Forever Young may have raced only once in the United States in 2025, but it was an unforgettable, award-winning performance.
Facing one of the best fields in recent memory for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), the Japanese superstar posted a half-length victory that propelled him to the prized accolade as the champion older dirt male for 2025 at the Jan. 22 Eclipse Awards banquet.
Forever Young is just the second Japanese-based horse to receive an Eclipse Award, joining Loves Only You, the champion turf female of 2021.
His victory in the Classic also made him just the third Japanese-based horse to capture a Breeders' Cup stakes, matching the feat of Loves Only You in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) and Marche Lorraine in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
In the $7 million Classic at Del Mar, the son of Real Steel trained by Yoshito Yahagi defeated the top American hopefuls Sierra Leone and Fierceness , who were second and third, respectively.
A year earlier, Sierra Leone and Fierceness finished 1-2 in the Classic with Forever Young settling for third.
Finishing fourth in the Classic was Journalism, a three-time grade 1 winner in 2025, including the Preakness Stakes (G1).
The Classic capped a sensational 2025 campaign for owner Susumu Fujita's world traveler.
In February, he won the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1). In early April, he suffered his lone loss in four 2025 starts, finishing third by 2 lengths in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1).
Given six months off, Yahagi prepped Forever Young for the Breeders' Cup with a victory in the Oct. 1 Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Racecourse in Japan.
In the course of those four starts as a 4-year-old in 2025, Forever Young earned $15,110,383. In the Classic, Dubai World Cup, and Saudi Cup, he ran for purses worth a combined $39 million.
His career totals are 10 wins in 13 starts for earnings of $19,358,590. Included in those starts was a thrilling third-place finish in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1), when he finished two noses behind the victorious Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a blanket finish.
He was bred by Northern Racing out of the Congrats mare Forever Darling.
The connections purchased Forever Young for the equivalent of $720,603 at the 2022 Japan Racing Horse Association Select Yearling and Foal Sale. Fujita bought Forever Young's half brother by Rey de Oro for $2.24 million at the JRHA Select Sale last year.
Much like last year, Yahagi plans to begin Forever Young's 5-year-old season with a start in the Saudi Cup Feb. 14.
The other finalists for the Eclipse Award were Sierra Leone and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Nysos, each of whom had one grade 1 victory in 2025.
