Forever Young Back-to-Back Saudi Cup Wins in Riyadh

Forever Young became the first repeat winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup with a victory over Nysos in Saturday's renewal, a result that underscored the Japan-bred colt's growing dominance on dirt and reshaped the early 2026 international racing narrative. Ryusei Sakai rode Forever Young to a measured one-length score in the about 1 1/8-mile feature at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, and the winner collected a $10 million share of the purse.

Forever Young controlled the story from a ground-saving trip into the stretch, holding off the American challenger Nysos, ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Bob Baffert. The heavy favorite paid $2.70 in the world betting pool; Nysos went off at 9-2 as the 9-2 second choice in a field of 13, while Tumbarumba, a former U.S. horse based in Dubai, finished third at 54-1. Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News noted that Nysos "was the only horse to threaten Forever Young in the stretch," and that the result marked Baffert's fourth runner-up in the Saudi Cup, a race the Hall of Fame trainer has yet to win.

Reporting varied on the trainer listed for Forever Young. Most outlets, including the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and America’s Best Racing, identify Yoshito Yahagi as the trainer. An original race snippet identified Yasutoshi Ikee as trainer, creating a discrepancy in the immediate aftermath of the race. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune also reported that Yahagi "confirmed in January that his star would keep racing at age 5 as he accepted the Eclipse Award for outstanding older male on dirt in North America."

Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form framed the result in historic terms, writing that "Forever Young, one of the best dirt horses to come along in years, got his Saudi Cup repeat Saturday, holding back the American star Nysos to win the $20 million Saudi Cup." Hersh added that Forever Young earned $10 million for his connections and that his career mark stands at 14-11-0-3, with a bankroll sitting at just less than $30 million. Hersh also noted the larger prize on the horizon: if Forever Young wins in Dubai, he would have won, in succession, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Saudi Cup, and the Dubai World Cup, the three races worth $39 million.

The victory completes a dramatic arc. America’s Best Racing traces Forever Young’s rise from an October 2023 breakout through a 2024 campaign that included the Saudi Derby, the UAE Derby and a trip to the Kentucky Derby, to his signature 2025 Saudi Cup rally over Romantic Warrior and a Breeders’ Cup Classic score at Del Mar in November 2025. That sequence has made Forever Young an international attraction and a key economic asset for connections and betting markets.

DRf]: 14 Sat

15 Sun

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20 Fri SWL Sunset Six

14 Sat

15 Sun TAM Tampa Bay Downs

14 Sat

15 Sun

18 Wed TUP Turf Paradise

14 Sat

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18 Wed TP Turfway Park

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20 Fri WRD Will Rogers Downs

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17 Tue Back)

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Forever Young’s repeat in Riyadh deepens the horse racing calendar’s narrative for fans and industry players alike: sportingly, he has proven an elite global dirt performer; commercially, his string of high-value wins amplifies international betting pools and stallion-market chatter; and socially, his back-to-back Saudi Cup victories stitch together racing circuits from Japan to Del Mar to Riyadh. The next chapter is Dubai, where a win would not only pad career earnings but complete a rare three-race sweep that will reverberate through pedigrees and prize-money calculations.