Japan Road to the Derby

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...

Tokyo Racecourse is the site of the third leg of this year's Japan Road to the Triple Crown, the $273,301 Listed Hyacinth S. going the one turn mile. A field of 14, including a pair of expensive American-bred sons of Into Mischief, look to capitalize on the fact that the winners of the first two legs of the four-race series--Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong) and Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), have hit the road for a significantly more valuable test in next Saturday's G3 Saudi Derby in Riyadh. Great Sand Sea...

The first of four legs of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, the $220,717 Cattleya S. (allowance), was staged Saturday afternoon over Tokyo's one-turn mile and for the second year in a row, a son of successful young stallion and former U.S. Eclipse Award winner Drefong drew first blood in the series. Drawn one from the outside in afield of 10, Continuar (Jpn) broke alertly, but was ultimately beaten for speed and settled in the second flight of horses while racing three off the inside and with cover down...