Sovereignty, who gained the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve, the Belmont Stakes introduced by NYRA Bets, and the DraftKings Travers Stakes, is the favourite to win the Eclipse Award, North America’s most coveted award.
However to win $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional November 1st Del Mar, race whose sovereignty was revoked as a consequence of sickness, Japan endlessly younger He confirmed he’s a world horse and confirmed his globe-trotting expertise by outperforming Sierra Leone and Fierceness, two rivals who had crushed him on the identical racetrack within the Traditional a yr earlier.
With a half-length victory over runner-up Sierra Leone on Saturday, Eternally Younger gained his second high-stakes Grade/Group 1 of the yr, following his stellar rating within the $20 million Saudi Cup in late February. He additionally completed third this yr on the Dubai World Cup on April 5, sponsored by Emirates, and gained two different races this yr, on the Nippon Tv Cup on October 1 in his native Japan.
Eternally Younger’s victory sparked raucous celebrations from the Japanese attendees at Del Mar, each within the stands and horse officers, who had been ready for Eternally Younger to return to the winner’s circle after the race. Some Eternally Younger officers shed tears as they watched the Breeders’ Cup Traditional win for the primary time within the 42-year historical past of a Japanese-trained horse.
Eternally Younger’s common rider, Ryusei Sakai, had a bonus driving Eternally Younger and was in second place over the primary half of the race, with Sierra Leone’s regular pacemaker Opposite Considering taking the lead on the within. The tempo that Sierra Leone and Opposite Considering coach Chad Brown needed for the race was sincere, but it surely wasn’t as quick as final yr in a race with out a full-time pacer, identified in racing circles as a “rabbit.”
When Opposite Considering threw within the towel on flip two, Eternally Younger turned the brand new chief. Mindframe and Journalism, which had been selecting up the tempo, then made a bid at that stage, however their pushback stalled to the tip. As an alternative, it was Fierceness and Sierra Leone who posed the risk within the closing levels, the previous staying principally in an inside chasing place earlier than discovering house to run, and the latter darting extensive within the contest.
Neither was in a position to get previous Eternally Younger down the stretch. The latter took the lead by a size and a half with a furlong to go and outran Sierra Leone’s remaining punch. He completed in a remaining time of two:00.19 on the quick course, bettering Sierra Leone’s profitable time of two:00.78 within the 2024 race. His traditional time was the quickest since Flightline ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.05 at Keeneland three years in the past.
Coach Sakai mentioned that due to Eternally Younger’s conditioning, “the horse mechanically took me there,” in feedback translated from Japanese by Hiroshi Ando, coach Yoshito Yahagi’s racing supervisor.
Flavien Prat, who rode Sierra Leone, mentioned: “I assumed we had been virtually there, however the winner did not cease.”
Jockey Chad Brown felt the circumstances on Del Mar’s essential observe Saturday had been favorable for pace horses and disadvantageous for slower horses like Sierra Leone.
“I am so pleased with my horse’s effort. It’s extremely courageous to run towards bias and are available so near the end line,” Brown mentioned. “Pay attention, he and Eternally Younger are shut and have had a terrific rivalry because the Derby. And as we speak was the day for Eternally Younger to search out the winner’s circle. Hats off to them.”
Fierceness, the 2023 champion 2-year-old colt throughout his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile profitable season and a top-level winner as a 3-year-old and 4-year-old, carried out properly, ending 2 1/4 lengths forward of Journalism, the top-performing 2025 3-year-old in fourth place.
Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher mentioned Fierceness’s inside draw places him in a “troublesome place” and jockey John Velasquez must resolve whether or not to go contrarily pondering early or take an opportunity on Fierceness’s inside. He praised Fierceness’s file of seven wins from 14 races, calling him a “nice horse.”
“We have now a horse who has competed within the Breeders’ Cup three years in a row and carried out very properly all thrice,” he added.
Fierceness and Sierra Leone will be a part of the stud lineup at Ashford Stud in Coolmore, Kentucky, subsequent yr. A call on whether or not Journalism will maintain a stud there subsequent yr or in 2027 might be made after the Breeders’ Cup.
Susumu Fujita, proprietor of Eternally Younger, mentioned profitable the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Traditional is “my dream.” The stallion has suffered two main defeats in his two begins in the US, shedding by two and three-quarters of a size when ending third within the 2024 Traditional, and shedding by two lengths to Mystic Dan and Sierra Leone in a three-horse photograph end in final yr’s hotly contested Kentucky Derby.
“Fierceness and Sierra Leone may even retire,” he mentioned in translated feedback. “So this was my final probability to play towards these two.”
Rounding out the highest 4 had been Thoughts Body, late starter Baeza, Nevada Seaside, Antiquarian, and Opposite Considering. All horses besides Opposite Sinking had been G1 winners in 2025.
With just one race in North America this yr, Eternally Younger might not have been in a position to outperform Godolphin’s Sovereign as Horse of the Yr. The stallion has been main the polls in nationwide media polls because the summer time, reflecting the views of some Eclipse Award voters. Voting for the Eclipse Award is performed by the Nationwide Turf Writers and Broadcasters, the Nationwide Thoroughbred Racing Affiliation and the Each day Racing Type. Horse of the Yr and different awards might be introduced at a ceremony in South Florida on January 22, 2026.
Their paths might cross if Sovereignty enters the race subsequent yr. Profitable coach Yoshito Yahagi mentioned Eternally Younger will run as a five-year-old horse subsequent yr and is scheduled to return to the Saudi Cup in February of this yr. The Dubai World Cup might be thought of later.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the founding father of Godolphin, is the ruler of Dubai and the founding father of the Dubai World Cup.
Subsequent fall, the Breeders’ Cup might be contested at Keeneland.
When requested if he was Eternally Younger, coach Yahagi, who at present has three Breeders’ Cup wins in 4 begins, jokingly replied, “The climate at Keeneland is absolutely chilly, so let me take into consideration that.”
Colder than Southern California, however most likely not chilly sufficient to chill down on the Breeders’ Cup.
