Bold opener: Next’s comeback arc isn’t just about a horse; it’s a test of whether elite durability can weather weather, schedules, and shifting seasons. And this is the part most people miss: even legends face pacing and platform challenges that can redefine what “final season” really means.
Next, Michael Foster’s Not This Timeed gelding, dominated the dirt marathon division with a near-unblemished run of 9 wins in 10 starts from September 2022 to September 2024 in races 1 3/8 miles or longer, posting an average winning margin close to 13 lengths.
READ: Up 'Next': A Spotlight on the Marathon Division
Last seen breaking from the gate to finish 14th in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) after attempting a shortened 1 1/4-mile challenge against the world’s best, Next is back in trainer Doug Cowans’ Turfway Park stable with plans for a final racing season in 2026.
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The 2025 season was expected to echo his marathon dominance, but bad weather, setbacks, and a shrinking dirt marathon calendar kept him largely sidelined.
Next returned to Cowans’ care in January 2025 after a short layoff following the Breeders’ Cup. Florence, Kentucky, then faced harsh winter weather that repeatedly forced track closures, preventing proper training build-up. A February illness further disrupted timing, making a traditional 2025 debut in the Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week unlikely.
Next’s schedule has historically hinged on a limited slate of 1 1/2-mile-or-longer dirt stakes. Cowans designs each year around a four-race arc: the Isaac Murphy in May, the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) in New York in June or July, the Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga in August, and the Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing in September.
Missing the Isaac Murphy and the New York-focused issues were compounded by NYRA’s decision to furlough the Brooklyn Stakes for 2025 while Belmont Park undergoes renovations, affecting Belmont Park and Aqueduct dates.
"Once we got him ramped up, there were simply no suitable races within the marathon schedule," Cowans explained. "There are only about four opportunities each year. It looked like we’d be lucky to get one race, at best. So we decided to give him more time and aim for 2026."
After an extended rest, Next returned to Turfway Park in mid-November, moving from light jogging to full gallops. Cowans reports he’s looking strong and hopes to begin a breeze schedule in the next two to three weeks.
Those workouts will signal whether Next will pursue a 2026 campaign at age eight. Breezes will also give regular jockey Luan Machado a chance to assess whether the horse still feels like the top performer of old.
If Next isn’t the same horse, Cowans says the team is united on the possibility that he retires without obligation. "The plan is to get him breeze, and if he isn’t the same horse, he’ll be retired. If he is, we’d target the Isaac Murphy since it’s in our backyard. That race has always been a comeback goal, but we’ll let the horse guide us. It’s entirely up to him. If he isn’t the same, he won’t come back."
Even if he returns to dominance and completes his traditional sequence, Cowans notes that 2026 would be Next’s final season. The horse will have multiple post-racing options available upon retirement, with assistant trainer Justin Atkins humorously noting that he and Cowans might even end up in a custody dispute over the horse’s post-racing life.
Cowans also anticipates a future in which Next explores another discipline, potentially including the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover.
"He clearly enjoys having a job and staying active," Cowans said. "We’ll see how the coming months unfold. The horse always has a home here, so there’s no pressure—only options and directions we’ll explore as he leads the way."
