Sept. 18 (UPI) — After three years of couch surfing at Aqueduct and Saratoga, Belmont Park in Elmont, N.U., returns to its own completely rebuilt facility Friday with reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic and Saudi Cup champion Forever Young as the star of the show.

All that’s lacking in that weekend racing highlight is Sovereignty, the current favorite for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s on the mend from a hoof abscess.

Still, welcome back Belmont.

Classic

Friday’s $1 million Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the race chosen for Forever Young to prep for his repeat try at Keeneland in October.

The 5-year-old son of Real Steel hasn’t raced since finishing second to Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup March 28 but has proved his ability to run fresh.

With Sovereignty out of the Gold Cup, Forever Young is odds-on favorite on the morning line against six rivals. The oddsmaker has Phileas Fogg and Baeza as most likely challengers.

Forever Young is the only two-time winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, turning the trick in 2025 and 2026. Should he go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he would join Tiznow, who won in 2000 and 2001, as the only dual winners of that race.

Some 3-year-olds also angling for a shot at October’s big race mix it up in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. The field of 11 includes Grade I Blue Grass winner Further Ado, the favorite, as well as Florida Derby second The Puma, Gotham winner and Preakness runner-up Iron Honor and West Virginia Derby winner Zihnal. None has been a model of consistency.

Also on tap: Saturday’s $175,000 (Canadian) Grade III Durham Cup on the Woodbine all-weather course.

Distaff

Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner is the solid favorite in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies at Parx. The Gun Runner filly finished second in the Grade I Acorn and the Grade Coaching Club American Oaks in her last two starts, but both times trailed only Counting Stars, who is not in this field.

Consequent, a late-developing Into Mischief filly from the Bob Baffert barn, is the morning line pick in Saturday’s $200,000 Seneca for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. The Juddmonte homebred is 3-for-3, including last year’s Grade II Starlet at Los Alamitos.

Sprint

Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Gallant Bob for 3-year-olds at Parx drew a nice field of 12, but none is an obvious standout. That makes it an attractive wagering opportunity. Saturday’s $300,000 Harrod’s Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs has a field of six and also looks pretty wide open.

Filly & mare sprint

Explora, winner of three of her last four starts, most recently the Grade I Test Stakes at Saratoga, is the odds-on pick in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Dogwood for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.

The Blame filly, trained by Baffert, is 3-for-4 at this 7-furlong trip. Conceit, a Juddmonte homebred by Not This Time, exits a win in the Audubon Oaks for trainer Brad Cox.

Reagan’s Flame has been raiding Woodbine sprints this summer from a Saratoga base, but diverts to Friday’s $300,000 Grade II Presque Isle Masters, where the 5-year-old Flameaway mare, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., is the morning-line favorite among nine entries.

Five-year-old Haulin Ice lines up for her 25th career start as the favorite among 10 in Saturday’s $150,000 Liberty Bell at Parx. She seeks a 13th win.

Dirt mile

Bracket Buster is the favorite on the morning line for Saturday’s $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile, and why not? He finished second to Sovereignty in last year’s Travers and came off a long layoff to win the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes by 11 lengths Aug. 9. Don’t ignore Saudi Crown.

Encino and Brian’s Kitten, 1-2 in the local Avery Whisman Memorial in their last start, are the favorites in Friday’s $150,000 Presque Isle Mile. Neoequos, third in last year’s Florida Derby but 13th in the Kentucky Derby, also is in the field.

Turf sprint

There are two heats to watch in this always-entertaining division, both Saturday and both for fillies and mares: The $175,000 Floral Park at Belmont Park and Saturday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Sweet Briar Too at Woodbine.

Filly & mare turf

Destino d’Oro returns from a six-month absence and puts a three-race win streak on the line in Sunday’s $175,000 Forever Together at Belmont Park. The streak includes the Grade II Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf in January. Chad Brown brings Obersubscribed and Dynamic Pricing.

Juvenile

Eleven signed on for Friday’s $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile on the Presque Isle Downs all-weather track. Bossy Wossy, a Maclean’s Music filly, has been impressive in both previous starts, but this is a “watch and learn” exercise.

Juvenile fillies

Friday’s $100,000 Presque Isle Debutante also is a tossup with the possible exception of 2-1 favorite Almighty One. Let’s see one more good one before getting excited.

Around the world, around the clock

England/France

Weekend events on both sides of the Channel: Saturday’s Group 2 Mill Reef for 2-year-olds at Newbury and Saturday’s Group 3 Firth of Clyde for 2-year-old fillies at Ayr; Saturday’s Group 3 Eclipse for 2-year-olds at Chantilly.

Australia

On Saturday at Caulfield: Tom Kitten and Lady Shenendoah, both underperformers in their last race, are highest-rated in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke at 1,400 meters; Chris Waller holds nearly half the entries for the Group 1 Underwood at 1,800 meters, with Aeliana, Buckaroo and Linderman topping the list.

Trainer Chris Waller has the heavy favorite in Saturday’s Group 2 The Shorts at Royal Randwick as Joliestar makes her first start since finishing third behind Almareq and Satono Reve in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That race came down to a heartbreaking three-way, head-bobbing finish for Japan, Australia and France with the first four, also including Stolen Kiss, separated by little more than a neck.

Japan

Multiple Grade 1 winner Regaleira returns from a three-month break in Sunday’s Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers at 2,000 meters at Nakayama.