Sept. 21 (UPI) — Japan’s global superstar, Forever Young, won Friday’s $1 million Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup for fun, prompting trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who has seen a lot, to marvel, “I think I will never see a horse like this again in my life.”
But — and fair warning to those looking to prevent the 5-year-old from a repeat win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic — Yahagi then added he was only “around 50% satisfied” with Forever Young’s performance in the first stakes race at the plush new Belmont Park.
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“Obviously, we won this race. That’s of course 100% satisfied,” Yahagi said. “But Forever Young performance-wise, I’m not happy about — around 50% satisfied how he performed like today. Physically, we think fitness is 80% But inside for lungs or these things, performance-wise, it wasn’t enough for me.”
It was more than enough for the two-time winner of the $20 million Grade I Saudi Cup to dominate a field scratched down to just three rivals. Stars and Stripes and Baeza finished second and third, respectively, and Phileas Fogg came in last after setting the early pace.
In addition to his Saudi Cup wins, Forever Young has won the Grade 1 Tokyo Daishoten, the Group 2 UAE Derby and Group 3 Saudi Derby, and finished second in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup and a thrilling third in the Kentucky Derby. He is reigning Eclipse Award champion in the older dirt category and Japan’s 2025 Horse of the Year.
With Sovereignty absent, the Gold Cup didn’t decide much among the older contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But then, neither did Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Pennsylvania Derby, which had a field replete with 3-year-olds trying to run their way onto the top shelf.
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If anything, The Puma moved up a notch by winning by 1/2 length over the 2-1 favorite, Further Ado.
The Puma won the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby and finished second, a nose behind Commandment, in the Grade I Florida Derby. But he missed the Triple Crown series, and then finished fourth in both the Grade I Haskell and the Grade I Travers.
And he was losing ground late Saturday to Further Ado, winner of the Grade I Blue Grass but 11th in the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Gustavo Delgado did not commit to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
“Right now, we will wait before thinking about the Breeders’ Cup. We will go back to Saratoga, and we will meet with my partners and my son [assistant trainer Gustavo Jr.] and then decide,” he said.
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Distaff
Bodacious Bay was sold privately after finishing second in the Grade III Monmouth Oaks in her last race and sent to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
The Not This Time filly began providing a nice return on investment Saturday, winning the $1 million Grade I Cotillion at Parx Racing by 3 1/4 lengths over Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner. Bodacious Bay prompted the pace from the start and finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.60.
Consequent remained undefeated after four starts with a 4 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Seneca for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. The Into Mischief miss, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Grade II Starlet at Las Alamitos in December and then wasn’t seen again until July, when she returned with a win at Ellis Park.
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Also: U Lite Up My Life won Saturday’s $150,000 Philly Special at Parx by 2 1/4 lengths from Scalable.
Sprint
Stradale won Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Gallant Bob for 3-year-olds at Parx Racing; Doublecents took Saturday’s $300,000 Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs and Buccherino won Saturday’s $150,000 Stable Recovery at Parx.
Filly & mare sprint
Conceit chased down pacesetting odds-on favorite Explora early in the stretch run in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Dogwood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs and won a long duel by a head.
Reagan’s Flame came with a late run in Friday night’s $300,000 Grade II Presque Isle Downs Masters, caught pacesetting Paris Carver passing the furlong marker and edged forward to win by 3/4 length.
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Also: Love Cervere rallied from last of nine to win Saturday’s $175,000 Floral Park Stakes at Belmont Park by 1 1/2 lengths; Icona Mama took Saturday’s $150,000 Liberty Bell at Parx Racing; and Slewperstitious won Saturday’s $100,000 Weather Vane Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park.
Filly & mare turf
Dynamic Pricing won Sunday’s $175,000 Forever Together at Belmont Park.
Turf sprint
Epic Style was up with a late run to win Saturday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Sweet Briar Two for fillies and mares at Woodbine by 1 1/4 lengths.
Dirt mile
Wild Vine won Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile; William T prevailed in Saturday’s $175,000 (Canadian) Grade III Durham Cup at Woodbine; and Neoequos won Friday night’s $150,000 Presque Isle Mile.
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Around the world, around the clock
Australia
Mazu was tough to load for Saturday’s Group 1 The Shorts at Royal Randwick and then obviously was eager to leave the machine.
The 8-year-old son of Maurice blasted right to the lead, showed the way throughout the 1,100 meters and held off the late bid of Joliestar to win a neck. For Mazu, it was two wins in a row. For Joliestar, it was a second bitter disappointment following a heartbreaking third in a blanket finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
At Caulfield, Birdman edged even-money favorite Cosmic Crusader in Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes, and Angel Capital took out the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke by 3/4 length from Sepals with the favorite, Lady Shenandoah, reporting fourth.
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Japan
Meisho Gekirin delivered a 44-1 surprise victory in Sunday’s Grade 2 Sankei Sho All-Comers at Nakayama Racecourse, nosing out Can’t Wait at the finish, while the favorite, Regaleira finished a dull fourth.
The race was Meisho Gekirin’s first graded stakes effort and came after two unsuccessful steeplechase efforts. Regaleira, by contrast, is a three-time Grade 1 winner. She was making her first start since June and only the second of the year.
Grade 1 racing returns in Japan on Sunday with the Sprinters Stakes, also at Nakayama. Hong Kong-based Fast Network was entered for that race, but has returned home with breathing issues.
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Hong Kong
Speaking of traveling Hong Kong horses, Ka Ying Rising, the world’s top-rated horse, departed from the SAR Sunday for Australia, where he will seek a repeat win in the Group1 The Everest on Oct. 17.
