DEL MAR, Calif. - At the eighth pole of Saturday’s 42nd Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, it became apparent the race was going to come down to the same horses who finished in the top three in the 41st edition of the Classic, also at Del Mar.
At the sixteenth pole, it became apparent there was going to be a different result.
Forever Young, who had to settle for third in last year’s Classic behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness, left Fierceness behind inside the sixteenth pole, then held off a late run from last year’s Classic winner Sierra Leone to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a half-length.
Sierra Leone, in the back of the pack for the opening six furlongs, finished second by one length over Fierceness. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Journalism in fourth. He was followed by Mindframe, Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian and Contrary Thinking.
Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers winner, was scratched earlier in the week due to a temperature, but this result likely helped him in his bid to be named Horse of the Year. He most certainly will be 3-year-old champion.
As a 3-year-old in 2024, the Japanese-based and -bred Forever Young twice raced in the United States. He finished third in the Kentucky Derby, beaten two noses by Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone, the latter who bumped Forever Young near the wire.
After a rest and a prep race in Japan that October, Forever Young came to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which he finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Sierra Leone, with Fierceness finishing second.
For Forever Young’s owner Susumu Fujita, it was his desire to get back to the Breeders’ Cup this year, and to Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
“Fierceness and Sierra Leone will be retired, so this is the last chance against these two guys together,” Susumu said. “It [was] my dream to beat these two horses so the dream came true.”
The difference between this year’s Classic and last year’s was pace. Last year, Forever Young attended a pace in which they went a half-mile in 44.96 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.44.
On Saturday, even with the presence of a pacemaker in Contrary Thinking in the field, the half-mile went in 45.97 seconds and six furlongs went in 1:10.48. Forever Young, ridden by Ryusei Sakai, was up on the pace, first outside of Contrary Thinking and then in between that horse and Mindframe, who made a middle move toward contention.
Forever Young had a head in front going into the far turn, Mindframe stuck his head in front ever so briefly at the three-eighths pole. Journalism, the three-time Grade 1-winning 3-year-old, was making a three-wide bid at the quarter pole
But Forever Young had more left to give in the stretch. With Sakai giving a vigorous hand ride, Forever Young opened up some space between him and Fierceness as Journalism weakened. Sierra Leone was coming with a wide rally under Flavien Prat, but that rally fell short.
Forever Young covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.19 and returned $9 as the second choice (111 Beyer Speed Figure). Forever Young, who earlier this year won the $20 million Saudi Cup, won for the 10th time in 13 races. He increased his earnings to $19,358,590.
“Last year, the experience really helped Forever Young,” Sakai said through an translator. “He’s a little bit no good at turns. This time we did a lot of practice for that, so then he really did handle well.”
For Yahagi, this was his third Breeders’ Cup victory in four years, all at Del Mar. In 2021, he won the Distaff with March Lorraine and the Filly and Mare Turf with Loves Only You.
“I will never ever get satisfied until I retire as a trainer,” Yahagi, 64, said.
Sierra Leone, in what was his career finale, came up just short in his bid to become the first repeat winner of the Classic since Tiznow in 2000-01. Chad Brown, his trainer, felt the track played against his horse’s style on Saturday, but credited the winner with a terrific performance.
“Look, Forever Young’s a great horse, he’s been a tough customer every time we’ve run against him,” Brown said. “We got ahead of him a couple of times and he got us today, he just found a little bit more late. But I do think the track played against us, as you could see it being a bit speedy. That makes me feel even more pride, how well the hose ran. It’s remarkable that he’s the only horse that was able to make a run like that today.”
Fierceness, also making his last career start, was a forward factor early under John Velazquez, but then was fourth behind horses going into the turn. He was stuck a bit on the inside, got off the rail in deep stretch, but could only manage third.
“He settled into a comfortable spot, he seemed like he was handling it pretty well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Johnny [Velazquez] said the Japanese horse was kind of pushing him around the far turn, so he finally got clear when some horses went on the outside. He got a decent run at him. It wasn’t an ideal scenario when we drew the one hole, it kind of handcuffed us a bit.”
Mindframe flattened out after making an early move down the backside under Irad Ortiz Jr.
“Irad thought he had an opportunity to try and go win the race and put some pressure on the horses up front,” Pletcher said. “He made his move and then he just flattened out.”
Antiquarian, Pletcher’s third horse in the race, came off the bridle on the middle of the turn and Luis Saez didn’t persevere after that.
Forever Young is expected to return to Japan on Monday and will be pointed to the Saudi Cup in February and perhaps another try at the Dubai World Cup, in which he finished third this year.
Could a third try at the Classic be in the offing next year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky?
“Keeneland is really chilly weather, so let me think about that,” Yahagi said.
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