Forever Young drew post 5 and is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic 2026, Race 12 at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct. 31 (6:16 PM ET). The defending champion, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, has won 12 of 16 starts and comes in off a 3 1/4-length Jockey Club Gold Cup win. The Classic closes Breeders' Cup 2026.
Updated: Tue., Oct. 27 — post position and morning line from Monday's draw.
The horse to beat, drawn just inside the speed in an eight-horse field.
| Forever Young at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Jockey / Trainer | Ryusei Sakai / Yoshito Yahagi |
| Owner | Susumu Fujita |
| Pedigree | Real Steel – Forever Darling, by Congrats |
| Earnings | $32.3 million |
| Last Race | 1st Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), Belmont Park, Sept. 18 |
| Last Workout | 4f in :50.20, Keeneland, Oct. 28 |
| How Qualified | Won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race |
| Race | 1 1/4 miles, dirt, $7 million |
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| 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic Field (8) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | T O Password | Kazushi Kimura | Daisuke Takayanagi | 30-1 |
| 2 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 5-2 |
| 3 | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 5-1 |
| 4 | The Puma | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | 10-1 |
| 5 | Forever Young | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | 2-1 |
| 6 | Magnitude | Flavien Prat | Steve Asmussen | |
| 7 | Knightsbridge | Luis Saez | Bill Mott | 9-2 |
| 8 | Napoleon Solo | John Velazquez | Chad Summers | 15-1 |
Post position draw held Monday, Oct. 26 at Keeneland. Race details: Breeders' Cup Classic. Live prices: Breeders' Cup odds.
Three of the eight need to be forward, and the favorite sits right inside them:
| Forever Young: Last 3 Starts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Race | Track / Dist | Finish | Beyer | Odds |
| 09/18/26 | Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) | Belmont 1 1/4m | 1st by 3 1/4 | 105 | 2-5 |
| 03/28/26 | Dubai World Cup (G1) | Meydan 2,000m | 2nd by 1 | — | — |
| 02/14/26 | Saudi Cup (G1) | King Abdulaziz 1,800m | 1st by 1 | — | — |
Sources: NYRA, America's Best Racing. Beyer Speed Figure: Daily Racing Form. — = not available.
| Top Equibase Speed Figures in the Classic Field | ||
|---|---|---|
| Horse | Last Race | Best Fig |
| Forever Young | 1st, Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) | 118 |
| Sovereignty | 1st, Whitney (G1) | 118 |
| Magnitude | 6th, Whitney (G1) | 116 |
| Knightsbridge | 1st, Pacific Classic (G1) | 109 |
Best Equibase Speed Figure, per America's Best Racing.
About a 1-in-3 chance to win (fair odds 2-1). Sovereignty is the main threat.
The most accomplished horse in the field, with a good draw. We make 2-1 a fair price, so we key him on top and spread underneath.
| How to Bet Forever Young (#5) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet | Ticket | Cost | Example return |
| Win | #5 | $10 | $30 at 2-1 |
| Win | #5 | $50 | $150 at 2-1 |
| Exacta | 5 over 2, 7 | $4 ($2 each) | About $14 (Sovereignty 2nd) or $22 (Knightsbridge 2nd) |
| Trifecta | 5 with 2, 7 with 2, 3, 6, 7 | $6 ($1 each) | Pays more if a longshot runs third |
Examples only, based on the 2-1 morning line. Win returns include your stake. Exacta figures are estimates (winner's odds × (second horse's odds + 1) × $2); actual payouts are set by the betting pools at post time.
More: Breeders' Cup betting guide · contenders · schedule.
Forever Young drew post 5 in a field of eight for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Forever Young is the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Live prices: our Breeders' Cup odds page.
Ryusei Sakai rides for trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
Only Tiznow, in 2000 and 2001. Forever Young is trying to become the second.
Race 12 at Keeneland on Saturday, Oct. 31, with post time at 6:16 PM ET.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
