Forever Young entered in Japan Dirt Classic as stepping stone to Breeders' Cup

Sep 29, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Last seen coming up two noses short when third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Forever Young returns to action in Wednesday’s Japan Dirt Classic at Oi. The Yoshito Yahagi trainee is using the about 1 1/4-mile prize as a springboard to the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

Forever Young had compiled a perfect 5-for-5 record, capped by a romp in the UAE Derby (G2), before his agonizing loss at Churchill Downs. He has not raced on home soil since his juvenile days, when running away with the Dec. 13 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun.

Back in training following his summer holiday, Forever Young reportedly had a minor fever of short duration during his preparation for this comeback. Yahagi chalked it up to the intense heat of the Japanese summer.

Forever Young signaled his well-being in a recent breeze. Watch him dispose of an older workmate, Grade 2-placed Libyan Glass (who is wearing blinkers), on Sept. 25:

938 is 3c FOREVER YOUNG (Real Steel) fast work on 25th on the Ritto chip ahead of Jpn1 Japan Dirt CLassic next Wednesday

Last start close 3rd in USA 🇺🇸 after wining 5 straight in 🇯🇵🇸🇦🇦🇪

Works again on Sunday to top him up for the big one#JRA#NAR pic.twitter.com/1u2Fpo3SkA

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) September 26, 2024

Yet Forever Young will need to be primed to win on Wednesday with regular rider Ryusei Sakai. He has drawn the rail in a 15-horse field that also features the streaking Ramjet.

Ramjet scored an impressive victory in the Feb. 18 Hyacinth S. on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, but he ended up staying home rather than venturing aboard. The Maeda Family homebred went on to capture the April 27 Unicorn (G3) at Kyoto and the June 5 Tokyo Derby at this track and trip by six resounding lengths.

The runner-up in both the Unicorn and the Tokyo Derby, Satono Epic, tries again on Wednesday. By the outstanding runner and sire Kitasan Black, Satono Epic has yet to finish out of the top two in his dirt starts.

Mikki Fight, third as the favorite in the Unicorn, is believed to be stronger now than he was in the spring. The son of U.S. champion Drefong regained the winning habit in the Aug. 4 Leopard (G3) at Niigata.

Sunrise Zipangu, who had been second to Forever Young in last November’s JBC Nisai Yushun, later switched to turf. Successful in a listed turf stakes and third in the Hopeful (G1), he was unplaced in two Japanese classics. Sunrise Zipangu reverted to dirt last time out and won at Morioka for Hidetaka Otonashi, best known as Derma Sotogake’s trainer. Legendary jockey Yutaka Take has the mount.

Other contenders to watch are Saint Honore, third in Forever Young’s Zen-Nippon and subsequently the winner of two straight; Shimme Daisy, whose only loss was a fourth in the Tokyo Derby; and Kashima Espada and Fuji Eugene, the respective runner-up and fourth to Sunrise Zipangu last time out.

The Japan Dirt Classic is carded as the 11th race at Oi (also known as Tokyo City), with a post time of 7:05 a.m. ET Wednesday.