Forever Young (horse) explained

Horsename:Forever Young
Sire:Real Steel[1]
Grandsire:Deep Impact
Dam:Forever Darling
Damsire:Congrats
Sex:Colt
Foaled:February 24, 2021[2]
Country:Japan
Colour:Bay
Breeder:Northern Farm
Owner:Susumu Fujita
Trainer:Yoshito Yahagi
Record:6: 5–0–1
Earnings:364,178,100 JPY[3]
JPN: 84,200,000 JPY
JRA): 7,200,000 JPY
NAR): 77,000,000 JPY
KSA: 900,000 USD
UAE: 580,000 USD
US: 500,000 USD
Wins:JBC Nisai Yushun (2023)
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (2023)
Saudi Derby (2024)
UAE Derby (2024)
Updated:May 4, 2024

Forever Young (Japanese: Japanese: フォーエバーヤング, foaled February 24, 2021) is a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse, who won his maiden race, the JBC Nisai Yushun and the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in 2023, as well as the Saudi Derby and the UAE Derby in 2024, and remained undefeated until a third-place three-horse photo finish at the 150th Kentucky Derby, losing to Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone by a nose.[4]

Background

Forever Young was bred at Northern Farm stud in Hokkaido, Japan, and was foaled on February 24, 2021. In 2022, he was consigned as a foal to the JRHA Select Sale and was bought for ¥98,000,000 (US$) gross by Susumu Fujita. Afterwards, he was trained by Yoshito Yahagi.[5]

His sire, Real Steel, was a champion horse which won the Dubai Turf in 2016.[6] His dam, Forever Darling, who was an American racehorse, won the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes in 2016.[7]

His owner,, is the founder and president of CyberAgent, whose subsidiaries include Abema and Cygames. Forever Young is named after a song of the same name by AK-69 featuring UVERworld.[8] [9] The song is the theme song of Abema's drama series .[10]

Racing career

2023: Two-year-old season

Forever Young began his racing career in a contest for previously unraced juveniles over 1,800 metres on good ground at Kyoto Racecourse on October 14, 2023. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, he started the 16/5 second choice and won by four lengths.[11]

Sakai was again in the saddle when the colt was stepped up in domestic Group 3 class to contest the over the same distance at in the following month on November 3, 2023. He started the 6/5 favourite and prevailed by one-and-a-half lengths.[12]

On December 13 at Kawasaki Racecourse, Forever Young stepped up to Domestic Group 1 class to contest Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun over 1,600 metres. He started the 11/10 favourite in the betting and won by seven lengths from .[13] This is the first time Fujita had a horse that won a Group 1 race.[13] Forever Young is from the second crop of foals sired by Real Steel, and became the first Group 1 race winner among Real Steel's progeny.[14]

For his performance in 2023, he received a rating of 113 from, which is the highest rating of two-year-old dirt racing horses in the history of the ranking system.[15] [16] Among the five two-year-olds with a rating of 113 or above,, whose rating was 113,[16] is also owned by Fujita.[17]

2024: Three-year-old season

On his first run as a three-year-old, Forever Young went to Saudi Arabia to run in the Group III Saudi Derby over 1,600 metres on February 24, 2024. He started the 8/13 odds-on favourite with British bookmakers and won by only a nose. In the race, he had a rough start and had to make up for the four-to-five-length difference from the leading horse, Book'em Danno, in the middle of the final straight. He finished the race in 1:36.17, about two seconds faster than the track record for the distance. This is the first time a horse of Fujita won an overseas graded race. After the race, his trainer, Yahagi, said the next race would be the UAE Derby to obtain Kentucky Derby points for taking part in the Kentucky Derby. By February, he ranked second on Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby,[18] [19] [20] trailing behind, the winner of the Hyacinth Stakes.[21]

On March 30, Forever Young ran in the 1,900-meter Group II UAE Derby held at Meydan Racecourse dirt in Dubai, with jockey Ryusei Sakai. Forever Young was assigned to the outside, in gate 11. He came out of the gate well, took a position outside and behind the leaders. Moving into the stretch, the field straightened. South American Auto Bahn went to the front but could not withstand Forever Young, who came up strongly to win by two lengths in a time of 1:57.89. Trainer Yahagi commented after the race, "It will be very difficult to go from Dubai to Kentucky. But I believe my team will do everything to be in good order to go to Kentucky." Jockey Sakai also added that Forever Young "very much improved" after the Saudi Derby, adding, "That's why I have confidence in him. I really trust this horse." Forever Young collected 100 qualification points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby and entered the event undefeated.[22]

In the early morning hours of April 13, Forever Young arrived at Churchill Downs, having been conditioned by Yahagi. The following morning rider Yusaku Oka took the colt out for about 20 minutes of jogging in the course's one-mile chute, followed by a -mile gallop.[23]

Statistics

DateDistanceRace
Group
Track OddsFieldFinishWinning
Time
Winning
(Losing)
Margin
JockeyRef
2023  - Two-year-old season
1800 meters 2YO NewcomerKyoto 3.201411:54.8 4 lengths[24]
1800 metersJBC Nisai YushunJPN-3 Monbetsu 1.20*1211:54.3 lengths[25]
1600 metersZen-Nippon Nisai Yushun JPN-1 1.10*1211:43.5 7 lengths[26]
2024  - Three-year-old season
1600 metersSaudi DerbyIII King Abdulaziz (KSA) N/A1211:36.17 head[27]
1900 metersUAE DerbyII Meydan (UAE) N/A1111:57.89 2 lengths[28]
milesKentucky DerbyIChurchill Downs (US) 7.032032:03.34 (head)[29]
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Forever Young was the post-time favourite.

Pedigree

* Forever Young is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Mr Prospector, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

See also

External sites

Footnotes

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Forever Young(JPN). JBIS Search. March 9, 2024. en.
  2. Web site: Pedigree of Forever Young . Equineline . April 16, 2024.
  3. Web site: https://www.jra.go.jp/JRADB/accessU.html?CNAME=pw01dud102021105727/78. ja:フォーエバーヤング. JRA. April 11, 2024. ja.
  4. Web site: Ackerman . Nathan . May 4, 2024 . Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby in photo finish . May 4, 2024 . .
  5. Web site: https://blog.goo.ne.jp/umaichi_news/e/1a3b41a5a58af2fecb2f16e2b3289b3c. ja:セレクトセール出身馬【フォーエバーヤング(Forever Young)】が「JBC2歳優駿(2歳Jpn3)」を優勝. Umaichi.com. March 9, 2024. ja.
  6. Web site: Real Steel(JPN) . March 9, 2024 . JBIS Search . en.
  7. Web site: Forever Darling(USA) . March 9, 2024 . JBIS Search . en.
  8. Web site: https://www.jra.go.jp/JRADB/accessU.html?CNAME=pw01dud002021105727/91. ja:競走馬情報 フォーエバーヤング Forever Young(JPN). Japan Racing Association. March 9, 2024. ja.
  9. Fujita, Susumu. susumu_fujita. 1760870729422446964. ja:サウジダービー 日本時間明日24日23時、フォーエバーヤング出走予定。 馬名の由来、これを聴いて奮えて待つ。. February 23, 2024. March 9, 2024. ja.
  10. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2105849/full/. ja:AbemaTV藤田晋社長の著書をベースにオリジナルドラマ 主演は三浦翔平. Oricon News. Oricon. February 16, 2018. March 9, 2024. ja.
  11. Web site: https://hochi.news/articles/20231014-OHT1T51075.html?page=1. ja:【京都4R・2歳新馬】フォーエバーヤングが快勝 坂井瑠星騎手「色々勉強しながら、その中で勝てたのは良かった」. Sports Hochi. October 14, 2023. March 9, 2024. ja.
  12. Web site: https://www.sanspo.com/race/article/general/20231104-V5LGFUA3HRJGTPIODG4GC7DYTU/. ja:【JBC2歳優駿】フォーエバーヤングがデビュー2連勝でV! 矢作師「かなりの大物」. Sankei Sports. November 3, 2023. March 9, 2024. ja.
  13. Web site: https://hochi.news/articles/20231213-OHT1T51195.html?page=1. ja:【全日本2歳優駿】圧勝フォーエバーヤングの藤田晋オーナー、初G1制覇は”休肝日”で目撃「ダート3冠、サウジやケンタッキーもある」. Sports Hochi. December 13, 2023. March 9, 2024. ja.
  14. Web site: https://g-journal.jp/2024/02/post_377053.html. ja:「大躍進」のスワーヴリチャードに引けを取らない名種牡馬!?「海外制覇」フォーエバーヤングの活躍から見えるリアルスティール産駒の可能性. GJ. February 28, 2024. March 11, 2024. ja.
  15. Web site: Forever Young Faces International Foes in Saudi Derby. BloodHorse. February 18, 2024. March 11, 2024.
  16. Web site: https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=254331. ja:3歳芝トップはリバティアイランドでレーティング121 2023年度JPNサラブレッドランキング発表. Netkeiba. January 24, 2024. March 11, 2024. ja.
  17. Web site: Shin Emperor(FR) . ja:シンエンペラー(FR) . March 12, 2024 . JBIS Search . en.
  18. Web site: https://tospo-keiba.jp/breaking_news/42354. ja:【サウジダービー】無傷4連勝でVのフォーエバーヤング 矢作師の視線は「UAEからケンタッキーへ」. Tokyo Sports. February 25, 2024. March 9, 2024. ja.
  19. Web site: Forever Young Edges Book'em Danno in Saudi Derby. BloodHorse. February 24, 2024. March 11, 2024.
  20. Web site: https://www.breeders.co.jp/pages/113/detail=1/b_id=900/r_id=675/. ja:リアルスティール産駒フォーエバーヤングがサウジダービー-G3で海外重賞制覇!. Thoroughbred Breeders Club. February 26, 2024. March 11, 2024. ja.
  21. Web site: Ramjet Grabs Lead in "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby". BloodHorse. February 18, 2024. March 11, 2024.
  22. Web site: UAE Derby Score Propels Forever Young Into KY Derby; The colt earned 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and is set to go. . Bloodhorse.com . Kieckhefer . Bob . March 30, 2024 . 16 April 2024.
  23. Web site: Forever Young Takes First Churchill Gallop, Honor Marie Breezes . Thoroughbred Daily News . 16 April 2024 . 14 April 2024.
  24. Web site: Chart for 2YO Newcomer at Kyoto Racetrack October 14, 2023 – race 4 . umanity.com . 14 October 2023 . 16 April 2024 .
  25. Web site: JBC NISAI YUSHUN Listed . JBIS . 14 April 2024 . 3 November 2023 .
  26. Web site: 13 December 2023 . 2023 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (race 11) . April 16, 2024 . netkeiba.
  27. Web site: 2024 Boutique Group Saudi Derby (Group 3) (3yo) (Outer Track) (Dirt) . Racing Post . February 24, 2024 . April 14, 2024.
  28. Web site: 2024 UAE Derby (Group 2) (Dirt) . Racing Post . March 30, 2024 . April 16, 2024.
  29. Web site: 150th Kentucky Derby . Equibase . May 4, 2024 . 4 May 2024.
  30. Web site: Forever Young(JPN) . ja:全競走成績|競走成績|フォーエバーヤング . JBIS Search (English) . March 12, 2024 .
  31. Web site: Forever Young . ja:フォーエバーヤング (Forever Young)の競走成績 . March 12, 2024 . Netkeiba (English).