Jockey Club Gold Cup, BC Classic Next for Forever Young

Japanese superstar Forever Young (JPN) will make his final prep for a title defense in the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on opening day, Sept. 18, at the newly renovated Belmont Park in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), trainer Yoshito Yahagi confirmed on X June 21. The historic race, which will be conducted over 1 1/4 miles on dirt, has been in the plans for champion son of Real Steel (JPN) since finishing runner-up to Magnitude in the March 28 Dubai World Cup (G1), but connections had also been considering taking the 5-year-old to Europe to race in top turf events. Yahagi said that they will bypass the potential turf starts in favor of the two starts over American dirt. "First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers around the world, including France Galop and Leopardstown Racecourse, for the wonderful offers we received," Yahagi said in the post. "After extensive discussions with owner (Susumu) Fujita while closely monitoring the horse's condition, we have decided that Forever Young will proceed from the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park to the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. We are pleased to announce this plan." Forever Young is currently partaking in his traditional summer break from racing after returning to Japan from Dubai. Each of the last two years, he returned to win a prep race in Japan before continuing to the Breeders' Cup Classic, where he was third in 2024 and won in 2025. This year's Breeders' Cup Classic takes place Oct. 31 at Keeneland. "Forever Young has captured the hearts of racing fans around the globe, and we are delighted his connections are targeting the Breeders' Cup World Championships as the culmination of his 2026 season," said Breeders' Cup executive vice president and chief racing officer Dora Delgado. "We thank them for their commitment to elite international competition and extend our appreciation to the great team at NYRA for their partnership in hosting and supporting his return to the United States via the Jockey Club Gold Cup. We eagerly anticipate welcoming Forever Young to Keeneland this fall to defend his title in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic." Forever Young's presence in New York Sept. 18 will add even more excitement surrounding the grand opening of the New Belmont Park, which has been undergoing renovation since 2023. “We are thrilled to welcome Forever Young to the Jockey Club Gold Cup at the new Belmont Park,” said New York Racing Association senior vice president of racing and operations Andrew Offerman. “NYRA is deeply appreciative of the Breeders’ Cup for their partnership and support in helping make this possible, and we look forward to celebrating Forever Young, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the return to Belmont Park on Friday, September 18.” Live coverage of the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Belmont's opening day will be presented to a national audience on FOX, and the race offers an automatic berth to the Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win And You're In.