Forever Young: The World's Best Dirt Horse and How to Bet on His Next Race
Some horses win races. Forever Young wins the world's richest ones. The five-year-old Japanese superstar has carved a path through global racing that few horses in history can match — back-to-back Saudi Cups, a Breeders' Cup Classic title, and a career record of 11 wins from 14 starts worth nearly $30 million in earnings. Next up: the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28. If you want to bet on the best dirt horse on the planet right now, here's everything you need to know.
Who Is Forever Young?
Forever Young is a five-year-old son of Real Steel, trained in Japan by Yoshito Yahagi and owned by Susumu Fujita. He burst onto the scene in 2023, winning his first three starts, and hasn't looked back since. He's now won on four continents, at some of the most prestigious venues in the sport — Churchill Downs, King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, and Del Mar. Japan's Horse of the Year. Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Older Male in North America. The unofficial world champion on dirt. He's all of that.
What makes him extraordinary isn't just the wins — it's the way he wins. Forever Young doesn't dominate from the front. He sits off the pace, tracks the leader, finds a gap, and grinds his rivals down in the stretch. He's patient, ruthless, and consistent. Those are the qualities that separate good horses from great ones.
Beating Hong Kong's Best: The Saudi Cup Story
If you need one race to understand Forever Young, it's the 2025 Saudi Cup. His opponent that day was Romantic Warrior — Hong Kong's greatest racehorse and the world's all-time leading prize earner, with more than $23 million banked before the race even started. The Hong Kong gelding hit the front turning for home and looked like he'd win comfortably. Forever Young tracked him down and got his nose in front fifty meters from the post.
"Unbelievable," trainer Yahagi said afterwards. "Romantic Warrior is such a strong horse, we respected him — but our horse was better today."
Then he went back in 2026 and did it again. This time the challenger was American Grade 1 winner Nysos, trained by Bob Baffert. Same result. Forever Young slipped through on the rail, ground Nysos down in the stretch, and won by a length. First repeat winner in Saudi Cup history. Baffert's horses have now finished second in the race four times. He still hasn't won it.
The Breeders' Cup Classic: Japan Makes History
Between the two Saudi Cups, Forever Young made history at Del Mar in November 2025. He became the first Japanese-trained horse ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic — one of American racing's most prestigious events — beating Sierra Leone by half a length in a $7 million showdown that brought Japanese connections to tears in the winner's enclosure. His owner Susumu Fujita called it "my dream."
With that win, his career earnings crossed $19 million. After the 2026 Saudi Cup, he's now approaching $30 million — closing in on Romantic Warrior's all-time record. The same horse he ran down in Riyadh a year ago. Racing doesn't always serve up storylines this clean.
The Dubai World Cup: What's Next and How to Bet It
Forever Young's next target is the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse on March 28. It's the one major dirt race that's eluded him — he finished third in the 2025 edition, partly due to trainer Yahagi citing pre-race issues in the build-up. In 2026, he arrives as the clear world number one, having won the two most recent major dirt races on the planet.
If he wins, he completes an unprecedented trifecta: the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Saudi Cup, and the Dubai World Cup — the three richest dirt races in the world — all in sequence. No horse has ever done it.
At MyWinners, you can bet on international thoroughbred racing — including marquee global events like the Dubai World Cup — at any of our nine Connecticut venues. Whether you're putting a win bet on Forever Young, building an exacta around him, or sizing up the field for a trifecta, our in-venue screens keep you close to the action from Meydan to Monmouth. Visit us in East Haven, Stamford, Windsor Locks, or any of our other locations and let our team walk you through the race.
Betting on Forever Young: What the Numbers Tell You
Forever Young went off at 1/5 in the American betting pool for the 2026 Saudi Cup — and paid $2.70 on the win. That's what happens when a horse is this dominant: the market prices him correctly, and bettors who backed him still cashed. In pari-mutuel betting, backing a heavy favorite like Forever Young isn't about chasing a big payout — it's about picking the right horse to anchor an exotic ticket.
Think exacta, trifecta, or superfecta. With Forever Young likely to be the chalk in Dubai, the value is in identifying the horses that can fill second and third behind him. In the 2026 Saudi Cup, Nysos ran second and Tumbarumba — a 54-1 shot — finished third. Anyone who put Forever Young on top in an exacta with Nysos cashed well. Anyone who had the trifecta with those three names really cashed.
That's the play on a horse like Forever Young: use him confidently at the top, then spread your tickets underneath. Stop by any MyWinners location before race day and our team can help you build a ticket that makes sense for your bankroll.
Place bets at app.mywinners.com, download the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS here or Android here, or you can bet at your nearest Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
What races has Forever Young won?
Forever Young has won the Saudi Cup in both 2025 and 2026, the 2025 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, the 2024 Tokyo Daishoten, and the 2024 Saudi Derby, among others. He has 11 wins from 14 career starts with earnings approaching $30 million.
Is Forever Young a Hong Kong horse?
No — Forever Young is trained in Japan by Yoshito Yahagi. His connection to Hong Kong racing comes from his most famous victory: the 2025 Saudi Cup, where he beat Hong Kong legend Romantic Warrior in one of the great stretch duels in recent international racing history.
When is the Dubai World Cup 2026?
The Dubai World Cup is scheduled for March 28, 2026, at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The race is worth $12 million and is run on dirt over 1 1/4 miles. Forever Young is the top contender following his back-to-back Saudi Cup wins.
Can I bet on the Dubai World Cup at MyWinners?
Yes. MyWinners offers pari-mutuel betting on international thoroughbred racing at all nine of our Connecticut venues. Visit us in East Haven, Stamford, Windsor Locks, or any of our other locations to place your bets on the Dubai World Cup and other major international races.
What is the best bet strategy when a heavy favorite like Forever Young is in the race?
With a dominant horse expected to go off at short odds, the best approach is typically to use him on top in exotic bets — exactas, trifectas, and superfectas — and spread your picks in the second and third positions. This lets you back the favorite with confidence while finding value in the horses filling the minor placings behind him.
Cover photo by Hatomizinko / CC BY 4.0
