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SARGA.CO - Forever Young remains the undisputed leader of Japan’s older dirt division after another outstanding international campaign in the first half of 2026.

The five-year-old son of Real Steel tops the Japan Racing Association’s official Four-Year-Old and Upwards Dirt Rankings for the period from January 1 through June 30 with a rating of 123. His mark reflects a second straight Saudi Cup at Riyadh on February 14, followed by a runner-up finish in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan six weeks later.

Forever Young sits three points clear of T O Elvis, who is rated 120 after making history in the United States, while Costa Nova and Wilson Tesoro share third place at 119. The rankings underline the growing international strength of Japanese dirt racing, with several of the highest-rated horses recording major overseas and domestic wins.

Forever Young’s position at the top is built around yet another extraordinary performance on the international stage.

On February 14, the Yoshito Yahagi-trained star returned to Riyadh for his first start of the season and retained his Saudi Cup crown, as the first two-time winner. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young fought his way through the field and prevailed by one length over Nysos in the 1,800-metre contest, recording a time of 1:51.027 on fast dirt.

It further established him as one of the central figures of the international dirt scene following his historic 2025 campaign, when he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, becoming the first Japanese-trained horse to capture the American dirt Classic.

His 123 rating is therefore no surprise. Forever Young has combined elite domestic form with sustained success in the world’s most important dirt races, and his continued consistency has made him Japan’s benchmark for international dirt excellence.

Forever Young’s Saudi Cup triumph was followed by another major performance at Meydan. Six weeks after his Riyadh win, he returned to the Dubai World Cup on March 28 and finished second in the 2,000-metre G1, earning approximately ¥380 million for the runner-up position. 

It was the second time he had finished runner-up in the Dubai World Cup, having previously placed third in 2025 before going on to complete his breakthrough season with a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory.

The latest Dubai performance further demonstrated his ability to maintain a world-class level across a demanding international campaign. Despite the runner-up finish, it reinforced Forever Young’s status as the leading Japanese dirt horse of his generation.

The JRA ranking reflects that consistency by assigning him 123 for the Saudi Cup and 120 for his Dubai World Cup performance.

Behind Forever Young, T O Elvis has emerged as one of the biggest stories of Japan’s dirt season. The four-year-old colt is rated 120 after a landmark win in the Churchill Downs Stakes on May 2. 

Trained by Daisuke Takayanagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, T O Elvis powered home by more than three lengths in the 1,400-metre race, becoming the first Japanese-trained horse to win a dirt G1 sprint on North American soil. It was especially significant as it came on the day of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, one of the most famous racetracks in American racing.

 T O Elvis remained unbeaten after five starts and became only the third Japanese horse to win a dirt G1 in the United States, following March Lorraine’s 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff success and Forever Young’s 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic triumph.

His achievement places T O Elvis only three points behind Forever Young and gives Japan another internationally proven dirt star heading into the second half of the season.

Costa Nova and Wilson Tesoro occupy the next position in the rankings with ratings of 119. The former’s mark was earned through another superb performance in the February Stakes at Tokyo on February 22. The six-year-old became only the third horse to win the race in consecutive years, following Copano Rickey and Cafe Pharoah.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Costa Nova came from well back in the field before producing a powerful late run to defeat Wilson Tesoro by half a length over 1,600 metres. The win was the seventh of his career on dirt at Tokyo and gave trainer Tetsuya Kimura his 15th JRA G1

Wilson Tesoro then had his own moment in the spotlight on May 5, winning the Kashiwa Kinen over 1,600 metres. This placed him level with Costa Nova at 119 and demonstrated that the six-year-old remains one of Japan’s most reliable dirt performers.

The pair represent the strength of Japan’s domestic dirt circuit and remain firmly positioned among the country’s leading older horses.

Mikki Fight follows at 118 after finishing second to Wilson Tesoro in the Kashiwa Kinen. The five-year-old, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, has become one of the leading dirt horses in Japan and remains just five points behind Forever Young in the official rankings.

Kazeno Runner is next at 117 after winning the 2,100-metre Kawasaki Kinen on April 8. His success illustrates the range within Japan’s dirt division, with the five-year-old having established his position over a longer distance than most of the horses near the top of the rankings.

Brian Sense and Lord Fons share the 116 rating. Brian Sense finished fourth in the February Stakes, while Lord Fons won the Sakitama Hai over 1,400 metres on June 24.

At the halfway point of the 2026 season, Forever Young remains the horse everyone else is chasing. His back-to-back Saudi Cups, combined with another Dubai World Cup podium finish, have kept him firmly at the summit with a rating of 123. T O Elvis has narrowed the gap after his historic American G1 success, while Costa Nova, Wilson Tesoro and Mikki Fight remain within striking distance.

The second half of the season will provide opportunities for the leading domestic horses to challenge the established order, and Forever Young’s future schedule could once again take him onto the biggest international stages.

For now, however, Japan’s 2026 Four-Year-Old and Upwards Dirt Rankings tell a familiar story: Forever Young remains the standard-bearer on dirt, and his international campaign continues to set the benchmark for those looking to dethrone him.