Forever Young turns attention to Breeders' Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. − Forever Young came out of his victory in Friday’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup “a little bit tired” but otherwise in good order, assistant trainer Yuki Araki said Saturday morning, and the horse will remain in New York to prepare for his bid at a repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Forever Young, in his first start in six months, won the Jockey Club Gold by 3 1/4 lengths over Stars and Stripes in a field that was scratched down to four horses. Afterward, trainer Yoshito Yahagi said he was only “50-percent happy” with the performance. The final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:01.23, a time that is hard to evaluate given it was the just the second dirt race run over the new surface. Forever Young earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

Araki, the assistant to trainer Yoshito Yahagi, felt Forever Young’s performance was a little better than his boss thought.

“The trainer commented he was 80 percent physically fit, but the performance was 50 percent,” Araki said. “I think it was more than that because we don’t know about the Belmont Park track. I listen to some people who say that Belmont was a very heavy track, tough course. If I think about it, he did really well.

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“The jockey told us the track was quite heavy, pretty much different from when he breezed the horse, so I think he did really well,” Araki said.

The connections of Forever Young were not the only ones who commented about the track. Trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, of last-place finisher Phileas Fogg, said jockey Kendrick Carmouche told him his horse struggled with the track.

“Kendrick right after the race he was complaining about the track, too dry and too loose,” Rodriguez said. “The first quarter he couldn’t get a good grip of the track. When I saw 25 [seconds for first quarter], I said nice they’re not going too fast but the horse was struggling, that’s what Kendrick said. Forever Young, he was right there with us he didn’t give us any break.”

The Jockey Club Gold Cup was Forever Young’s first run since he was beaten a length by Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup in March.

Araki said Forever Young will get three days off and then return to training on Tuesday. While Forever Young trained on the main track and Tapeta track during this week, Araki said he may start bringing Forever Young to the one-mile training track and the half-mile pony track.

“The main track is 12 furlongs, too large for him to recover, I prefer to go to the training track or maybe the little track,” Araki said.

Stars and Stripes and Baeza finished second and third to Forever Young. Mott was happy with the effort by Stars and Stripes, who finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Baeza. Mott didn’t know what may be next for Stars and Stripes, but indicated a race like the Grade 3 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 24 and/or the Grade 2 Clark on Nov. 27 might be preferable to the BC Classic.

“With him you wait and look for an opportunity,” Mott said. “He ran good at Keeneland at a mile and three-sixteenths, he can run good at a mile and an eighth. I don’t know he’s a Breeders’ Cup type.”

It was announced in a press release on Friday that Baeza will stand stud at Spendthrift Farm beginning in 2027, though it wasn’t clear if he would race again this year though that would appear to be unlikely. Baeza, who won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby last year, is winless in four starts this year, his performances in the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold being his two worst of his career.

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