Henny Hughes Colt Runs To Favoritism In Hyacinth S.

With soon-to-be-retired jockey Yuichi Fukunaga at the controls, Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) came to life entering the final furlong of Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse and proved far too strong for his rivals in picking up 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Winner of his first two trips to the races, Perriere was made the 11-10 favorite for the Hyacinth in his first start since a third to G3 Saudi Derby hopeful Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in the second leg of the series, the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Dec. 14. Alertly away from gate three, the blinkered bay colt hugged the fence in the second flight of horses and was patiently handled for the run into the final 600 meters. Steered out into the four path, Perriere had aim on the front-runners at the furlong grounds and came away in the final sixteenth of a mile to score by 1 1/2 lengths (see below, SC 3). Z Lien (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) rallied for second at 51-1, while 45-1 chance Eclogite (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) nosed out second wagering choice Great Sand Sea (Into Mischief) for third. The final time for the one-turn mile on fast dirt was 1:37.2. With 36 points, Perriere is the leader in the series, with the Fukuryu S. (allowance) over nine furlongs at Nakayama Mar. 25 the final race.

Perriere is campaigned by Yuji Hasegawa, whose name has graced American bloodstock sales for the last several years. He purchased Vanishing Point (Tapit)–a full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award winner Unique Bella–for $1.5 million at KEESEP in 2019 and paid $750,000 for the Arrogate colt Poison Arrow at the same event in 2020. Hasegawa also races Open Fire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Go Maggie Go), recent runner-up in the G3 Kisaragi Sho and a candidate for this year's Japanese Classics.

Purchased for ¥11 million at the 2021 Hokkaido Summer Yearling Sale, Perriere is the 43rd worldwide stakes winner for Henny Hughes and his 16th in Japan. The colt's third dam is two-time European champion Ski Paradise (Lyphard), winner in France of the G1 Prix du Moulin over a mile and runner-up to Lure in the 1993 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.