Japan’s Forever Young made history as the first horse from that country to win the $7 million Classic and long shot Ethical Diamond stole the show in the $5 million Turf on Saturday to highlight Day Two of the 42nd Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club just north of San Diego.
Forever Young, who was third in both the Classic and the Kentucky Derby last year and in February won the $20 million Saudi Cup – the world’s richest horse race – would not be denied this time out, making the front as the nine-horse field turned for home in the 1¼-mile headlining race and striding confidently to the finish line.
Forever Young went to the post at odds of 7/2 and raced under the wire in a time of 2:00.19 a half-length ahead of late-charging Sierra Leone (3-1), the Classic’s defending champion, and another length in front of third-place Fierceness (3-1). In the process, Forever Young beat the two horses that finished ahead of him in this event on this track in 2024.
“I feel like I create a new page for Japanese horse racing industry at the moment,” Susumu Fujita, Forever Young’s owner, said through a translator. “Many Japanese horses have tried the challenge to win the Breeders Cup. This means a lot to create a build-up for winning in the future. I’d like to say thanks for all of Japanese horse racing industry people.”
Forever Young is trained by Yoshito Yahagi and was ridden to the victory by Yoshito Yahagi. It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for all three of the connections.
Longshot Ethical Diamond pulled off a stunning upset in the Turf, sweeping around the final turn and blowing past the other 13 horses in the field over the last eighth of a mile while winning by 1¼ lengths over co-favorite and two time defending champion Rebel’s Romance of Great Britain in a Del Mar turf course record of 2:25.45.
The 5-year-old Irish bred gelding owned by the H.O.S Syndicate had run seven of his 14 prior career races as a steeplechaser (in which the horse jumps obstacles) and was trained for the Championships by Willie Mullins, the renowned jumps conditioner who also runs horses on the flat.
Ethical Diamond, who went off at 25-1, was ridden by Dylan McMonagle, with both the trainer and jockey capturing their first Breeders’ Cup race. The horse had spent the summer winning his past two races in England but was considered a rank outsider in the talented Turf field.
“I had a really good feeling about our chances (in the race),” said McMonagle, who was riding Ethical Diamond in a race for the first time. “He came in to the event in great form and gave me all I asked of him when the chance came up heading for home. I’m not surprised, but I am a little stunned.”
Rebel’s Romance (at 2-1) finished a half-length ahead of 17-1 longshot El Cordobes (GB) in the Turf.
Saturday’s program featured nine Grade 1 races to determine the Champions in separate divisions for 3-year-old and older horses. The day was highlighted by the Turf at 1½ miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course and the Classic, which carries the highest purse of any horse race in the Western Hemisphere.
In Saturday’s other Championship events:
–Juddmonte Farms homebred Scylla, at odds of 7-1, was much the best of 12 runners in the $2 million Distaff at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, drawing off to win by 5 1/2 lengths over Nitrogen (7/2) and the fast-closing Regaled (30-1).
Scylla, who was bred in Kentucky, is trained by Bill Mott and was ridden to the dominating win by Junior Alvarado, marking the second time in three years that the farm (owned by the family of the late Saudi Prince Khalid bin Abdullah) has won this race.
–Bentornato ran away for the win in the $2 million Sprint, employing a frontrunning style under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to beat runner up Imagination (8-1) and third place Dr. Venkman (35-1) to the finish line in a time of 1:08.20.
Bentornato, who went off as the 8/5 favorite in the 14-horse field, was runner-up in this race last year, was bred in Florida and is owned by Leon King Stable Corp. and Michael and Julia Iavarone, with the latter couple purchasing a quarter interest in the horse on Thursday for $1 million. His win gave trained Jose D’Angelo back-to-back victories on the Saturday program
–Shisospicy went to the front out of the gate at the urging of Ortiz and held the advantage throughout to produce a 2½-length victory over Ag Bullet (5-1) in the $1 million Turf Sprint. Bred in Kentucky, owned by Morplay Racing LLC and Qatar Racing LLC Trained by D’Angelo, Shisospicy (who also went off at odds of 5-1) covered the five furlongs on a firm turf course in 55.24 seconds and gave the conditioner his first victory in the Championships.
Khaadem of Ireland was third after going to the post at nearly 14-1.
–Splendora (at odds of nearly 3-1) took over at the top of the stretch and drew off for a 4¾-length victory over runner up Vahva (9-1) to win the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint to kick off the Championships’ Saturday program.
Splendora, bred in Maryland and owned by Talia Racing, is trained by Bob Baffert and was ridden by Flavien Prat. She completed seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:21.79. Baffert’s other entry, the frontrunning and favored Hope Road, finished third at odds of 6/5.
–Notable Speech (GB) charged up the rail in the stretch to capture the $2 million Mile on the turf by a 1-1/2 lengths. Owen by Godolphin LLC, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden with moxie by William Buick, Notable Speech (at odds of 5/2) had no place to go until the final furlong but would not be denied, crossing the line in a time of 1:33.66
Formidable Man was second at 18-1, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of the Irish-bred Lion In Winter (9/2).
–Baffert-trained horses battled down the stretch in the $1 million Dirt Mile, with Nysos (the favorite at 3/5 outnosing the frontrunning Citizen Bull (5-1) for the victory on the wire. Bred in Kentucky and owned by the Baoma Corp., Nysos produced a time of 1:34.71 on the main track but had to work to get past his stablemate as it took a photo finish to decide the winner.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Nysos was first under the wire for the sixth time in seven career starts, with one second. Chancer McPatrick was third at 22-1.
–Gezora (FR) turned it on in the final 100 yards to sweep past co-favorite She Feels Pretty in the $1 million Filly & Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles on the grass. Gezora, under the ride of Mickael Barzalona and sent to the post by Francis-Henri Graffard went off at odds of 9-1, winning by a half-length in a time of 2:12.54 with Diamond Rain (GB) third another length in arrears.
Gezora is owned by Peter M. Brant, who is also part owner of Classic runner up Sierra Leone.
Next year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be contested at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on Oct. 30-31.
–Field Level Media
