Kate Hunter

Three GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls, as well as a GI Kentucky Oaks potential entrant, worked Wednesday morning over a fast surface at Churchill Downs, the track said in a release on Wednesday. Hiroyuki Asanuma's G2 UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) drilled five furlongs in 1:01.40 and was partnered with Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.'s Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong), who worked a half-mile in :50. Shortly after those breezes during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Oaks horses, R.T. Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine's Sun Thunder...

For U.S. expatriate Kate Hunter, the GI Kentucky Derby is about relationships. Hunter, who is based in Japan when she's not traveling the globe, is the founder of Marugai Racing. She is the Japan representative for a number of American racing organizations including Churchill Downs. Her journey with the connections of Derby contenders Derma Sotogake (Jpn)(Mind Your Biscuits) and Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong) began early this year as she traveled with them from Japan to Saudi Arabia in February, then on to Dubai in March, and finally to Kentucky, where they...

Teruya Yoshida's Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) worked a bullet half-mile in :46.40 at Churchill Downs Wednesday morning in advance of the May 7 Kentucky Derby. With regular morning partner Masa Matsuda aboard, Crown Pride cut out fractions of :11.60, :23.20 and :46.40, galloping out in 1:00.20 and 1:14.80 while working in company with the 4-year-old Southern Passage. Crown Pride left Japan Mar. 17 to travel to Dubai where he won the G2 UAE Derby before arriving in Louisville Mar. 30. Wednesday's work was his fourth since his...

Japan-based GI Preakness S. contender France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) arrived at Pimlico Race Course Saturday night. The chestnut colt, trained by Hideyuki Mori, is set to become the first horse from Japan to compete in the Preakness since Lani in 2016 and the first Japanese horse to compete in a Triple Crown race since Master Fencer ran in the 2019 GI Belmont S. He arrived in California Wednesday to quarantine, left California Saturday afternoon and made a stop in Newark, N.J. before arriving in Baltimore and Pimlico...

Joel Rosario, who guided Japan's France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) to a troubled sixth-place effort in the G2 UAE Derby when last seen Mar. 27, will retain the ride aboard the colt for the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 15, his agent Ron Anderson confirmed Wednesday. France Go de Ina landed at Los Angeles International Airport early Wednesday morning, the first leg of his journey to Old Hilltop for the second leg of the Triple Crown. According to Kate Hunter, a Triple Crown recruiter who frequently accompanies...