Forever Young gets first feel for Belmont ahead of Jockey Club Gold Cup
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ELMONT, N.Y. − Forever Young, the Japanese and American champion, got his first feel for the new Belmont Park surface on Thursday morning, lightly galloping once around the 1 1/2-mile oval shortly after being released from quarantine as he prepares for his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 18.
Forever Young arrived from Japan just before midnight Monday and vanned over from JFK Airport to Belmont around 1 a.m. He had to do 42 hours of quarantine and came out of the barn at 10:37 a.m. Thursday as the New York Racing Association extended training to allow him and his stablemate Shin Emperor the opportunity to train. Forever Young had to do five days of quarantine in Japan − during which time he was able to train − before shipping to the U.S.
Forever Young was ridden in his exercise by Yuki Araki, an exercise rider and assistant to trainer Yoshito Yahagi. He went to the track along with stablemate Shin Emperor, who is possible to run in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch.
“He loves America, he knows it,” said Hiroshi Ando, the travel manager for Yahagi. “We try to get back to normal because we had to have a 42-hour quarantine, we cannot do too much exercise, so today is a free day for him.”
Ando said that Forever Young would train regularly each morning over the main track and have a workout on Tuesday with regular jockey Ryusei Sakai coming in from Japan for the move.
Ando said he and Yahagi visited Belmont Park on Aug. 19 to make sure they were content with the track before committing to ship Forever Young.
“The track, it was in great condition, we get positive [feeling] to come over,” Ando said.
Forever Young has not raced since March 28 when he finished second to Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan. Prior to that race, Forever Young won the $20 million Saudi Cup for the second consecutive year.
Upon returning from Dubai, Forever Young had to do four weeks of quarantine in Japan and was mostly just in light training until early August when he was moved to Hakodate Racecourse in Hokkaido, Japan where it is cooler than on the mainland.
Ando said Forever Young’s physical condition “is really good. He’s good at [traveling]. We are satisfied how he got here.”
Forever Young has already made three trips to North America. In 2024, he finished third, beaten a head by Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby. Later that fall, he returned for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar where he finished third behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness. Last year, Forever Young won the BC Classic, also at Del Mar, defeating Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
Entries for the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be taken on Saturday. Though Sovereignty is unlikely to be entered due to a foot abscess, others expected to be entered are Banishing, Money Game, Phileas Fogg and possibly Baeza, Nitrogen, Stars and Stripes, and Yo Daddy.
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