On November 1, Forever Young made history by becoming the first Japanese-bred and -based horse to win the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, narrowly defeating the 2024 winner Sierra Leone. The Breeders’ Cup is the premier international horse racing event in the U.S., and Japan’s equivalent, the Japan Cup, will be held on November 30 at Tokyo Racecourse. The Japan Cup, a prestigious turf race over 2,400 meters with a purse of about $7.2 million, was established in 1981 to attract international competition. While foreign winners dominated early on, Japanese horses have won consecutively since 2005.
The 2025 Japan Cup will feature mostly Japanese-bred horses, with the notable exception of French-bred Shin Emperor and European favorite Calandagan, who recently earned the Cartier Horse of the Year title and could claim a $3 million bonus if victorious. Tokyo Racecourse, Japan’s premier racing venue, hosts this event along with other major races and attracts large crowds. The weekend also includes the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier. U.S. viewers can watch the Japan Cup live on FanDuel TV, and America’s Best Racing will provide on-site coverage and social media updates to showcase the excitement of Japanese horse racing.
