Derma Sotogake in one of his pre-Kentucky Derby works at Churchill Downs. (JennyPhoto/Past The Wire)
Japanese Contender Returns to United States
Breeders’ Cup Notes
From Kentucky Derby (G1) hype horse to “the other Japanese runner” is the difference six months and an interrupted prep schedule has made for Hiroyuki Asanuma’s Derma Sotogake (JPN), a striking chestnut colt who nevertheless continues to show positive signs since shipping in from Japan for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
A four-time winner from nine starts, the son of dual Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)-placed Mind Your Biscuits spent a Monday morning as unorthodox as his preparation, spending an hour training, including multiple warmup walks and footwork, parade-ring schooling and a couple easy laps of the Santa Anita dirt track.
“They do train longer in Japan, yes, but that was more a function of the training and break schedule at Santa Anita, as well as the uniqueness of the grounds here,” reported international agent Kate Hunter, who has overseen the recruiting, shipping and general logistics of all Japanese Breeders’ Cup runners.
A one-sided winner of the UAE Derby (G2) in March, the top-rated dirt 2-year-old in Japan of 2022 came into the Kentucky Derby in May as a contender many believed was Japan’s best-ever chance for victory in the Run for the Roses. A 14-of-18 draw, and hindered start proved too much to overcome, but he did make a brief bid and ran with credit to finish sixth under Christophe Lemaire, who retains the mount Saturday. Said effort, along with his sprinter sire, also have raised concerns over his stamina.
“He ran in the UAE Derby from the front and that went well, but missing the jump was everything in the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Hidetaka Otonashi said. “I am not concerned at all about (stamina). Mind Your Biscuits’ progeny have been winning over 1800 meters and 2000 meters in Japan.”
Since the First Saturday in May, the goal for the three-time stakes winner has been to return to America for the Breeders’ Cup. Plans hit a speedbump a mid-September in the form of a foot injury that prevented him from a scheduled late-September prep in the Nippon TV Hai, where he would have faced Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Ushba Tesoro (JPN).
“Unfortunately, after training well, he had a little setback with a hoof issue and he missed the prep race,” Otonashi said. “He recovered very well, and he is moving very well now.
“He was finishing well in Kentucky, and he ran a good race,” Otonashi concluded. “As far as this race, he does not need to be on the front and following the leader would be the best for him — but I don’t mind if he leads the race like in Dubai.”
Missing his prep also delayed a much-anticipated clash with Ushba Tesoro, who won the Nippon TV Hai and has coincidentally been his walking buddy to the track in the mornings since arriving at Santa Anita. Adding fuel to the rivalry fire is that many speed-figure devotees believe that Derma Sotogake’s UAE Derby effort over 1 3/16 miles at Meydan was a superior run to Ushba Tesoro’s win three hours later of 1¼ miles.
In such, it appears that the World Championships in America will be where racing fans finally find out who the better Japanese horse is, even if they had to cross the world to do it.
