By Alan Carasso
Making his first start since finishing a disappointing third as the heavy favorite in the G1 Dubai World Cup back on Apr. 5, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) made a victorious return to action in Wednesday's Listed Nippon TV Hai (1800m) at Funabashi Racecourse, setting him up for a second consecutive appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in a bit more than four weeks' time. He was third to his close relation 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the 2024 renewal.
Favored at 10 cents on the dollar, the earner of nearly $15.5 million to date broke away cleanly from the seven hole and raced at the back of the leading group down the stretch for the first time, at one point appearing to resent the kickback, as the 10-horse field split evenly into two groups.
Tracking outside and out of harm's way down the backstretch and into the final 800 meters, Forever Young began to warm up to the task with a bit less than three furlongs to travel and circled menacingly three wide off the home corner. The burly bay colt nosed in front of his Yoshito Yahagi stablemate Revontulet (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) at the furlong grounds and edged away to score by 2 1/2 lengths, leading home a 1-2-3 finish for graduates of the JRHA Select Sale.
Forever Young weighed in at 551kg (1,215 pounds), some 8kg heavier than when taking out his first Group 1 in the Tokyo Daishoten last December. Weights were not taken prior to his two runs in the desert.
Forever Young outdueled Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in a stirring renewal of the G1 Saudi Cup last February, but the effort clearly took something out of him, as he finished two lengths' third to Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the Meydan feature some six months ago.
Forever Darling is the dam of four winners from five to race, including Forever Young's 2-year-old half-sister Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who carried the Sunday Racing colors to a victory in last year's G3 Artemis Stakes on the turf and was last seen finishing seventh in this year's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).
Her stakes-winning and multiple Grade-I placed dam Darling My Darling, who passed away this past April, is responsible for 2017 GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes victress Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon), the dam of the aforementioned Sierra Leone, and Darling My Darling is a half-sister to Japanese Horse of the Year and G1 Japan Cup hero Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn).
Forever Darling is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Darlinghurst (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), a debut third on the turf at Tokyo this past June, and a yearling colt by Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn})–already named Young Rich (Jpn)–that owner Fujita purchased for ¥300 million (approx. $2,027,028) at this year's JRHA Select Sale. Forever Darling slipped her would-be foal of 2025 by Real Steel.
Wednesday, Funabashi, Japan
NIPPON TV HAI (Jpn-G2)-Listed, ¥68,000,000, Funabashi, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:52.20, yl.
1–FOREVER YOUNG (JPN), 128, c, 4, Real Steel (Jpn)–Forever Darling (GSW-US, $217,545), by Congrats. (¥98,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Northern Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥40,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn & KSA, GSW & G1SP-UAE, MGISP-US, 12-9-0-3, $15,720,167. *1/2 to Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $239,613.
2–Revontulet (Jpn), 123, c, 4, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Queen Mambo (Jpn), by Manhattan Cafe (Jpn). (¥72,000,000 Fl '21 JRHAJUL). O-Shinji Maeda; B-Grand Farm; ¥14,000,000.
3–Ho O Truth (Jpn), 123, g, 9, I'll Have Another–Kyoei Truth (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki(Jpn). (¥47,000,000 Ylg '17 JRHAJUL). O-Makio Okada; B-Okada Stud; ¥8,000,000.
Margins: 2HF, HD, NK. Odds: 0.10, 6.00, 117.60.
Also Ran: King's Sword (Jpn), Giga King (Jpn), Light Warrior (Jpn), Marble Rock (Jpn), Rudement (Jpn), Sorena (Jpn), Grande Mare (Jpn). Click for the goracing.jp chart.
FOREVER YOUNG 🇯🇵 returns with an easy win in the Nippon TV Hai (LR) – 9F at Funabashi Racecourse, @_RYUSEI_0531 up for trainer @yahagistable the perfect prep for his run next in the @BreedersCup Classic at Del Mar
FOREVER YOUNG 🇯🇵 regresa de manera vicroriosa con fácil victoria… pic.twitter.com/6LI0UvCCBT
— Agentes305 (@agentes305) October 1, 2025
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