After much anticipation and uncertainty, Romantic Warrior handled his first dirt race well in the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 22. However, it wasn’t enough, as the determined Forever Young, a dirt racing specialist, surged ahead in the final strides to claim victory by a neck after initially being overtaken in early stretch.
“Romantic Warrior is a strong horse,” said winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi. “Our horse was better.”
A finish for the ages! 📸
Watch #BreedersCup alumnus Forever Young secure his spot in the @Longines #BreedersCup Classic with his outstanding victory in #WinAndYoureIn @theSaudiCup!
Cheers to the connections! pic.twitter.com/vsa6pTPHd1
— Breeders’ Cup (@BreedersCup) February 22, 2025
Competing at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Forever Young added the Saudi Cup to his previous triumph in the 2024 Saudi Derby (G3), where he also made a last-second surge. He later secured victory in the UAE Derby (G2) in Dubai and placed third in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Returning to Saudi Arabia, Forever Young proved unstoppable. He quickly moved from the outermost gate to join the early leaders, while Romantic Warrior trailed closely behind. Jockey James McDonald guided Romantic Warrior wide on the turn, and as they entered the stretch, the pair surged far ahead of the competition. Romantic Warrior took the lead, prompting McDonald to glance at the large infield screen to assess his rivals.
Forever Young, after switching leads and maneuvering outside a drifting Romantic Warrior, pressed forward relentlessly.
The thrilling duel hinted at a potential rematch, as Romantic Warrior, a ten-time group/graded winner on turf, appears likely to return to grass racing.
Winning jockey Ryusei Sakai remarked, “He jumped really well from a hard spot (in post 14), and he did a great job. Those were my kind of instructions.”
Regarding Romantic Warrior’s challenge, Sakai added, “I felt him come to me. Of course, I believed in Forever Young, so I never felt bad about this competition.”
Yahagi, celebrating his second Saudi Cup victory in six years, admitted his concerns when Romantic Warrior surged ahead.
“I was thinking if my horse passed Romantic Warrior, that was more romantic than the movies,” Yahagi quipped.
“I was concerned about Romantic Warrior because he had never run on dirt. So I didn’t know how much he’d show on the dirt.”
Both horses delivered impressive performances, leaving a significant gap to the rest of the field. Forever Young set a new stakes record for 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) with a time of 1:49.12 on a fast track. As the second favorite, Forever Young paid $6.60 on a $2 win bet in the international pari-mutuel wagering pool, with Romantic Warrior being the top choice.
Beyond the $10 million winner’s purse, Forever Young also secured a guaranteed entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar. Ahead of the race, the Breeders’ Cup and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia had announced the Saudi Cup’s inclusion in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Yahagi, recognized for his distinctive hats, wore a blue one this time. Reflecting on the 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, he remarked, “I might keep this one.”
Before focusing on the Breeders’ Cup, Yahagi has another goal for Forever Young.
“I also think about the Dubai World Cup (G1),” he said. “No one has won these two races in a double.”
Forever Young, a son of Real Steel, comes from a distinguished lineage including Deep Impact and Sunday Silence. His dam is Forever Darling, a mare by Congrats.
Starting his career with two wins in Japan in late 2023, including a leg of the “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby,” Yahagi chose a Middle East campaign instead. Forever Young rewarded that decision with a thrilling stretch-run victory in the Saudi Derby.
Yahagi later revealed that Forever Young was only about 80% fit for the Saudi Race. The effort paid off, as he dominated his next outing, the UAE Derby in Dubai, earning a Kentucky Derby qualification. In that race, he finished a close third in a dramatic three-way photo finish with Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone after multiple stretch bumps.
Following a five-month break, he won a prep race in Japan before securing third place behind Sierra Leone in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He then claimed an easy victory in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse on December 29 as preparation for the Saudi Cup.
His owner, Susumu Fujita, is the founder of the internet platform CyberAgent. Fujita, Yahagi, and Sakai also celebrated victory in the Neom Turf Cup (G2T) earlier on the race card.
Romantic Warrior approached the dirt race as an experiment, having amassed a world-record earnings total of over $22.7 million exclusively on turf. Owner Peter Lau viewed the Saudi Cup as a test, confirming that Romantic Warrior would return to grass racing regardless of the outcome.
“Once in your life, we should try,” Lau said, explaining the decision to see if Romantic Warrior’s form could transition to dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
