Belmont Park Reopens: Forever Young Leads G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

Forever Young, the reigning Japanese Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award Champion Older Dirt Male, heads a seven-horse field for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Friday, September 18, according to the New York Racing Association.

The race anchors a nine-race program that marks the official return to racing at Belmont Park following a three-year project. The historic venue has been transformed into a sports and entertainment destination. First post for Friday’s opening card is set for 1:30 p.m. Eastern, with the feature event serving as a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic held in October at Keeneland, according to NYRA.

International Star Headlines New Belmont Park Debut

Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and owned by Susumu Fujita, the 5-year-old son of Real Steel arrives in New York seeking another elite American victory. According to NYRA, Forever Young will visit his 10th racetrack in his 16th career start. All 15 of his previous outings took place under jockey Ryusei Sakai across four distinct countries: Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Yahagi expressed deep enthusiasm about bringing his stable star back to the United States for the inaugural card at the reimagined track. I am delighted to be able to compete in the United States again with Forever Young, following our participation over the past two years, Yahagi said, as reported by NYRA. It is also a great honor to run in New York at this very memorable time, coinciding with the reopening of the historic Belmont Park racetrack.

Preparation and International Travel Schedule

Forever Young enters the Jockey Club Gold Cup following a freshening period. According to NYRA, his last start resulted in a one-length second-place finish behind Magnitude in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup on March 28 at Meydan Racecourse. Earlier in the year, he captured a repeat victory in the Group 1 Saudi Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, defeating Nysos by one length in the $20 million event. To escape extreme mainland heat, the stable prepared the champion in the cooler climate of Hokkaido. Obviously he’s had a big spell since the Dubai World Cup, and he came back training at Hakodate Racecourse in Hokkaido in early August in the cooler weather, said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager for owner Susumu Fujita, according to NYRA.

Broadcast Schedule and Stakes Context

National television coverage will showcase the grand reopening to viewers across the country. According to NYRA, Fox will broadcast live coverage of the Jockey Club Gold Cup as part of its Belmont Park Returns telecast running from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

The 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up highlights a banner opening day that reconnects New York racing fans with a storied past while introducing state-of-the-art facilities. Yahagi hopes the journey will bolster the sport globally. Through these two races, the Jockey Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, I hope to contribute to the further development of American horse racing, Yahagi stated, as published by NYRA.