By admin 
Susumu Fujita’s Forever Young (JPN), the reigning champion oIder dirt male, posted a half-mile breeze in :51.98 on the main track at Belmont Park Sunday in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) October 31 at Keeneland.
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Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, the 5-year-old Real Steel horse returned to the work tab for the first time since capturing the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 18 at Belmont.
Forever Young, with assistant trainer Yuki Araki in the irons, stepped onto the main track at 6:45 a.m. (ET). NYRA Clockers clocked him through splits of :13 4/5 and :38 flat. The breeze was a sharp step up from an open gallop last Sunday, also on the main track.
Araki said with inclement weather forecast for later Sunday and during the week, he gave Forever Young more rein to work.
“I decided to breeze a little bit stronger than we planned before. It’s good,” Araki said.
Last year, Forever Young captured the Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi in Japan exactly one month before capturing the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar. This year, Forever Young has spent considerably more time in the U.S., arriving in New York on September 7 to prepare for the Jockey Club Gold Cup – winning that event comfortably while racing for the first time since a runner-up effort in the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 28 at Meydan Racecourse.
Although Forever Young went straight from the barn to the main track this morning, Araki has utilized much of the Belmont Park property, including the Tapeta pony track, dirt training track and inner Tapeta track to help build up the horse and keep him fresh.
“Compared to last year, this is a totally new challenge,” Araki said. “We figured out how to use [him] here and he is doing really well, so far. This morning the breeze out was pretty impressive. I checked the video. Good movement.
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“When I asked him, he reacted really well and showed a turn of foot – a little bit, but I asked only a little bit. He’s following our orders well. He’s done well,” Araki added.
Forever Young cooled out in his customary fashion since arriving in New York with multiple laps along the tree-lined horse path adjacent to the main track before bath time and a pick of grass.
Forever Young, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, has made 16 starts across 10 racetracks in four countries, posting additional top-flight scores in back-to-back editions of the Saudi Cup (G1) in 2025 and ’26 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and the 2024 2024 Tokyo Daishoten (G1) in his native country, where he is undefeated through six efforts.
Araki said Forever Young will breeze again next Sunday at Belmont before shipping to Kentucky on October 20 to complete his final preparations at Keeneland that will likely include a work, with jockey Ryusei Sakai aboard, in company with Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) contender American Stage. The stablemates also worked a half-mile together last year at Del Mar on the Wednesday before the Breeders’ Cup.
“At Keeneland – planning to do an even pace [open gallop] same thing we did last week on Saturday or Sunday,” Araki said. “We will do the final breeze out on Wednesday, with jockey – and probably we will bring American Stage and do it together.”
Forever Young has banked in excess of $32.3 million through a 12-1-3 record from 16 career starts..
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 10:48 AM.