Indonesia
English
Follow
SARGA.CO – Sovereignty may have captured the most coveted title in North American horse racing — the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year — after his stellar victories in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and DraftKings Travers Stakes.
But the true emotional climax of the 2025 racing season came at the Breeders’ Cup Classic, held on November 1, 2025, at Del Mar, California (USA).
After Sovereignty was forced to withdraw from the race due to illness, Japan’s Forever Young seized the spotlight, claiming victory and earning the US$7 million grand prize.
Yet it wasn’t the money that made the moment unforgettable. Forever Young’s win symbolized a powerful redemption story — a declaration of his status as a true world-class racehorse, as he avenged previous defeats against Sierra Leone and Fierceness, the two rivals who had beaten him in the same race a year earlier.
Forever Young’s triumph — by 1½ lengths over runner-up Sierra Leone — secured his second Group I (top-tier) title of the year, following his US$20 million Saudi Cup victory in February 2025.
The win sparked tears and jubilation among Japanese fans at Del Mar — both in the grandstands and near the winner’s circle. Many close to Forever Young were visibly emotional as they witnessed the first Japan-trained horse in 42 years to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Jockey Ryusei Sakai, who has ridden Forever Young in every major outing, delivered a masterful performance. He kept the colt settled in second place through more than half the race, trailing Contrary Thinking — the stablemate of Sierra Leone and considered the stronger of the two.
The first sign of victory came around the second turn, when Contrary Thinking began to fade, handing the lead to Forever Young. Both Fierceness and Sierra Leone mounted late challenges in the home stretch, but neither could match Forever Young’s power and stamina.
Forever Young crossed the finish line 1½ lengths ahead, a decisive blow to Sierra Leone. His time — 2 minutes, 00.19 seconds — was even faster than Sierra Leone’s winning time from the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trainer Chad Brown, who handled both Sierra Leone and Contrary Thinking, admitted that the Del Mar surface favored faster, early-running horses — not late closers like Sierra Leone.
“Look, he and Forever Young have had a special rivalry since the Derby,” Brown told americasbestracing.net.
“Today was Forever Young’s day to find the winner’s circle, and all credit to them.”
Forever Young’s owner, Susumu Fujita, called the victory the realization of a long-held dream. The colt had endured two painful defeats in his previous U.S. starts — finishing third in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic (losing by nearly three lengths) and third again in the Kentucky Derby, just a nose behind Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in an unforgettable three-way photo finish.
Install SARGA.CO News
sarga.co
Rekomendasi