By Alan Carasso
Twice a winner at group level on foreign soil and placed in two of America's greatest races in 2024, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) patched the one hole that existed in an already remarkable career, coming from just off the speed before proving comfortably best in a high-class renewal of the G1 Toyko Daishoten at Ohi Racecourse.
In defeating the consistent Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and fellow 3-year-old Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior), the son of US Grade II winner Forever Darling (Congrats) was succeeding for the first–and in all likelihood–not the last time at the highest level.
“He's a horse that's aiming to be the best in the world, so I felt like I couldn't lose in Japan,” said winning jockey Ryusei Sakai. “I'll do my best [for him] to become the world champion next year.”
The $1.30 (3-10) jolly was exiting a third-place effort to his 'TDN Rising Star' close relative Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) when arguably too close to the pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2 and jumped alertly from barrier four before allowing fellow G2 UAE Derby hero Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) to take up the running at the first corner of the right-turning track. Tracking comfortably from second down the back straight as Crown Pride set the pace a path or two off the inside running rail, Forever Young was ridden along to maintain his spot 600 metres out and was poised to strike under a bit of urging on the swing for home.
Roused to the front with about a furlong to race, Forever Young crossed the line 1 3/4 lengths to the good of recent G1 Champions Cup runner-up Wilson Tesoro to give big-spending owner Susumu Fujita his first top-level success. Ramjet sat an inside trip and battled on gamely for third ahead of the swansonging 7-year-old Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), winner of this contest the last two seasons.
The latter used the 2022 Daishoten as a springboard to success in the G1 Dubai World Cup three months later, and tentative plans call for Forever Young to first return to Saudi Arabia–where he overcame a world of adversity in the G3 Saudi Derby this past February–for a crack at the world's richest race, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, a contest won by the Yoshito Yahagi-trained Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2023. All things equal, the colt would travel on to Dubai for the World Cup six weeks later.
The Daishoten was just the second Japanese appearance of the year for Forever Young, who took out the Oct. 2 Listed Japan Dirt Classic over course and distance when prepping for the Breeders' Cup. That was his first run after his eventful third in the GI Kentucky Derby five months prior.
Pedigree Notes:
Winner of the 2016 GII Santa Ynez Stakes, Forever Darling is the dam of four winners from five to race, ncluding Forever Young's 2-year-old half-sister Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who carried the Sunday Racing colors to a 1 1/2-length success in an 1800-meter turf event for debutantes at Nakayama Sept. 16 before adding the G3 Artemis Stakes.
Given her female family, it is not entirely surprising that Forever Darling might end up in Japan. Her stakes-winning and multiple Grade-I placed dam Darling My Darling 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 a yearling filly by Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), a weanling colt by Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) this past April and is due to foal a full-sibling to Forever Young in 2025.
Sunday, Ohi, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥170,000,000, Oi, 12-29, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:04.90, gd.
1–FOREVER YOUNG (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Real Steel (Jpn)
1st Dam: Forever Darling (GSW-US, $217,545), by Congrats
2nd Dam: Darling My Darling, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Roamin Rachel, by Mining
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥98,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Northern Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥100,000,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-KSA & UAE, MGISP-US, 9-7-0-2, $4,248,168. *1/2 to Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $239,613. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Chesutoke Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken Farm; T-Noboru Takagi; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥35,000,000.
3–Ramjet (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Majestic Warrior–Nefertiti (Jpn), by Gold Allure (Jpn). 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. O-Koji Maeda; B-North Hills; T-Shozo Sasaki; J-Kosei Miura; ¥20,000,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, 3HF. Odds: 0.30, 4.00, 9.50.
Also Ran: Ushba Tesoro (Jpn), Grand Bridge (Jpn), Derma Sotogake (Jpn), Crown Pride (Jpn), Sayono Nature (Jpn), King of the Nile (Jpn), Grande Mare (Jpn). Click for the goracing,jp chart.
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