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| Staff Writer |
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Neither of Japan's Breeders' Cup Classic hopefuls could quite get the job done in their Sept. 25 prep race at Funabashi Racecourse as Ushba Tesoro came up one length short with a furious stretch rally and Derma Sotogake faded to finish a well-beaten fifth.
The Nippon TV Hai, run at 1,800 metres (about 1 1/8 miles) on the dirt and under the lights, was the first start for both since the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup on March 30.
William Barows, a 6YO who has never contested a Group One race, sailed out to the lead in the Hai with Derma Sotogake in close attendance as the field negotiated the backstretch. Turning into the straight, William Barows shot out to a massive lead with Derma Sotogake dropping back quickly.
Ushba Tesoro, who had idled in mid-field, took up the chase and closed 10 or more lengths in the final 200 metres but had been left just too much to do.
The Nippon TV Hai has been a stepping stone for Japanese dirt performers eyeing international targets. Previous winners include Kane Hekili, who went on to capture the Japan Cup Dirt, and Copano Rickey, a two-time February Stakes victor.
All three relevant jockeys were high on their mounts' performance.
"If no (other) horse was going to the front, I thought to go to the lead," said winning rider Ryusei Sakai. "I discussed so with the trainer (Hiroyuki) Uemura and was aiming for a sustained run.
"He felt really good when I was heading in a straight, so I thought he would be able to get away against Ushba Tesoro."
Yuga Kawada, aboard Ushba Tesoro, said, "I didn't get a good result but he was able to run in a good manner, so I think he'll be able to perform well" in the Classic.
And Christophe Lemaire, harkening back to Derma Sotogake's performances at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita Park, also took heart from the race. It was the colt's first start in Japan since December 2022.
"He was in a good position, but when the pace picked up he got busy ... There's room for improvement," Lemaire said. "I pushed him all the way to the end and I think it will help going forward. I'm not worried because he can run better on American dirt."
The outcome would be especially encouraging to Ushba Tesoro's connections and builds on an already glittering resume for the veteran international campaigner, whose finish in 2023 at Santa Anita was his worst since he was switched to the dirt a year earlier.
The 7YO son of Orfevre won the 2023 Dubai World Cup, took a six-month break and won the Hai before the Breeders' Cup disappointment. He bounced back from that to a repeat win in the Group One Tokyo Daishoten in December, then finished second in both the Group One Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup before again hitting the bench for a long rest.
Derma Sotogake, a 4YO colt by Mind Your Biscuits, blasted onto the international scene in December of 2022 with a win in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, a leg of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby". He abandoned that series in favour of the 2023 Gr.2 UAE Derby in Dubai and a victory there earned him a spot in the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby, where he finished sixth.
After a break of nearly eight months, he returned for the runner-up showing in the Breeders' Cup Classic. That, however, was followed by a fifth-place showing in the Saudi Cup and a sixth in the Dubai World Cup.
A third potential Japanese contender, Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Forever Young, is slated for a Breeders' Cup prep in the Japan Dirt Classic Oct. 2 at Oi Racecourse. The son of Daddy Long Legs will be looking to punch his ticket to Santa Anita and join his compatriots in the US$6 million contest.
With the Breeders' Cup Classic looming on the horizon, Japan's dirt stars will be hoping to sharpen their form and make their presence felt on the global stage. The coming weeks will be crucial as connections plot their path to Santa Anita and weigh up their chances against the cream of America's dirt performers.