Can Japan’s Forever Young repeat as Breeders’ Cup Classic winner?

The matchup between Kentucky Derby winners Golden Tempo and Sovereignty is attracting the headlines entering Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, but don’t forget about the defending champion.

Forever Young is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Classic on Oct. 31 and is looking to join Tiznow (2000-01) as the only two-time winners of the race.

Forever Young won last year’s Classic at Del Mar by a half-length over Sierra Leone.

“I know this will not be easy,” Forever Young trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, “but everyone on the team is working hard because we want somehow to achieve this historic repeat and give Forever Young another major honor.”

Forever Young drew the No. 5 post in a strong field for the Classic. Eight horses were in the field, but Magnitude was scratched Thursday, Oct. 29.

A 5-year-old Japan-bred, Forever Young will be racing for just the fourth time this year. He won the Group 1 Saudi Cup in February, then finished second in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March.

After a 5½-month break, Forever Young returned to the United States and won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 18 at Belmont.

While pleased with that victory, both Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai said Forever Young wasn’t at his best.

“Because this was the prep race we had specifically targeted, I think there was real value in simply getting the win,” Yahagi said. “That said, I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the performance itself.”

Added Sakai: “If you compare that performance with what will be required to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, though, I thought there was still plenty missing.”

If not completely happy with the Jockey Club Gold Cup performance, Yahagi and Sakai got a lift Wednesday when Forever Young worked a half-mile in 50.2 seconds at Keeneland.

Forever Young worked in company with stablemate American Stage, who’s entered in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Yahagi called it “perfect.”

“If anything, he was traveling almost too well, but his actual movement was excellent,” Sakai said. “I was surprised by how quickly he closed onto the horse in front.”

Whatever Saturday’s outcome, Forever Young already has established himself as one of the most accomplished thoroughbreds in history.

He’s 12-1-3 in 16 career starts and has earned $32,313,590. That makes him the second-richest thoroughbred ever, according to Equibase.com. Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior earned approximately $35.5 million from 2021-26.

The $3.6 million share for Saturday’s Classic winner would propel Forever Young ahead of Romantic Warrior.

Yahagi knows it won’t be easy.

With Golden Tempo and Sovereignty in the field, it’s the first Breeders’ Cup Classic since 1991 to feature two Kentucky Derby winners.

Pacific Classic winner Knightsbridge is another top contender. Magnitude — who beat Forever Young in the Dubai World Cup — was as well, before he was scratched.

“Basically, I expect a fast pace,” Yahagi said. “… Ryusei Sakai and I have discussed a lot of different scenarios.”

Sakai said he will remain flexible once the gates open.

“Compared with last year, I think more things are going to have to fall into place for us to win,” Sakai said.

Jason Frakes: (502) 582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

Breeders’ Cup Classic

Conditions: 1 1/4 miles on dirt for 3-year-olds and up. Purse: $7 million. Grade: 1. Post time: 6:16 p.m. Saturday.

Post position, horse, trainer, jockey, morning-line odds

(Click on horse’s name to learn more)

1. T O Password, Daisuke Takayanagi, Kazushi Kimura, 30-1

2. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 5-2

3. Golden Tempo, Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz, 5-1

4. The Puma, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 10-1

5. Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai, 2-1

6. Magnitude, Steve Asmussen, Flavien Prat, 6-1 — SCRATCHED

7. Knightsbridge, Bill Mott, Luis Saez, 9-2

8. Napoleon Solo, Chad Summers, John Velazquez, 15-1

More Breeders’ Cup: Picks for all nine of Saturday’s races, including Classic

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: <a h

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