This debate, in my opinion, should start with whether the voter considers Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young to be the Eclipse Award for the older dirt male.
Forever Young proved himself to be the best older cross horse to race against a loaded field in the 2025 U.S. in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, beating the likes of 2024 Classic winner Sierra Leone, Pacific Classic Stakes winner Fierceness and Stephen Foster Stakes winner Mindframe. In all likelihood, the three finalists for the older dirt male champion will come from that group of four.
Earlier this year, Forever Young defeated the horse considered by many to be the best racehorse in the world, Romantic Warrior, neck and neck in the $20 million Saudi Cup, in what was arguably the race of the year worldwide. Forever Young also finished third in the $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, and won a small stakes in Japan in his Breeders’ Cup prep race, but made just one start in the US.
How should voters view a racehorse with only one start in North America for an American award? There are no strict rules or requirements for the Eclipse Awards. For better or for worse, beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to voting for the Eclipse Awards.
Here is the exact guideline for voters in the horse categories: In the Horse categories, individuals may only vote for Thoroughbreds that have raced at least once in the United States or Canada in 2025.
Many voters prefer contenders who are US-based or got most of their start in North America. For those voters, Forever Young probably doesn’t play a role.
I’ve always considered international horses starting in the US in my Eclipse Awards voting, especially when they scored a star-level win in a major race within a division with no other obvious highlights. This has happened most often in the male and female turf divisions in years when the European turf horses were far superior and none of the US-based runners put together a robust resume.
Forever Young poses a mystery to me. I believe he was the best older dirt guy to compete in the US in 2025. He won as many US Grade 1 races this year as Sierra Leone and Fierceness and one fewer than Mindframe, despite making just one start in North America. At the same time, all three other logical finalists are elite racehorses capable of shining with worthy records in the United States. Let’s take a closer look at that trio.
Sierra Leone, last year’s 3-year-old male champion after winning the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic, won one of five races in 2025…but it was a big one. He came from well off the pace to win the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in August at Saratoga by a distance. Sierra Leone did not finish outside the top three in 2025, with a second place in Grade 1 in the Stephen Foster to Mindframe, the Jockey Club Gold Cup to Antiquarian and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to Forever Young. Deep closer, Sierra Leone has always been dependent on pace, leading to inconsistent visits to the winner’s circle.
Mindframe started 2025 with three straight wins in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes Presented by Domestic Product, Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford and Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes. He beat 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos in the Churchill Downs Stakes and standout sprinter Book’em Danno, and he defeated Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster. At that point Mindframe looked the clear leader in the division, but he did not complete his next start because his rider was not in his seat when Mindframe was bumped hard early in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He then didn’t show up at his best when he was unseeded in the Classic, which was essentially his first start in more than four months. Mindframe got off to a great start in 2025, but sputtered late.
Fierceness raced five times in 2025, setting a 1 1/16-mile track record in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet in May and winning the Grade 1 Pacific Classic by 3 ¼ lengths over Preakness Stakes winner Journalism in August. He also finished second in the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap and third, beaten by one and a half lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. His only mistake came when he finished fifth at the Whitney, but I credit Fierceness and his connections for competing against all comers all year long and racing against the top competition. For a colt with a reputation for inconsistency earlier in his career, he was great from start to finish in 2025.
Do the credentials of any of the three surpass those of Forever Young? It really is a very difficult call for voters and should lead to an interesting outcome at the age of 55e Annual Eclipse Awards January 22, 2026, at The Breakers Palm Beach.
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