.
“Of course, Belmont Park racetrack is amazing, but today I just felt ground was a little heavy.”
His comments afterward also reflected the increasingly strong relationship between Forever Young’s Japanese connections and American racing fans.
“Normally when we travel all over the world, we felt a little away, but when we come to America, always American people welcome our horse and we feel really warm from everybody, like we came back home, and appreciate that.”
Stars and Stripes delivers a major performance
Behind Forever Young, Stars and Stripes produced a strong effort for trainer Bill Mott and jockey John Velazquez, finishing second after entering the Jockey Club Gold Cup off a victory over 1 3/4 miles in the Birdstone at Saratoga.
“Stars and Stripes ran really well. I was impressed with him. He ran hard,” Mott said. “Winning at a mile and three quarters last time and backing up that much in distance, he came on and made a nice run. He ran all the way to the wire really good.”
Velazquez was equally pleased.
“It was a great effort overall. He ran really good. He gave me everything he could,” Velazquez said. “He can run; I asked him for more and he gave it to me. The winner was just the best. We asked our horse to run his best, and he did.”
Mott’s assessment of Forever Young was straightforward.
“I’m impressed. He’s a good horse. He was the best going in. He’s the best coming out. You have to give him a lot of credit.”
Baeza disappoints in third
The afternoon was less encouraging for Mott’s other runner, Baeza, who finished third after another problematic beginning.
Jockey Junior Alvarado said there were no excuses.
“That’s just him: he blew the break once again, but he’s got no excuse,” Alvarado said. “He should’ve finished second and he didn’t really give me any run at all.”
Mott echoed that assessment.
“No excuses. Junior had no horse under him. The horse was never taking him anywhere. He might have broke a little better, but he [Alvarado] said he was never really into the bridle.”
Phileas Fogg completed the order of finish in fourth, with jockey Kendrick Carmouche suggesting the surface worked against his mount.
“Horse ran good. I think the track is a little too deep for him. He just wasn’t handling the track like he usually does. It was too deep for him.”
The official order was Forever Young, Stars and Stripes, Baeza and Phileas Fogg.
Could Sovereignty be waiting at Keeneland?
One of the most interesting post-race storylines involved a horse who was not in the starting gate.
Sovereignty had been expected to be among the potential major attractions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup before missing training time because of a foot abscess.
Mott reported Friday that Sovereignty is doing well — and suggested a potential showdown with Forever Young remains possible.
“He would have liked to have been here,” Mott said. “He may have been able to entertain [defeating a horse like Forever Young], he’s maybe one of the only ones that can.”
And then came the line that immediately turned attention toward Keeneland:
“If we get smooth sailing with Sovereignty and we can train him the way we want to we’ll have an opportunity to try the big guy [in the Breeders’ Cup].”
From Belmont to Keeneland
Forever Young arrived at Belmont already established as a global star. He leaves with another Grade 1 on his résumé and his place secured in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
More importantly, his connections believe there is considerably more to come.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup was his first race in six months. Yahagi estimates he was approximately 80 percent fit. Sakai wanted a stronger pace. The horse did not switch leads as naturally as expected. And his trainer rated the performance itself at only around 50 percent satisfaction.
Yet Forever Young still won by 3 1/4 lengths.
That may ultimately be the biggest takeaway from Belmont.
The objective was accomplished. The Breeders’ Cup ticket was secured. And Forever Young now has six weeks to move forward toward Keeneland.
On a day designed to celebrate a new beginning for Belmont Park, one of international racing’s biggest stars added his name to the occasion.
But for Forever Young, the bigger target is still ahead.
Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) — Final Results
1st: Forever Young
2nd: Stars and Stripes
3rd: Baeza
4th: Phileas Fogg
Winning margin: 3 1/4 lengths
Distance: 1 1/4 miles
Final time: 2:01.23
Fractions: 25.04 | 48.34 | 1:11.96 | 1:36.03
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