By Alan Carasso
Having created history at the Breeders' Cup with a pair of winners the last time the championships were held at Del Mar back in 2021, Japan comes into this year's event with an even stronger hand.
Some 19 horses based in Japan have made the trip over, headed by GI Kentucky Derby third Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}, the third ante-post betting favorite for the $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
It is no secret that for many years, Japanese breeders have shopped the U.S. bloodstock market, acquiring some of our most accomplished racemares and stallion prospects toward the goal of fortifying their burgeoning industry. Indeed, a handful of the Japanese-based gallopers that will face the starter this Saturday are by sires or out of mares who made appearances of their own at the Breeders' Cup.
Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})–Turf
Forgetting altogether about the presence of 1989 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sunday Silence on the top side of his pedigree (one of several in the races), last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf third is out of Dubai Majesty (Essence of Dubai), once offered for $25,000 claiming who closed out her 34-race career with a 43-5 upset of the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs en route to an Eclipse Award. A $1.1-million purchase at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Dubai Majesty is also the dam of Shahryar's Classic-winning full-brother Al Ain (Jpn).
Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong)–Mile
Geoglyph is winless in a dozen starts since besting none other than Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in 2022. His sire, a 1 1/4-length winner of the 2016 Sprint at Santa Anita before winding up midfield in his title defense at this venue in 2017, has punched well above his weight with his Japanese offspring, on dirt and turf alike.
Otomena Shacho (Speightstown)–Juvenile Fillies
The late Speightstown also saved his best for last, capping off his career with a 1 1/4-length victory in the 2004 Sprint at Lone Star Park. Otomena Shacho was second to fellow entrant American Bikini (Jpn) (American Pharoah) two back and won her maiden going six furlong last time. Interestingly, the sire's two winners at the Breeders' Cup have come around two turns– Tamarkuz in the 2016 Dirt Mile and 'TDN Rising Star' Sharing in the 2019 Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn})–Classic
The G2 UAE Derby and G3 Saudi Derby winner is a son of Forever Darling (Congrats), a maiden winner at second asking and down the field behind champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2015 Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. The Yoshito Yahagi trainee shares second dam Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister) with Classic hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). Forever Young's year-younger half-sister Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) remained perfect in two starts in the G3 Artemis Stakes over the past weekend.
Forever Young winning the Japan Dirt Classic | Horsephotos/Tomoya Moriuchi
Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits)–Classic
A cracking runner-up in last year's main event, the handsome chestnut comes into this year's contest with the benefit of a prep and should not be completely dismissed despite failing to hit the board in his three starts this term. His dose of Sunday Silence comes on the bottom of his pedigree, while his underrated sire made no fewer than three Breeders' Cup starts, crossing the line third in the Sprint in 2016 and 2017 and unplaced in the 2018 Classic.
Don Frankie (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn})–Sprint
There is unlikely to be a bigger horse on the grounds this week than this world traveler, who tipped the scales at 1338 pounds when winning the Listed Cluster Cup at Morioka last time. The G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up was produced by the California-trained Weemissfrankie (Sunriver), winner of this track's GI Debutante Stakes and the GI Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita ahead of a third in the 2011 Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.
Ecoro Azel (Shancelot)–Juvenile
This colt is bred by Crawford Farms who raced this first-crop sire–a son of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion Shanghai Bobby–to a breathtaking 12 1/2-length victory in the 2019 GII Amsterdam Stakes and narrow defeats in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes and GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Shancelot made his final career appearance in that year's Sprint, setting a sharp pace before settling for second.
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