Japan’s Forever Young fulfilled his international promise on horse racing’s grandest stage, surging past defending champion Sierra Leone to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar.

Ridden confidently by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young stormed down the stretch to edge Sierra Leone by a half-length, completing the 1 1/4-mile test in 2:00.19. Sent off at 7-2 odds, the four-year-old colt returned $9 to win and delivered a breakthrough moment for Japan in North America’s richest race.

The victory marked the third Breeders’ Cup triumph for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who has become a global ambassador for Japanese racing, and the first for Sakai.

“Forever Young is an amazing horse,” Yahagi said through a translator after the race. “He has given so much pride to Japan and shown that our horses can compete and win anywhere in the world.”

The race was missing one of its expected stars — Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, was scratched earlier in the week after developing a fever. That absence slightly reshaped the field, but Forever Young’s performance left no doubt about his supremacy.

Fierceness, last year’s runner-up, finished third, while Preakness winner Journalism took fourth. Mindframe, Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian, and Contrary Thinking completed the order of finish.

Forever Young, who finished third behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness in last year’s Classic, avenged that result in emphatic fashion. The colt now boasts 10 wins in 13 career starts and has increased his career earnings to $19,358,590, cementing his status as one of Japan’s all-time great racehorses.

Other Breeders’ Cup Saturday Highlights

$5 Million Turf: Ireland-bred Ethical Diamond stunned the field, surging home by 1 1/4 lengths and paying $57.40 to win — one of the biggest upsets of the day.$2 Million Sprint: Bentornato, second in last year’s edition, redeemed himself with a two-length victory. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. earned his second Cup win of the day and 23rd of his career.$2 Million Distaff: Scylla, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, dominated by five lengths, giving Mott yet another Breeders’ Cup crown.$2 Million Mile: British-bred Notable Speech captured the turf event by 1 1/2 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:33.66. It marked the fourth Mile victory for the potent duo of trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.$2 Million Filly & Mare Turf: Gezora scored at 9-1 odds, paying $20.20 after holding off late challengers in a powerful performance.$1 Million Filly & Mare Sprint: Splendora roared past favored stablemate Hope Road for a four-length win, giving Bob Baffert his 20th career Breeders’ Cup victory.$1 Million Dirt Mile: Nysos held off stablemate Citizen Bull by a head to give Baffert a 1-2 finish, his 21st Cup win, tying him with Aidan O’Brien for the all-time lead.$1 Million Turf Sprint: Shisospicy capped Ortiz’s stellar day with a two-length win, further solidifying his place among the event’s all-time great riders.

Forever Young’s Classic triumph not only ended Sierra Leone’s bid for back-to-back titles but also underscored the global reach of the Breeders’ Cup. For Japan, long striving for this moment on American soil, it was a crowning achievement — and perhaps a glimpse of even greater triumphs to come.