The connections of dual Saudi Cup (G1) winner Forever Young are considering either a dirt or turf campaign this fall for the star Japanese racehorse.
According to a social media post on X from trainer Yoshito Yahagi, the 5-year-old son of Real Steel could use the Sept. 18 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park as a prep for the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland. He won the Classic last year as a 4-year-old at Del Mar.
Alternatively, Forever Young could move to the grass, a surface on which he has never raced. Under that scenario, he would start in the Sept. 12 Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown Racecourse to prepare for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) Oct. 4 at ParisLongchamp.
Yahagi posted that they would consider both of these two-race options, and as long as the colt stays healthy, the goal is to have him race in Japan before the end of the year.
Since winning the Saudi Cup for the second year in a row, Forever Young finished second in the March 28 Dubai World Cup (G1) to Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude. In spite of that defeat, he remains the top-rated dirt horse in the world. He is 11-1-3 in 15 starts with earnings of more than $31.7 million for owner Susumu Fujita.
