Forever Young tops Gold Cup as Belmont reopens

Belmont Park hosts live racing for the first time in three years on Friday, when a nine-race card is highlighted by the time-honored $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

Following the closure of Aqueduct in late June, all Thoroughbred racing in downstate New York has been consolidated at Belmont Park. A smaller, modern grandstand has replaced the former Belmont structure, which had stood since 1968.

In addition to traditional racing on the 1 1/2-mile dirt oval, a Tapeta synthetic track was installed inside Belmont’s two turf courses. Winter racing will be held exclusively on the Tapeta, while grass races moved off the turf due to inclement weather will also be held on the synthetic strip.

The 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge prep for the Classic (G1), was due to be a showdown between reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty and 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion older male Forever Young. However, only the Japan-based Forever Young will make it to the starting gate after Sovereignty was recently sidelined after developing an abscess in a hind foot.

Although beaten in his first two attempts in the U.S. in 2024, Forever Young put it all together last fall at Del Mar, winning the Classic by a half-length over Sierra Leone, with Fierceness a length behind in third.

Forever Young won the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) for a second time in mid-February, running down the now-retired Nysos by a length. When last seen, though, Forever Young proved only second best to Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 28.

“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 Fujita Susumu. “On the mainland, it’s really hot, so we tried to skip the hot weather to prepare for here. The condition is really good, and he knows how to travel with a long flight, and he’s good at it.”

Baeza was beaten more than nine lengths by Forever Young when they last met in the Breeders’ Cup, a below-par performance. However, the Bill Mott trainee is winless since last year’s Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and has done himself no favors this term with multiple slow starts. He’s recorded a third in the Alysheba (G2), a second in the Stephen Foster (G1), and a fourth in the Whitney (G1) this season.

Phileas Fogg was a blowout winner of the Suburban (G2) at Saratoga in early July, leading all the way to win by 10 lengths. The presence of another speed horse, Chunk of Gold, might hinder his chances at a repeat.

Also entered in the Gold Cup are Banishing, a past winner of the Godolphin Mile (G2) and Charles Town Classic (G2), and Stars and Stripes, winner this season of the Ben Ali (G3) and 1 3/4-mile Birdstone S. at Saratoga. The outsider, from a class perspective, is Render Judgment.