Forever Young reels in Romantic Warrior in Saudi Cup thriller

Rarely does a big race truly live up to its hype. The Saudi Cup did, with Forever Young wearing down Romantic Warrior in an epic battle of world-class racehorses.

Romantic Warrior might have lost the $20 million Saudi Cup by a neck, but he cemented his stature as an all-time great, transferring his incredible turf form to dirt in his first try over the surface, bested by a rising 4-year-old who might, by year’s end, be considered the best dirt horse in the world.

The top two had more than 10 lengths on third-place Ushba Tesoro, who ran well below form finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic but won the 2023 Dubai World Cup and probably hit his baseline Saturday. Rattle N Roll, the lone American runner, typically produces Beyer Speed Figures in the high 90s and in finishing a creditable fifth checked in about 11 1/2 lengths behind Forever Young.

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The winning time for the 1,800 meters around one turn was 1:49.09, nearly a half-second faster than Senor Buscador’s clocking in 2024, which had been the fastest among the first five Saudi Cups. Forever Young paid $6.60 as the second choice.

It was not only the two stars battling to the finish while leaving a dozen others in their wake that made the Saudi Cup such a memorable contest, but the way the final 500 meters unfolded at King Abdulaziz Racetrack on Saturday.

Forever Young, showing the improved positional speed he’d displayed in his Saudi Cup prep race in Japan, broke well from post 14 and immediately took up a position among the lead pack. Romantic Warrior also left the gate running, jockey James McDonald placing his mount in fifth, two to three paths from the fence and just behind the four leaders.

Romantic Warrior has been Hong Kong’s best horse since the great Golden Sixty was retired in September 2024, and in addition to winning three renewals of the Hong Kong Cup as well as a bevy of other important races at his home track, Sha Tin Racecourse, Romantic Warrior captured the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia, the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan, and, last month, the Group 1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai.

Owners of top Hong Kong performers like Golden Sixty and, before him, Beauty Generation, declined to campaign their horses abroad, but Peter Lau Pak Fai, Romantic Warrior’s owner, and Danny Shum, his trainer, have traveled their superstar all over Asia. And while kickback in dirt races often proves the undoing of turf horses switching surfaces, Romantic Warrior, classy as can be, took the kickback Saturday without flinching.

As much as Romantic Warrior has traveled at age 7, Forever Young has logged even more miles. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi sent the colt to Saudi Arabia to win the Saudi Derby last year, then on to Dubai for a victory in the UAE Derby. Forever Young made his first trip to American finishing a close, troubled third in the Kentucky Derby, and made a second when third behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. All those miles, and after a second trip to Saudi Arabia, Forever Young was ready to deliver the best race of his life.

The turn approached and jockey James McDonald decided to take action. With clearance to his right, he steered Romantic Warrior outside, not just to gain position, but to make his bid for victory. Romantic Warrior, obviously, has a turf horse’s turn of foot, and as the bend began giving way to the home straight, he had swept to the front. The other speed horses began struggling, and while Forever Young forged forward, Romantic Warrior surged past him, too, opening a lead of perhaps two lengths with just less than 400 meters to race. For a moment, it looked like The Warrior would race clear to a resounding success.

But the lead ceased growing, and when Forever Young switched leads under Ryusei Sakai at the 300-meter mark, he found new life. Sakai took Forever Young outside Romantic Warrior, and as McDonald glanced twice at the massive infield board, he saw Forever Young inching closer. A half-furlong left and Romantic Warrior dug in, but Forever Young would not be denied.

“He was gallant in defeat,” McDonald said. “The race worked out perfect for us. He got a little bit of kickback, sidled round just beautifully. I can safely say I wasn’t stopping; I didn’t alter my stride pace at all. It just shows what a great horse Forever Young is and what a race it was.”

Forever Young and Romantic Warrior both will start April 5 on the Dubai World Cup card, but not in the same race. Forever Young, of course, has the Dubai World Cup in his sites, while Romantic Warrior goes back to grass for the Dubai Turf.

Yahagi won his second Saudi Cup, though it took his first winner, Panthalassa, nearly two seconds longer to cover the distance.

“You know, when he came here to run in the Saudi Derby he was not in the best condition and he still won,” Yahagi said through an interpreter. “Since that time, he has improved a lot.”

The Saudi Cup, it was announced Saturday, is now part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, and Forever Young earned automatic fees-paid entry into the Classic as well as travel expenses to California. Forever Young was decidedly third best to Sierra Leone and Fierceness in the 2024 Classic. You can bet his connections eagerly await a rematch.

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