Forever Young, a Historic 2025 Horse of the Year for the Japan Racing Association

For the first time, a dirt performer has captured the highest honor in Japanese racing

Forever Young was crowned Horse of the Year in Japan / JRA

TOKYO, Japan (TDN Special) — Japanese racing history added one of its most unexpected and groundbreaking chapters this year as Forever Young was crowned Horse of the Year for 2025 by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), becoming the first dirt performer ever to claim the sport’s highest annual honor in the JRA Awards. It was a distinction that not only recognized an exceptional campaign, but also redefined the long-standing divide between turf and dirt in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The Real Steel colt, owned by Susumu Fujita, chairman of CyberAgent Inc., was the central figure at the awards ceremony held at JRA headquarters, where he also captured two additional major titles: Best Older Horse and Best Dirt Horse. A symbolic treble that perfectly encapsulated the global impact of his season.

Forever Young reached the summit of international racing in February when he defeated none other than Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in the G1 Saudi Cup, then confirmed his world-class status in November by landing the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, becoming the first Japan-trained runner to win the sport’s richest dirt prize. Between those two landmarks, he also finished a commendable third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, completing a truly extraordinary campaign on the biggest stages in the world.

Remarkably, his domestic resume in 2025 was minimal: just one appearance in Japan, a victory in the G2 Nippon TV Hai, the joint JRA–NAR event at Funabashi. Even so, his international dominance proved decisive, making him only the second horse in history to be voted Horse of the Year without contesting a JRA race during the season under review—an achievement previously accomplished only by El Condor Pasa (Kingmambo) in 1999. The statistic underscores the magnitude of Forever Young’s feat.

The coronation also carried the feel of sporting redemption. In 2024, Forever Young had won the G3 Saudi Derby, G2 UAE Derby, Japan Dirt Classic (L) and the G1 Tokyo Daishoten, yet finished runner-up in every major awards category, settling for a JRA Special Award. Twelve months later, time and performance delivered full vindication.

The ceremony also honored the leading performers across each division in what proved a season of exceptional depth:

Cavallerizzo (Saturnalia) was named Champion 2-Year-Old Colt; Star Anise (Drefong), Champion 2-Year-Old Filly; Museum Mile (Leontes), Champion 3-Year-Old Colt; Embroidery (Admire Mars), Champion 3-Year-Old Filly; Regaleira (Suave Richard), Champion Older Filly/Mare; Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa), Champion Sprinter; Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), Champion Miler; and Ecoro Duel (Kitasan Black), Champion Steeplechaser. The JRA Special Award went to Norihiro Yokoyama and the outstanding Calandagan (Gleneagles), winner of the G1 Japan Cup.

Looking ahead to 2026, Forever Young is poised to follow the same golden path, with both the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup already on his immediate agenda. Whatever the future holds, his name is now permanently etched into Japanese racing history—not only for what he won, but for forever reshaping the place of dirt champions in the sport’s highest pantheon.