Kentucky Derby 2023: Yahagi hopes to change Continuar’s luck

Louisville, Ky.

The internationally familiar face of trainer Yoshito Yahagi was seen for the first time Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. Unfamiliar was the jacket he was wearing.

With an American flag stylized across the collar, Yahagi’s windbreaker had sleeves of red on the left and white on the right with breast patches commemorating 2021 Breeders’ Cup winners Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine.

“These two mares actually got new foals this spring,” Yahagi said through a translator. “I’m excited for that.”

The jacket might have provided Yahagi symbolic hope for what his baseball cap represented. With the black, red and yellow colors of Lion Race Horse, Yahagi’s lid paid homage to Continuar, his 50-1 morning-line long shot in Kentucky Derby 2023 on Saturday.

See Ed DeRosa’s Kentucky Derby 2023 fair odds.

A third-place finish March 25 in the UAE Derby (G2) helped Continuar use the side door of the Japan invitation to get to Kentucky, building on a November victory in the Cattleya Stakes in Tokyo.

Then the actual path to America got complicated for the $635,432 Drefong colt.

“After the UAE Derby, we wanted to come directly to the Kentucky Derby,” Yahagi said. “But it was really hard shipping from Dubai to America.”

Once all the red tape was ironed out, Continuar was joined on the trip to by UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake, who might be the wise-guy horse this week. They settled into the Churchill Downs quarantine barns April 8.

Daily trips to track climaxed, or anti-climaxed, in Continuar’s half-mile workout Wednesday, a 50.0-second breeze that got poor reviews from all sorts of clockers and watchers.

“I needed more time after shipping from UAE,” Yahagi said. “We’ll just sharpen up on Thursday morning to prepare for the Derby.”

The best-laid plans were detoured again Monday, when Continuar got stuck with post 20 in the 20-horse field.

“It’s not a good barrier draw,” was all Yahagi had to say about it.

Even with all the pitfalls, Continuar comes in with the head of steam that Japan has built internationally, including Ushba Tesoro’s victory in the Dubai World Cup (G1), Panthalassa’s in the Saudi Cup (G1) and, of course, Yahagi’s triumphs in that Del Mar Breeders’ Cup.

All this success can be traced to 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence, who became would become a 13-time champion sire and Japan’s most influential stallion ever.

“On the breeding side, you guys know Sunday Silence produced so many great horses in Japan,” said Yahagi, whose charge this week has the late stallion’s name on his dam side. “Sunday Silence developed the Japanese racing industry to a really international level. I wish you guys were paying more attention to the Japanese racing program now.”

Yahagi said that last part with a smile, even if it might have been wan. In spite of all the complications and the questions that came with a Middle East journey that also included a fifth-place finish in the Saudi Derby (G3), Continuar still made it to Louisville.

Come this weekend it will be up to 25-year-old Ryusei Sakai to work out a trip from the outside draw through a mid-pack run to what Yahagi hopes will be long-shot victory.

Saturday evening’s race translates to Sunday at 9 a.m. back home. That would be one month to the day since Yahagi helped christen a statue at Kyoto Racecourse honoring Contrail, a three-time champion in Japan who earned more than $8.7 million.

Would a Kentucky Derby triumph merit a statue for Continuar?

“Of course I’d like to make him a statue,” Yahagi said, “if that much of a big, historical shock happened.”

Ever flashy with his wardrobe and his trademark collection of dapper-looking hats, Yahagi was asked what color he would be featuring on Derby day.

“Can I make it a secret?” he asked, perhaps hoping to wear some of the roses that go to the Derby winner.

Continuar and Derma Sotogake, who drew post 17 and is 10-1 on the morning line, will be the fifth and sixth horses from Japan to race in the Kentucky Derby. Ski Captain finished 14th in 1995, Lani ninth in 2016, Master Fencer sixth in 2019 and Crown Pride 13th last year.