At Del Mar, the 4-year-old turns back Sierra Leone and Fierceness to win the $7 million highlight of two days of championship races.
The horse from far away had come so close before, a Japanese star inches and then yards from achieving American royalty.
Saturday, finally, Forever Young got there.
After finishing an excruciatingly hard-fought third in the Kentucky Derby and third again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, the 4-year-old colt bred and trained in Hokkaido broke through and won with jockey Ryusei Sakai in the $7 million Classic at Del Mar on Saturday, defeating horses who had frustrated his handlers’ ambitions in the past.
The biggest victory ever by a horse from Japan on U.S. soil set off a loud celebration by Forever Young’s connections, supporters and others in the crowd of 35,173 who enjoyed a $9 payoff per $2 bet to win.
“Forever Young is an amazing horse,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi, thrilled to have shown that to an American crowd, said through a translator.
“It is my dream to beat these two horses, so it’s a dream come true,” owner Susumu Fujita said, a digital advertising magnate in Tokyo.
The two horses Fujita was talking about couldn’t quite catch Forever Young.
Second, beaten a half-length, was a fast-closing Sierra Leone, whose bump may have cost Forever Young the Derby and who won the Classic at Del Mar a year ago.
Third, another length back after a less-than-ideal trip from the inside post position was Fierceness, the Pacific Classic winner at Del Mar this summer, who was second in the 2024 Classic.
Remarkably, the top three finishers from last year ran back this year – and took the top three places, though in a different order.
That offered some consolation to the people with Journalism, the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness-winning 3-year-old who finished fourth Saturday behind the formidable trio of 4-year-olds.
