Belmont Gold Cup Preview
Forever Young faces a pace-based upset threat at the reopened Belmont Park.
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Key Points
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Forever Young has a 15-11-1-3 lifetime record and $31,758,590 in earnings, the highest total among horses that have competed in North America. He has won the past two Saudi Cups and last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic by a half-length over Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
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Phileas Fogg’s case is supported by front-running performances in 2025, including a head victory in the 1¼-mile Suburban Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Woodward Stakes after leading for much of the race.
3
Reagan’s Flame’s only loss in four Tapeta starts was a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes, where she was bumped at the start and raced farther off the pace than usual before losing by 2¼ lengths.
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Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has already won the Presque Isle Downs Masters twice, with Artie’s Princess in 2022 and Accomplished Girl in 2023.
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The Queensland Race 6 mare has 29 career starts with three wins, five seconds and five thirds, earning $87,250; she has recorded two wins and five placings in 20 starts on soft tracks. The other highlighted runner has won once and finished second once in two starts at the course.
Forever Young won the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Friday, September 18, in the reopened track's debut racing day Americas Best Racing. The Japanese superstar, defending Breeders' Cup Classic champion, claimed a dominant 3¼-length victory despite being only about 80 percent fit Sun Herald, raising questions about his readiness for the upcoming Breeders' Cup defense.
Forever Young earned $31.8 million in his career — more than any other horse competing in North America Americas Best Racing. His 15-11-1-3 record includes wins in the past two Saudi Cups and last year's Breeders' Cup Classic by just half a length Americas Best Racing. The victory at Belmont marked his return to racing after a long layoff since March.
Phileas Fogg Posed Real Upset Threat
Front-runner Phileas Fogg entered the race as a legitimate danger to Forever Young. Phileas Fogg won the 1¼-mile Suburban Stakes by a head in 2025 and led for much of the Woodward Stakes before finishing second americasbestracing.net. His pace-pressing style could have forced Forever Young into an uncomfortable race setup.
Reagan's Flame Dominates at Presque Isle Downs
At Presque Isle Downs, Reagan's Flame is favored in the $300,000 Grade 2 Masters Stakes after an impressive record on Tapeta surfaces. In four Tapeta starts, Reagan's Flame suffered only one loss — a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes where she was bumped at the start. Experts suggest Paradise City, Pondering, and Lovely Emma as exacta partners for bettors racing sources.
Trainer Joseph Eyes Third Presque Isle Wins
Saffie Joseph Jr., Reagan's Flame's trainer, has already won the Masters twice at Presque Isle Downs. Joseph saddled Artie's Princess to victory in 2022 and Accomplished Girl in 2023. A third win would cement Joseph's dominance in this prestigious Grade 2 race racing sources.
Queensland Race 6 Offers Complex Betting Puzzle
At Queensland, bettors are weighing subtle factors in Race 6, where the featured mare has 29 career starts with three wins and $87,250 in earnings racing sources. On soft tracks — her preferred surface — she has won twice and placed five times in 20 starts. The removal of a cross-over noseband and visors from one runner adds another layer to race analysis racing sources.
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