Forever Young Arrives In New York Before Jockey Club Gold Cup
Forever Young Steps Off the Horse Van
Forever Young has arrived in New York ahead of the Gr.1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on 18 September 2026, alongside stablemate Shin Emperor. Both are trained by Yoshito Yahagi, and the footage marked the first public glimpse of the pair since their arrival on American soil.
The race runs over 1m 4f, a distance of 1 1/4 miles, on the opening day of the fall meet at the reconstructed Belmont Park. The winner receives a fees-paid automatic berth into the US$7,000,000 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic on 31 October 2026 at Keeneland, awarded through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, with the Gold Cup itself carrying a US$1,000,000 purse.
Forever Young and Shin Emperor now enter mandatory quarantine, standard procedure for horses arriving from overseas, and can begin training later this week if their blood work clears. Both horses will need that clearance in good time if they are to have a full preparation before their respective targets.
Shin Emperor is being aimed instead at the Gr.1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on 26 September 2026 at Belmont, giving Yahagi two runners on New York soil within the space of eight days. The staggered targets allow the trainer to manage both horses through the same period without the two competing against each other for preparation time or attention.
"We are thrilled to welcome Forever Young to the Jockey Club Gold Cup at the new Belmont Park," said Andrew Offerman, NYRA's senior vice president of racing and operations.
Offerman added that the meeting owed much to outside cooperation. "NYRA is deeply appreciative of the Breeders' Cup for their partnership and support in helping make this possible, and we look forward to celebrating Forever Young, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the return to Belmont Park on Friday, September 18."
A Season Built Around Keeneland
Owned by Susumu Fujita, Forever Young has earned more than US$31,700,000 in purses worldwide. The son of Real Steel won the Gr.1 Saudi Cup on 14 February 2026 before finishing runner-up to Magnitude in the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup on 28 March 2026, and he arrives in New York on the back of the 2025 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic victory, a race in which he had finished third in 2024.
Dora Delgado, executive vice president and chief racing officer at Breeders' Cup Limited, said: "Forever Young has captured the hearts of racing fans around the globe, and we are delighted his connections are targeting the Breeders' Cup World Championships as the culmination of his 2026 season."
Yahagi had confirmed the New York plan in June 2026 on his stable's account, stating that Forever Young would run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup before heading to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The Gold Cup marks the first Group One run at the venue since Belmont Park closed for a rebuild of its three racing surfaces, including a new Tapeta track and grandstand, in July 2023.
Yahagi Confirmed the Plan in June
Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty remains in doubt for the Jockey Club Gold Cup after a foot abscess kept him off the training track. Trainer Bill Mott said: "He's still on the walk list. He developed an abscess, it's broken out, now we've just got to wait for everything to dry up. I'd say at best I'm probably 50-50 to make the Jockey (Club) Gold Cup." Baeza remains a possible alternate for Mott's stable should Sovereignty be ruled out, leaving the Gold Cup field still to be settled in the days ahead. Mott's caution reflects how quickly a minor foot issue can unsettle preparation for a horse of Sovereignty's stature, and connections will be monitoring the abscess closely over the coming days before making any final decision on his participation. Until then, the presence of the reigning Horse of the Year in the field remains genuinely uncertain, adding further intrigue to a Gold Cup already shaping up as a significant test of the rebuilt Belmont Park surface and a defining moment in Forever Young's build-up toward Keeneland.