DEL MAR, Calif. — Japanese horse racing has been on the precipice of breaking through on the U.S. scene. It seemed like it was almost there in 2021 when it won three Breeders' Cup races. But after that it leveled off.

Through 10 races at this year's Breeders' Cup, horses from Japan underperformed. But in the 11th, the most important race in the two-day event, the breakthrough became official when Forever Young held off Sierra Leone, last year's winner, to win the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic by a half-length.

The last time we saw Forever Young in this country was a year ago when the 4-year-old colt finished third in the Classic. Before that, he was third in the Kentucky Derby by a whisker while being on the receiving end of some bumping down the stretch by Sierra Leone. Without that he might have been victorious in a race that was won by Mystik Dan.

The commonality between the 2021 and 2025 Breeders' Cup days was that both were run at Del Mar.

Forever Young was almost the victim of some legal chicanery on Saturday as trainer Chad Brown entered a horse — called a rabbit — with little chance to win so that he could set a fast pace. Sierra Leone, also trained by Brown, needs a fast pace to weaken the other horses, which would benefit Sierra Leone's late running style.

But this time, Forever Young overcame all the obstacles thrown at him. He ran a very tactical race being placed close to the lead and never farther back than third.

Forever Young paid $9.00 to win. He was followed in order by Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Journalism, Mindframe, Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian and Contrary Thinking, who was the rabbit in the 1 1/4-mile race.

It was the third Breeders' Cup win for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. When asked if this was his most satisfying win, Yahagi said, through a translator: "I will never, ever get satisfied until I get retired as a trainer.

"We plan to go to Saudi maybe next year, which will be his last year. I like to challenge all over the world big races. And I'd like to win all of it."

Forever Young was the third foreign horse to win the Classic, joining Argentine-bred Invasor in 2006 and Irish-bred Black Tie Affair in 1991.

"So last time here, the horse was 75 percent conditioned," Yahagi said. "And this time we create 100 percent condition. Forever Young is an amazing horse."

The winning jockey was Ryusei Sakai.

"It was a huge run," Brown said of Sierra Leone. "Look, the winner ran a terrific race. He was up on the pace and kicked. I think the track played against us [Saturday]. Not to take anything away from the winner, but it's been speed all day."

Journalism's trainer, Michael McCarthy, was pleased by the horse's fourth-place finish and how he stayed engaged with the field.

"[We were] bested by a 2-year-old champion [Fierceness], a 3-year old champion [Sierra Leone] and a Japanese champion," McCarthy said. "We'll reload and see what we got for next year."

Baeza was the fifth pick by bettors but appeared to have been hurt at the break.

"I think the start cost us a lot," trainer John Shireffs said. "[Jockey Hector Berrios] said he wasn't standing still in the gate and when they opened it, he hopped a little bit. I would say he lost all chance at the start."

The Classic lost a lot of luster when the favorite, Sovereignty, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, was scratched earlier in the week when he spiked a fever. Sovereignty was the top-rated horse in the country and a possible horse-of-the-year winner. Many were hoping for a rematch with Journalism, who finished second in both those races and won the Preakness, which Sovereignty did not run in.

Trainer Bill Mott only brought two horses to the Breeders' Cup — Sovereignty and Scylla. While Sovereignty didn't make the starting gate on Saturday, Scylla ($17.20 to win) sure did, winning the biggest race of the year for female horses, the $2 million Distaff.

"It's certainly difficult to see what happened to Sovereignty," Mott said. "I think everybody that's connected [with this sport] has been through it and we knew when it happened, he wouldn't be able to compete and not at the level that he would need to. And it seems as though he's recovering well but he's really not the story here.

"I mean this one is about Scylla and about Junior [Alvarado, his jockey] and the Juddmonte connections."

Alvarado took her to the front and never looked back, winning the 1 1/8-mile race by 5 1/2 lengths. Nitrogen was second and Regaled finished third. Favorite Seismic Beauty contended early but then faded to 12th in the 13-horse field.

Trainer Bob Baffert picked up two Breeders' Cup wins on Saturday, first in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint with Splendora ($7.80) and then again in the $1 million Dirt Mile with Nysos ($3.40). Baffert now has 21 Breeders' Cup wins, which ties him all time with Aidan O'Brien.

The Filly & Mare Sprint became less interesting when two of the favorites, Sweet Azteca (2-1 morning line) and Tamara (7-2), were scratched by the veterinarian. There was a third scratch that took the field down to seven.

Splendora won in dominating fashion by 4 3/4 lengths. She was midpack until the far turn of the seven-furlong race before jockey Flavien Prat let her loose in the stretch.

Baffert had the exacta in the Dirt Mile as Nysos and Citizen Bull battled down the stretch with Nysos besting his stablemate by a head.

"I think more important [than the record] is the excitement that the horses showed up, they ran, they put on a show," Baffert said. "Coming down the stretch, I knew I was going to win it. Nysos has a lot of heart. This was the first time he's had to get on his belly and show up and so he ran down a champion.

"It was exciting to watch. I would have liked to see a dead heat, to see them split. You hate to see one of them get beat, but it was a really great race."

The second richest race on the card, the $5 million Turf, was supposed be a matchup of two-time winner Rebel's Romance and Minnie Hauk, who had five wins and two seconds in seven starts. They ran together for most of the 1 1/2-mile race but long shot Ethical Diamond started rolling in the top of the stretch and cruised to a 1 1/4-length win. Rebel's Romance was second.

The Irish-bred Ethical Diamond, trained by William Mullins and ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, paid $57.40 to win.

Shisospicy ($12.60) broke on top and held the lead to the finish to win the $1 million Turf Sprint, which was ran at five furlongs. The 3-year-old filly is trained by Jose Francisco D'Angelo and was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who picked up his 22nd Cup victory.

She's Quality was eased shortly out of the gate in the Turf Sprint by jockey Colin Keane and walked onto the equine ambulance. She was transported to an equine hospital and is back in her barn being monitored.

Ortiz picked up his 23rd win in the next race when he won the $2 million Sprint aboard Bentornato. It was also the second straight victory for D'Angelo. Bentornato broke on top and was never headed in the six-furlong race. It was only his second race of the year for the 4-year-old ridgling. Bentornato finished second in last year's Sprint, losing to Straight No Chaser, who finished seventh on Saturday.

Charlie Appleby won the $2 million Mile on turf for the fourth time in five years with Notable Speech ($7.20), who had William Buick in the saddle. The 4-year-old colt won by a head over Sahlan. The last race of this year's Breeders' Cup, the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf was won by French-bred Gezora ($20.20) at 1 3/8 miles by a half-length for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and jockey Michael Barzalona.

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