Sometimes, the broad-brimmed hat is an ostentatious purple. Other times, it is a deep crimson. And it can even be an American-style baseball hat. To be behatted hardly makes Yoshito Yahagi unique in horse racing, but the Japanese trainer’s sartorial style tends to make him stand out among the tweeds and checks. He is, of course, more substance than style. Yahagi’s success in Japan has been substantial, but he has also made a name for himself on the international circuit, particularly over the last five years.
Yahagi has business in the United States at the moment. His charge, Forever Young, is seen as a fair chance for the 150th Kentucky Derby. He’s third in the Derby markets with the majority of horse betting sportsbooks. While an unknown quality, given he only took his first steps on American soil in mid-April, it’s worth noting that Yahagi has brought horses here before and won, including the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Distaff in 2021. He was the first Japanese trainer to win any Breeders’ event.
Cox Plate Put Yahagi on International Map
The prefix “first Japanese” is used a lot with Yahagi. Last year, he became the first Japanese trainer to land the world’s richest horse race – the Saudi Cup. He was also the first Japanese trainer to win the Cox Plate, one of Australia’s big three races in the Spring Carnival. Yahagi admits he owes a lot to Australia. It was there that he learned about his trade as a trainer, and that the 2019 Cox Plate win was an openly emotional one for a man who usually looks unflappable.
It is in his native Japan, though, where Yahagi has earned most recognition. He won the Japanese Racing Association’s top trainer title for wins in 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and he placed second last year. His major victories in Japan include two wins in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and a victory in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) with Breeders’ Cup-winning filly Loves Only You.
A Bold Approach to International Competition
His attitude to racing beyond Japan’s has often been described as bold. It is, of course, not uncommon for Japanese trainers to try their luck elsewhere, especially in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong. But Yahagi has been bold in the sense that he has been aggressive in taking his charges abroad when he considers they have the talent, even when it feels somewhat lacking in judgment in terms of timetabling.
A case in point was Deep Brillante – arguably Yahagi’s first superstar horse. After winning the Japanese Derby in late May 2012, Yahagi took the horse to Europe for a tilt at the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot several weeks later. The decision to take him to England felt rushed, and Deep Brillante was well off the pace. It did not stunt Yahagi’s ambition for international accolades, although he has increasingly looked beyond Europe to Australia, the Middle East, and, of course, the United States.
The decision to aim Forever Young at the Kentucky Derby does not feel rushed. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; it’s felt organic. A good run should also make a mockery of the previously-held assumption that Japanese trainers should aim for turf races. But Yahagi will stand out in his colorful attire, whatever the result.
