Japanese star Forever Young delivered as the heavy favorite in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) Sept. 18 at Belmont Park, comfortably winning the race in advance of an intended start in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland. He won the Classic last year at Del Mar.
Sent after pacesetting Phileas Fogg on the second turn of 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, Forever Young quickly took over and maintained a clear advantage the remainder of the race as longshot Stars and Stripes rallied to grab second. Baeza showed, once again after breaking slowly, and Phileas Fogg completed the order of finish in a four-horse race depleted by three scratches.
Forever Young was clocked in 2:01.23 over a fast track under regular rider Ryusei Sakai, who hand-rode him over the final eighth of a mile. Forever Young did not switch leads down the stretch. He paid $2.96 to win for a $2 wager.
Forever Young, a winner of more than $31 million, is a Northern Racing-bred 5-year-old son of Real Steel out of the Congrats mare Forever Darling. Yoshito Yahagi trains him for owner Susumu Fujita.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup served as a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race, providing its winner with automatic paid entry into the Classic, though Forever Young had already earned a berth by virtue of winning the Saudi Cup (G1) earlier in the year.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup highlighted opening day of the fall meet at a reconstructed Belmont Park, which reopened Friday.
This story will be updated.
FOREVER YOUNG shines at Belmont Park!
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) September 18, 2026
The Japanese superstar delivers a big performance to win the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup under @_RYUSEI_0531 for trainer @yahagistable! pic.twitter.com/WdMQiNfE41
