By Heather Anderson
Shinichi Yamashita's Mont Saint Legame (Jpn) (Came Home) earned 40 points in the first qualifying race of Japan's “Road to the Kentucky Derby” in the 1600-metre Cattleya Sho at Tokyo Racecourse Saturday. A winner over that trip when unveiled in the mud in a newcomer race there Oct. 9, the son of three-time Grade I hero Came Home, who now stands under the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association banner after beginning in Kentucky, and the winning mare Julia Biko (Jpn) (Jade Robbery), beat out Darley homebred Caucus (Jpn) (16 points), a son of 2007 GI Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by 1 1/4 lengths. Blanc Eclat (Hansen) finished third 2 1/2 lengths back to garner eight points, with Lavapies (Jpn) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) fourth with four points.
Settling just off Blanc Eclat in a tracking second from gate eight, the Koji Maki trainee and 5-1 shot was content to wait until called upon by Takuya Kowata, but was steadily inching closer to that rival on the far turn. He had Blanc Eclat's measure in upper stretch, asserted himself inside the final quarter mile and held off the late charge of the closing Caucus to keep his record perfect.
The second Japanese GI Kentucky Derby qualifier will be the Hyacinth Sho–GI Belmont S. third-place finisher Lani (Tapit), after winning the 2016 edition of the Cattleya Sho finished fifth in last year's edition–held once again over 1600 metres at Tokyo Feb. 19. The Hyacinth will be worth 50 points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 points to third and five points to fourth. The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby is slated for May 6 at Churchill Downs. Click for the JRA Chart or the JRA Video.
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