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| Staff Writer |
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The first Japanese contender for the Kentucky Derby, Forever Young, arrived at Churchill Downs in the early morning of 13th April and is starting to get used to the dirt track where he'll be training for the next three weeks.
Forever Young stayed in Dubai after winning the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on 30th March and left for the United States on the morning of 10th April. After a stop in Brussels, Belgium, the unbeaten colt arrived in Chicago around 11:15 p.m.
With a flawless record of 5 wins out of 5 races, Forever Young, the son of Real Steel, could be Japan's best chance at winning the Kentucky Derby. Having traveled professionally to places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai, Forever Young has handled every part of his journey around the world with ease.
"He shipped really well to Saudi and Dubai," said Churchill Downs Asia representative Kate Hunter. "(His connections) seem to be very pleased with him across the board. He recovers from each race really well without needing any kind of veterinary intervention. He seems to have a very strong, natural physical response to rebuilding his own body."
After arriving in Chicago, Forever Young was taken to the Chicago Import Quarantine facility located in West Dundee, Ill. He was kept in quarantine for the standard duration of 42 hours, and was cleared to leave on the night of April 12. By 9 p.m., he was en route and reached Churchill Downs at 4:15 a.m. the following day.
"He was ready to get out and ready to rumble," Hunter said of the colt's eagerness to get out of quarantine. "He's very happy to be able to stretch his legs now every morning at Churchill."
Forever Young wasted no time in getting acquainted with the Churchill Downs track, making his first visit on 14th April. Following the tradition of previous Japanese Derby contenders, he starts his training with a warm-up session in the chute before heading to the front side for his daily gallop.
"So far, he seems to like it," Hunter said of the track. "He seems to have settled in very well."
Hunter noted that Forever Young's exercise rider, Yusaku Oka, observed that the track wasn't as firm as anticipated, likely due to the recent rainfall in Louisville, Kentucky. As a result, it's probable that Forever Young will have his first intense workout towards the end of this week or early next week. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi has adjusted his training schedule, planning for him to breeze on Tuesdays and Saturdays to align with his previous racing schedule, which mainly consisted of races on Saturdays this year.
"The big races in Japan are typically on Sunday, so they breeze on Wednesday," Hunter said. "Because the races are on Saturday now, he's switched a day ahead. It's worked out very well for him."
Yahagi has achieved notable success in the United States, securing victories in the 2021 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Loves Only You and the 2021 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Distaff with Marche Lorraine. He holds the distinction of being the sole Japanese trainer with a Breeders' Cup winner. Additionally, Yahagi trained Continuar, who was slated to compete in the 2023 Kentucky Derby but was withdrawn from the race just days before it took place.
"As Yahagi and his team get more and more experience overseas, they're tweaking everything," Hunter said. "Learn from the things they did in the past to try and improve their future."
Yahagi himself won't be arriving until Derby week, but jockey Ryusei Sakai will be coming next week to start riding Forever Young in the mornings.
However, Forever Young isn't Japan's sole contender eyeing the Kentucky Derby. T O Password, who earned his spot by winning the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse, securing an invite through the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, will soon be joining Forever Young in Kentucky.
According to Hunter, T O Password is scheduled to depart Japan on the morning of 23rd April. Making his way through Anchorage, Alaska, the son of Copano Rickey will touch down in Chicago around 11 p.m. that night. After completing his 42-hour quarantine, he's expected to arrive in Louisville on the morning of April 26—just one day before Churchill Downs' deadline for Derby contenders to arrive.
Accompanying T O Password on his journey will be trainer Daisuke Takayanagi and owner Tomoya Ozasa, who are also sending over T O Saint Denis, a 5YO son of Kitasan Black, slated to run in the 3rd May Gr.2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs.
With a record of two wins from 22 starts, T O Saint Denis represents a symbolic triumph for Hunter in her efforts to see more Japanese horses participating in U.S. races.
"I've been trying to get (horses for the other races Derby weekend) for a while and this is the first time it worked out," Hunter said. "The Japanese are stretching their legs out internationally more in general. I am getting a lot more interest in Group one races all over the United States from Japanese wanting to come over."
Despite numerous financial, medical, and logistical challenges facing Japanese connections when traveling to the U.S., Hunter has been diligently advocating for reforms to make it easier for Japanese runners to compete regularly.
"If I'm able to get the Japanese ducks in a row with the government regulations and the testing, you could see Japanese horses over here all the time," Hunter said.