Forever Young Seeks Redemption in Dubai World Cup

Forever Young (JPN) certainly is the key piece in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) puzzle March 28 at Meydan Racecourse but there are some intriguing subplots swirling around the Japanese superstar. Not the least of those is Forever Young's bid to avenge his third-place finish in the 2025 World Cup, 2 lengths back of the winner, the Brad Cox-trained Hit Show. Hit Show, who won at odds ranging from 40-1 to 50-1 around the globe in '25, is back seeking a repeat victory. He's still a longshot in international wagering. Forever Young, meanwhile, is odds-on just about everywhere and it's easy enough to see why. Hit Show has done well in the intervening 12 months, winning half of his six races—the West Virginia Governor's Stakes at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort, the Fayette Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, and the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in February. He also finished second in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Impressive. But not by Forever Young's standards. The Real Steel (JPN) 5-year-old has made three starts since his disappointing World Cup. He won the Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Racecourse in October—basically a paid workout to get the blood flowing after his summer break. Then it was back to the top of the ladder with a gritty stretch victory over fast-closing Sierra Leone in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar and a similar triumph in February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the Saudi Cup (G1) with Nysos second. That was his second straight Saudi Cup win, to go along with victories in the 2024 Saudi Derby (G3) and UAE Derby (G2) and thirds in that year's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic. There's also the issue that trainer Yoshito Yahagi, not known to look for excuses, complained bitterly that Forever Young was treated poorly before the 2025 Dubai World Cup, including a long, forced wait in a darkened holding area in a futile effort to collect a prerace urine sample. Yahagi said in a formal letter of inquiry to the Emirates Racing Authority that Forever Young was the only horse asked to provide a sample and he became very upset at the prolonged procedure. "I deeply regret that he ended up being the greatest victim of this incident," said Yahagi, known around the world's big race meetings as "the man in the hat" for his colorful headgear, at the same time acknowledging his respect for Dubai officials. Forever Young saw a change of plans for his final trackwork March 25, but this time around Yahagi said that signaled a positive; things are going well enough that they backed off on the horse and worked a more leisurely pace than normal. "We successfully completed exactly what we intended to do this morning. (Jockey) Ryusei Sakai executed as planned, he looked to have a spring in his step and all is well," Yahagi said, per Dubai Racing Club publicity. Sakai added: "There were no problems. He's in better shape than he was in Saudi Arabia. I think he's in fantastic condition." Hit Show's 2025 shocker was a typical, from-the-clouds effort involving some weaving among rivals down the stretch. Case Clay, American racing and bloodstock manager for owner Wathnan Racing, said he expects jockey Florent Geroux to have to deal with a similar situation again. "He is a versatile horse and Florent knows him well, so he'll be able to navigate depending on how the race unfolds," Clay said. "I'd say there won't be a lot in the way of instructions. Florent's going to see how the race unfolds and the horse can get through spots, like he did in the Fayette last October. He loves to train and he just continues to do very well." Wathnan also has Tumbarumba, a 6-year-old Oscar Performance gelding who finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November and then second in the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1) and third, 4 3/4 lengths behind Forever Young, in the Saudi Cup. Heart of Honor (GB) gets another chance at the big time in the desert for the father-daughter, trainer-jockey team of Jamie and Saffie Osborne. The Kentucky-bred 4-year-old Honor A. P. gelding just missed winning the 2025 UAE Derby on the World Cup undercard—a race that effectively serves as a "win and you're in" for the Kentucky Derby (G1). He then skipped the Run for the Roses and finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He returned to action in November at Meydan as a gelding and again appeared to be headed in the right direction with two season-opening wins, followed by a third in the Al Maktoum Challenge Jan. 23. But then, with Saffie Osborne sidelined by illness, Heart of Honor got off to an even worse-than-usual start in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2) Feb. 28 and never fired, finishing seventh. "We were happy with him going into his last run and I'm hanging my hat on the fact that he reared up and Adrie (jockey Adrie de Vries) said he banged his head on the top (of the starting gate) very hard," Jamie Osborne said. "If you watch the way he left the gate he kind of came out sideways. I am hopeful that is a legitimate excuse. We know he's never going to be quick away, but he doesn't need to be as slow as he was that day." Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Magnitude, who earned his trip by winning the Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 28 and the Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park Feb. 28. The Not This Time colt was third in the 2025 Travers Stakes (G1). Jose Ortiz is named to ride and they will start from the rail. Also in the nine-horse field to go 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles): Meydaan (IRE), a Frankel (GB) gelding, finished fifth in the Melbourne Cup (G1) in November for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and trainers Simon and Ed Crisford. In his last start, he won the Al Maktoum Classic by 5 1/4 lengths from Walk of Stars (GB). Walk of Stars won the 2025 Al Maktoum Challenge but the 7-year-old Dubawi (IRE) gelding is winless in five starts since. Imperial Emperor (IRE), another by Dubawi and a stablemate in the Bhupat Seemar yard, won the 2025 Al Maktoum Mile (G2), then won the Al Maktoum Challenge in January. Seemar charges are dangerous in big races. Tap Leader, by Tapiture, formerly raced in Russia and was third in the Al Maktoum Classic in his last start.