From Riyadh to Del Mar, the Japan-bred horse Forever Young conquered the world in 2025. Now he’s doing it again in 2026.
Forever Young and jockey Ryusei Sakai turned away Bob Baffert-trained Nysos and Flavien Prat to score the first repeat win in the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest thoroughbred race, Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It was Forever Young’s first start since he recorded Japan’s biggest victory in a U.S. race by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in November, and since trainer Yoshito Yahagi confirmed in January that his star would keep racing at age 5 as he accepted the Eclipse Award for outstanding older male on dirt in North America.
The heavy favorite Saturday paid $2.70 in the world betting pool after winning with a ground-saving trip in the about 1⅛-mile race. Nysos, the 9-2 second choice in a field of 13, had good position outside the leaders and was the only horse to threaten Forever Young in the stretch. Tumbarumba, a former U.S. horse now based in Dubai, finished third at 54-1.
Nysos, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner at Del Mar in November, was Baffert’s fourth second-place finisher in the Saudi Cup, a race the Hall of Fame trainer hasn’t won. Baffert’s Nevada Beach, who battled Nysos to the wire in the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at Santa Anita in December, started poorly and finished far back.
Baffert did win a race on the Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse when Imagination ($3.60) and Prat passed nine horses in the stretch in the $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Reef Runner ($21.10), another horse familiar to Del Mar and Santa Anita fans, won the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint with Irad Ortiz Jr. riding for trainer David Fawkes.
Kevin Modesti reported from Los Angeles