The Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint will feature life-size statues of Forever Young and his Umamusume counterpart on site.
Cygames, the studio behind the popular horse-racing game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, has extended its partnership with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the largest event for Thoroughbred horse racing.
Following Cygames’ first partnership with the Breeders’ Cup in 2024, the renewed agreement continues to see the studio serve as the title partner of the Sprint race, officially named the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). The US$2 million championship race will take place on 31 October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.
Cygames will bring Umamusume’s Forever Young on-site
As part of the partnership, Cygames will have a major presence on-site at Keeneland. The announcement teases a life-size statue of Forever Young, winner of the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), alongside a life-size statue of his Umamusume counterpart.
Forever Young was introduced to the Japanese version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby in February this year, just months after the real-life horse won the Breeders’ Cup Classic to become the first Japanese-trained horse to do so. The bay stallion is owned by Susumu Fujita, founder of CyberAgent, Cygames’ parent company.
Alongside the life-size statues, the partnership will also feature photos and graphics celebrating Japanese horses that have competed in and won races at the World Championships.
Heather Higgins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Breeders’ Cup Limited, said:
“We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Cygames and build upon a relationship that connects two organisations with increasingly global audiences.
“Japan has become an important part of the Breeders’ Cup story, and Cygames has been a tremendous partner in helping us celebrate that connection in creative and engaging ways.
“We look forward to bringing their expanded activation to fans at Keeneland this fall.”
The 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships will feature 14 Grade 1 races and more than US$34 million in prize money, gathering the world’s best horses at Keeneland on 30 and 31 October, 2026.
