Bold statement: Forever Young isn’t just winning races—he’s rewriting the playbook for international plans, and Saudi Cup glory could hint at even bigger stages ahead. But here’s where it gets controversial: is his success a testament to one exceptional horse, or a sign that cross-continental showdowns are redefining how we evaluate top Thoroughbreds?
Forever Young, the Japanese star by Real Steel, secured his latest Saudi Cup triumph with a stylish late charge, extending a pattern that has defined his recent years. For the third consecutive edition of the Saudi Cup, he found himself in a stretch duel with a formidable rival, and for the third straight time, he emerged victorious. This year’s winner’s share was $10 million, with $3.5 million awarded to the runner-up. The runner-up in 2026 was Nysos, one of America’s best, making the result especially sharp for trainer Bob Baffert, who has now finished second in this race four times.
The race at King Abdulaziz Racecourse covered 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles). Both Forever Young and Nysos settled into mid-pack early, then turned for home with Forever Young dashing through the rail as Flavien Prat pushed Nysos from the outside. Tai chi-like precision at the final stretch left Forever Young clear by a length, with no sign of a shrinking margin.
Before the race, Baffert candidly said he preferred shorter stretches, but even that wouldn’t have altered the outcome. Forever Young clocked 1:51.03 for the trip and paid $2.70 on a $2 win wager in international pari-mutuel wagering.
In a tight, multi-horse landscape, Tumbarumba finished third, with Bishops Bay close behind in fourth. Rattle N Roll, a familiar name from the U.S. circuit, ended ninth, and Nevada Beach, another Baffert trainee, finished 12th of 13 starters.
Forever Young, a 5-year-old son of Real Steel, has had a globe-trotting career since bursting onto the Japanese scene in late 2023. He dominated his early career in Japan, then took a notable detour to Riyadh for the 2024 Saudi Derby after a glittering run in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. He later waded into career-defining moments in the UAE Derby (G2) and the Kentucky Derby (G1), before returning to claim big races at home and abroad, including a memorable win in the 2025 Saudi Cup, where he chased down Romantic Warrior and prevailed by a neck.
Yahagi, Forever Young’s trainer, expressed confidence in the horse’s late stretch strength, even as he noted the horse wasn’t at peak form entering the race. The Japenese conditioner, nicknamed “the Man in the Hat,” has secured three Saudi Cup titles since 2023, including Panthalassa in 2023.
Owner Susumu Fujita described a plan that initially targeted retirement at year-end but allowed a two-month extension to chase another Saudi Cup victory. The result reinforces the idea that Forever Young is not just a one-season wonder but a durable campaigner capable of meeting the world’s toughest competition on their terms.
Nysos’s effort, while second-best, represented a strong performance for a horse that has transformed under Baffert’s guidance after a challenging path back from setbacks. His performance in Saudi Arabia added to a resume that already includes a dominant Dirt Mile win and other stakes successes back home.
Looking ahead, Forever Young’s victory helps him secure a paid, automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In. That path could set up another high-profile showdown with international rivals later in the year, keeping fans eager to see whether he can sustain this international momentum.
Controversial takeaway: Is the globalization of horse racing—where a Japanese champion can consistently beat American stars on foreign tracks—subtly shifting the metric by which we judge a horse’s greatness? And with Forever Young’s ongoing travel schedule, should owners and trainers weigh this level of international exposure as a core strategy, or would they prefer to focus on a single, domestic stage? Share your thoughts in the comments: do you view Forever Young’s international success as the new gold standard, or as an exception that proves the old rules still apply?
