One of two confirmed Japanese runners in this year's G1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, three-year-old colt Continuar has been withdrawn from the race because of a left hindlimb condition.

Continuar travelled to the U.S. at the beginning of April after reaching third place in the UAE Derby. Trainer Yahagi commented, "After he arrived in the U.S., the condition of his left hindlimb worsened as a result of the fatigue, and he spent lots of time in recovery. However, I judged that he could not show his best performance in the race, so I requested that he be withdrawn with the owner's understanding."

Yahagi opened up, adding, "Continuar's future is the priority factor of this decision; I had a hard time deciding because of the betting ticket sales in Japan, and other factors too. Everybody worked hard to bring him into good condition for the most famous U.S. race, so I felt depressed. I hope I can come back to this place again. Thank you to Churchill Downs and others who supported him, and please cheer warmly when he returns to the racecourse."