Japan's Kentucky Derby 2023 trail: Previewing Tokyo's Hyacinth

Japan’s points-paying road to Kentucky Derby 2023 resumes Sunday with the running of the Hyacinth over 1,600 meters (about one mile) on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse. Post time for the Hyacinth is 12:25 a.m. EST.

The Hyacinth serves as the penultimate stop in the four-race series, awarding qualification points to the top five finishers on a 30-12-9-6-3 basis. But even with this appealing prize on the table, the Hyacinth is not the top February target for Japan’s Triple Crown nominees. The first two Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby prep winners (Continuar and Derma Sotogake) are traveling abroad for next week’s Group 3 Saudi Derby.

Nevertheless, there are half a dozen Triple Crown nominees among the 14 horses entered in the Hyacinth. The Hyacinth has proven its worth as Kentucky Derby qualifier by producing Derby starters Lani (ninth in 2016), Master Fencer (sixth in 2019) and Crown Pride (13th in 2022), so let’s dig in and analyze the Triple Crown nominees in Sunday’s field.

Perriere: A key contender in the Hyacinth is Perriere, who earned Derby qualification points when finishing third in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (local G1) last December. The bay colt previously went 2-for-2, winning a 1,700-meter contest for first-time starters before cutting back to 1,400 for the Oxalis Sho allowance at Tokyo Racecourse, which he dominated by 3 1/2 lengths. A son of two-time Grade 1-winning U.S. sprinter Henny Hughes (the sire of three-time Breeders’ Cup winner Beholder), Perriere has a strong chance to win the Hyacinth.

Goraiko: Second and 10th in his first two starts traveling 1,700 meters, Goraiko improved sharply in his final two runs of 2022, winning an 1,800-meter maiden race at Chukyo before nabbing the JBC Nisai Yushun (local G3) at Monbetsu by 2 1/2 lengths. Goraiko has good tactical speed and brings an improving profile to the Hyacinth, so do not dismiss him from contention. His sire, Hokko Tarumae, won the Champions Cup (G1) plus nine local Group 1 prizes on dirt in Japan.

Meta Max: Trainer Hideyuki Mori has brought horses to the U.S. in the past, saddling seven Breeders’ Cup starters plus Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes participant France Go de Ina. Perhaps Mori will return to the U.S. with Meta Max, a son of four-time leading North American sire Into Mischief. The bay colt faltered in his first two starts on turf but improved sharply in a 1,000-meter maiden race at Kokura last month, rallying to win by a head. Stretching out over 1,600 meters should be within Meta Max’s capabilities, so he has upside for further improvement in the Hyacinth.

Sunday Funday: It is safe to say Sunday Funday has speed. He has set the pace in each of his first two starts, wiring a 1,800-meter event for first-time starters at Hanshin before tiring to finish ninth in a 1,800-meter allowance at Chukyo. The question is, which Sunday Funday will we see on Sunday – the stayer or the fader? Stepping up against tougher competition is bound to be difficult, but Sunday Funday’s pedigree (he is a grandson of Giant’s Causeway) offers potential for improving with maturity.

Eclogite: You win some, you lose some. That seems to be the attitude Eclogite has adopted toward his racing career. Third in his debut at Hanshin, Eclogite broke his maiden sprinting 1,400 meters at Chukyo before finishing 14th in the Oxalis Sho allowance behind Perriere. But then he bounced back in a 1,800-meter allowance at Chukyo, leading almost all the way to prevail by a neck. If you draw a line through Eclogite’s misfire in the Oxalis Sho, his form lines are promising. But he cannot misfire again if he wants to turn the tables on Perriere and pick up Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Omega Tuxedo: Rounding out the Triple Crown nominees is Omega Tuxedo, a son of the 2010 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II (G1) winner Harbinger. Omega Tuxedo kicked off his career on a promising note, employing pace-tracking tactics to win a 1,600-meter race for first-time starters at Tokyo Racecourse. But the bay colt has subsequently finished third and sixth in allowance contests at Nakayama and Tokyo, so jumping into stakes competition for the Hyacinth could be challenging. He needs to step forward off the form of his maiden score.

We also have to mention Omatsuri Otoko, the possible Hyacinth favorite. While not a Triple Crown nominee, Omatsuri Otoko exits a runner-up finish in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun on the Japanese Derby trail, in which he missed victory by a head while finishing one length clear of Perriere. Omatsuri Otoko has won three of his five starts, including a local Grade 2 race, and will be a force to reckon with if he brings his A-game to the Hyacinth.

The Hyacinth is the ninth race on a 12-race card highlighted by the February (G1), in which Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Shirl’s Speight is taking on a formidable field led by two-time defending Champions Cup winner Cafe Pharoah. The Champions Cup is slated for 1:40 a.m. EST.