Breeders' Cup Clocker: Forever Young impresses visually in final work for Classic
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – All eyes were on Forever Young on Wednesday at Keeneland, and the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner did not disappoint when turning in his final major prep for this year’s main event over a freshly harrowed track shortly after the renovation break at 8 a.m. The work was as visually impressive as one will see in a 50.87-second half-mile clocking.
Forever Young began a couple of lengths behind his stablemate, Sprint-bound American Stage. Both left the half-mile pole at just a little faster than a two-minute clip, completing the opening furlong in a leisurely 14.49. Forever Young joined his mate in the blink of an eye at the quarter pole, the pair coming down the lane in a lively 22.82 although neither was asked for their best at any point. They galloped out strongly, shading 13 seconds for their final furlong, with American Stage actually holding a slight edge while saving ground nearest the rail into the turn.
From a time standpoint, the breeze was nearly identical to – although visually even more impressive than – Forever Young’s final work last year, also in tandem with American Stage, a half-mile in 50.89, three days prior to his victory in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.
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The Puma (Classic) did not have an official breeze this morning but, as is the case when he does work, showed off a high level of energy at the end of his training session. He posted a couple of sub 14-second splits through the wire and into the turn before pulling up near the six-furlong pole to complete a stamina-enhancing 1 3/4-mile gallop.
Team Aidan O’Brien, which is 10 strong here for this year’s Breeders’ Cup, not 11 as mentioned Tuesday, when his son Donnacha apparently slipped one into the line, got a bit busier on day two at Keeneland. The team visited the starting gate before galloping a mile at a much stronger pace than the previous morning, with Puerto Rico (Mile) again at the head of the pack. Puerto Rico and True Love, who both got a little warm in the coat on Tuesday, stayed cool and collected Wednesday.
The turf course was by far the busiest it’s been in the lead-up to this year’s Breeders’ Cup, with a dozen potential starters taking the opportunity to train around the wide dogs.
The Godolphin pair of reigning Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Notable Speech and El Cordobes, third in the 2025 Turf, were the first two on the strip, with the latter looking far and away the more impressive of the duo. El Cordobes blew out a sharp quarter-mile down the lane in 23.60 after cruising at a two-minute pace away from the five-eighths pole. Notable Speech followed a similar itinerary but looked just average breezing his final quarter in 26.20 before easing up fairly quickly into the turn.
For the second time in a week, Lake Forest (Mile) was set down for all he had from the eighth pole to the finish line, responding with a 22.11 final-quarter clocking before once again pulling up very abruptly after the wire. This week, he also balked a bit on his way back to the gap to leave the track.
Trainer Michael Appleby had his Turf Sprint contender Big Mojo out for a bit of a blowout as well, coming home a final quarter-mile in a sharp-looking 23.49, while Ask Ikigomi breezed three furlongs from the quarter pole in 24.50 and 37.90 for the Mile.
Avec Toi, who will race with blinkers on in the Juvenile Turf, trained over the grass for a second straight day without blinkers and was a bit rank at times but did show a nice turn of foot blowing out a quarter-mile in 24.67 while finishing on his left lead.
Ballinea Star was reaching out nicely to the finish line while making a favorable impression, breezing three-eighths from the quarter pole in 24.21 and 37.41, finishing willingly into the clubhouse turn.
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