John Ingles picks out of some of the leading contenders among Japan's largest ever Breeders' Cup squad.
Del Mar last hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 2021 when the mares Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine made history by becoming the first Japanese-trained horses to win at the meeting. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Loves Only You was just about the pick on form when winning the Filly And Mare Turf but stablemate Marche Lorraine caused much more of a surprise when getting up to win the Distaff by a nose under Oisin Murphy.
Those two wins came from a total of just seven Japanese runners at the 2021 Breeders’ Cup but those successes have resulted in a much larger raiding party from across the Pacific this time of nineteen.
Here’s a closer look at some of their more interesting challengers set for Saturday.
AWESOME RESULT – Distaff, Saturday
Bidding to give Japan another win in the Distaff, four-year-old filly Awesome Result is another challenger whose form is tricky to pin down given the company she’s been keeping, but an unbeaten seven-race record certainly takes the eye. She’s been sparingly raced but that approach has evidently paid dividends as she has a progressive profile, winning in listed company in her last two outings and putting up a smart performance when a five-length winner of her latest start at Mombetsu in August. Bred by Coolmore affiliate Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt, Awesome Result is another with an American dirt pedigree, being a half-sister to US Grade 1 two-year-old winner Sippican Harbor, while she’s also a daughter of City of Troy’s sire Triple Crown winner Justify. Awesome Result’s trainer Yasutoshi Ikee is probably best known for his handling of the top-class Orfevre who went so close to winning the Arc, while her jockey Yutaka Take needs no introduction and is fresh from winning his seventh Tenno Sho (Autumn) in the same colours on Do Deuce last weekend.
SHAHRYAR – Turf, Saturday
British and Irish horses dominate the betting in the Turf, with Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance and John & Thady Gosden’s Emily Upjohn heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. But neither of Japan’s contenders are far away on their best form and six-year-old Shahryar in particular is entitled to plenty of respect on his form with that pair earlier in the year. The former Japanese Derby winner is a seasoned international campaigner, first coming to prominence when beating Godolphin’s subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Yibir in the 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic. A 33/1 chance for the latest renewal of that contest, Shahryar ran well when staying on for second, two lengths behind Rebel’s Romance, with Emily Upjohn behind him in fifth. Whilst below his best on his only start since back in Japan, it’s also worth remembering Shahryar’s excellent third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita which he might even have won had he enjoyed the clear run up the rail which Ryan Moore found on Auguste Rodin. Japan’s other Turf contender Rousham Park has a less proven record at the top level but did go close in Group 1 company at Hanshin early in the year.
FOREVER YOUNG – Classic, Saturday
After those two ground-breaking winners at Del Mar three years ago, Yoshito Yahagi is back this year but with just the one runner, three-year-old colt Forever Young, who looks one of the main rivals to City of Troy in the Classic. Like City of Troy, Forever Young has only been beaten once but his was the narrowest of defeats, going down by a couple of noses to Mystic Dan and Sierra Leone in the Kentucky Derby. Forever Young’s effort was all the more praiseworthy as he was bumped repeatedly by the runner-up, whom he meets again here, and who was leaning into him all the way up the straight. Prior to that, Forever Young had completed a lucrative double in two other ‘Derbys’, the Saudi and UAE versions, and he returned successfully from a break to win the Japan Dirt Classic in early-October. Japan’s other two contenders contested a weaker edition of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic in which Derma Sotogake, himself winner of the UAE Derby in 2023, was runner-up. However, last year’s fifth Ushba Tesoro has been in the better form of the pair this season, narrowly beaten in the Saudi Cup and runner-up too in the Dubai World Cup which he won last year.
REMAKE – Sprint, Saturday
With no standout dirt sprinter among the home team this year, the Sprint looks wide open which puts Remake, one of three Japanese entries, right in the mix heading the Timeform ratings. Campaigned overseas this year, he was last seen in South Korea, winning the Korea Sprint for the second year running, but there was probably more substance to his success on the Saudi Cup undercard earlier in the year when beating American rivals in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint – runner-up Skelly takes him on again here. Remake had finished third in the same contest the year before to Elite Power, winner of the last two Breeders’ Cup Sprints. He looks Yuga Kawada’s best chance of another Breeders’ Cup win this year after partnering Loves Only You here three years ago. But Don Frankie isn’t without a chance for Japan either. He and Remake beat each other in a couple of meetings between the pair last year and Don Frankie finished a couple of places in front of a rather luckless Remake when runner-up in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March.
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