History of Japanese horses in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic
Wednesday, 30 October, 2024 15:00
Derma Sotogake (C)netkeiba
The Breeders' Cup Classic, widely regarded as the pinnacle of dirt racing, has seen a total of seven Japanese horses attempt to claim victory over the years. However, Japan remains winless in this prestigious G1 race, with last year's runner-up finish by Derma Sotogake marking the best result to date. This year, Ushba Tesoro, Derma Sotogake, and Forever Young are set to represent Japan, aiming to achieve the historic feat. Before they take on this challenge, let's look back at Japan's efforts in this race so far.
Japan's first entry came in 1996 with Taiki Blizzard, who had finished second in that year's Yasuda Kinen. Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa and ridden by Yukio Okabe, the duo would later capture the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois with Taiki Shuttle. Despite their strong credentials, Taiki Blizzard, returning to dirt racing after two years and seven months, struggled and finished at the back in 13th place. He returned in 1997, but again finished sixth, well behind the winner, underscoring the challenge of competing on the world stage.
In 2008, Kazuo Fujisawa took another shot, this time with Casino Drive, the winner of that year's G2 Peter Pan Stakes. Having recently won a prep race two weeks prior, he garnered high expectations. Although Casino Drive took the lead after a strong start, he began to fall back from the fourth corner and ultimately finished last, unable to redeem the missed chance from his scratched entry in the Belmont Stakes.
It was not until last year that Japan came closest to victory, with multiple entries in the race for the first time. Ushba Tesoro, the domestic favourite, followed his usual strategy by sitting at the rear before making a gradual push up the backstretch, but he lacked the closing speed and finished fifth. Meanwhile, Derma Sotogake, under Christophe Lemaire, ran a bold race, staying close in fourth for much of the trip and driving hard in the stretch. Just one length shy of White Abarrio, he finished a gallant second, narrowly missing Japan's first Breeders' Cup Classic title.
This year, three top Japanese contenders will take on the Classic once more, aiming to carve a new chapter into Japanese racing history.
Japan's first entry came in 1996 with Taiki Blizzard, who had finished second in that year's Yasuda Kinen. Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa and ridden by Yukio Okabe, the duo would later capture the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois with Taiki Shuttle. Despite their strong credentials, Taiki Blizzard, returning to dirt racing after two years and seven months, struggled and finished at the back in 13th place. He returned in 1997, but again finished sixth, well behind the winner, underscoring the challenge of competing on the world stage.
In 2008, Kazuo Fujisawa took another shot, this time with Casino Drive, the winner of that year's G2 Peter Pan Stakes. Having recently won a prep race two weeks prior, he garnered high expectations. Although Casino Drive took the lead after a strong start, he began to fall back from the fourth corner and ultimately finished last, unable to redeem the missed chance from his scratched entry in the Belmont Stakes.
It was not until last year that Japan came closest to victory, with multiple entries in the race for the first time. Ushba Tesoro, the domestic favourite, followed his usual strategy by sitting at the rear before making a gradual push up the backstretch, but he lacked the closing speed and finished fifth. Meanwhile, Derma Sotogake, under Christophe Lemaire, ran a bold race, staying close in fourth for much of the trip and driving hard in the stretch. Just one length shy of White Abarrio, he finished a gallant second, narrowly missing Japan's first Breeders' Cup Classic title.
This year, three top Japanese contenders will take on the Classic once more, aiming to carve a new chapter into Japanese racing history.