The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby suddenly took on the look of a highway to Louisville when a field of 14 3-year-olds was announced for the Hyacinth Stock February 19 at Tokyo Racecourse.
Even after losing to the two top scorers in the series prior to the February 25 Saudi Arabia Derby (G3), Hyacinth still included six early contenders for the US Triple Crown, one of them finished fourth on the leaderboard in the Japan series.
The Hyacinth, which competes in the one-mile race on the Tokyo dirt track, is the third of four races on the Japan Road. Churchill Downs extended to the winner an invitation to win a guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
First held in 2017, the series has yet to produce a Derby winner and in recent years has failed to attract any participants to Run for the Roses. This year has a different feel with a new emphasis on off-road racing in Japan, generating a record 37 early Japanese nominations for the US Triple Crown.
sotogake skin topped the Japan Road leaderboard with 20 points, thanks to winning Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse. continue won the first leg, Cattleya Stakes, November 26 in Tokyo, earning 10 points and holding second place. Both are shortlisted for the Saudi Arabia Derby and both are also early contenders for the US Crown Trio.
With ponies heading to the Arabian Peninsula, Perriere is the sole point holder in dispute over Hyacinth. The Henny Hughes colt won the first two starts in 2022 before finishing third in Zen-Nippon. All of his races take place on dirt roads.
Other Triple Crown contenders in the Hyacinth field are Ecologicalalso by Henny Hughes; Goraikovia Hokko Tarumae ; super maxa Kentucky foal by into naughty ; Tuxedo Omegavia omen ; And Sundaythe son of Suzuka Street.
None stand out but some promise.
Goraiko ended her 2-year campaign with a pair of wins, the last one in the JBC Nisai Yushun listed at Mombetsu Racecourse. Meta Max has done a great job in two matches that started on grass in 2022 but won by a margin when switching to grass in his debut three years ago. Ecologite also won its first win of the year.
Hyacinth gives points on a 30-12-9-6-3 scale so that the winner will take the lead in the series. Results will remain in doubt until the end of the final stage, Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse on March 25, where the winner gets 40 points.
March 25 is also the day of the UAE Derby (G2), awarding 100 points to the winner of the main Churchill Downs Road to the Kentucky Derby. That race was a logical step between the Arabian Derby and the Kentucky Derby for horses that ran well in Riyadh but lacked the points to enter Run for the Roses.
The European Road to the Kentucky Derby continues on March 1 at Kempton Park, continues on March 3 on the all-weather track at Dundalk and ends March 30 at Chelmsford City. The first four stages take place in the fall on grass and are unlikely to be played out in series.
