Mitono O wins final race on Japan road to Kentucky Derby
Mitono O (3-2) led from gate to wire, holding off a late charge by Triple Crown nominee Mokku Mokku on Saturday to win the $264,856 Fukuryu Stakes, the last race on Japan’s road to the Kentucky Derby 2023.
The Logotype colt out of the Thunder Gulch mare Seductively led by open lengths in the deep stretch after he responded to the left-handed urging of Takuya Kowata. Mitono O was allowed to coast late on the sloppy Nakayama dirt, and he won by 2 1/2 lengths.
Mokku Mokku (7-1) came from near the back of the 14-horse pack to finish second in the 1 1/8-mile race that went around one right turn. Hero Call (6-1), another deep closer, finished another 2 1/2 lengths behind in third. Eifer Teio (36-1) took fourth, and Oro y Plata (19-1) came in fifth.
Mitono O was clocked at 1:51.9 without a run-up. He set early fractions of 24.3, 49.0, 1:13.1 and 1:38.1. Trained by Koji Maki, Mitono O ran his record to 4: 3-0-0, including 3-for-3 going a route of ground.
For the top five finishers, the race was worth 40-16-12-8-4 points toward qualifying for the one Kentucky Derby invitation extended to the Japan Racing Association.
Mitono O’s owner Royal Park faces a Monday deadline to pay a $6,000 late-nomination fee in order to get into the gate May 6 at Churchill Downs. If that does not happen, it gets complicated.
Connections are thinking about accepting the invitation, according to Japan racing liaison Kate Hunter.
“They are considering overnight,” Hunter said in a direct message from Dubai.
The invitation would fall next to Perrière, but he was due to race Saturday in the UAE Derby (G2), a race that is part of the main road to the Kentucky Derby. If he were to take that path to the Kentucky Derby, Derma Sotogake would be next in line, but he is also in the UAE Derby.
Four horses based in Japan have run in the Kentucky Derby, including Ski Captain, who was 14th in 1995; Lani, ninth in 2016; Master Fencer, sixth in 2019; and Crown Pride, 13th last year. Only Master Fencer took the invitation via the Japan road that was established in 2017.
Yet to be confirmed by Churchill Downs, these were the final standings for the Japan road to the Kentucky Derby:
| Japan road to Ky. Derby | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Mitono O | 40 | $273,040 |
| 1. Perrière* | 36 | $333,601 |
| 2. Derma Sotogake* | 20 | $582,164 |
| Hero Call | 16 | $244,286 |
| 3. Mokku Mokku | 16 | $168,260 |
| Z Lien | 12 | $172,038 |
| 4. Continuar* | 10 | $273,889 |
| 5. Eclogite* | 9 | $146,056 |
| Eifer Teio | 8 | $127,724 |
| Omatsuri Otoko | 8 | $504,449 |
| Great Sand Sea | 6 | $71,484 |
| Mirror of Mind | 4 | $97,852 |
| Oro y Plata | 4 | $118,546 |
| 6. Goraiko* | 3 | $307,588 |
| Jasri | 3 | $100,248 |
| Makura Rapid | 2 | $217,526 |
| 7. Plavi* | 2 | $90,138 |
| Francochamps | 1 | $48,551 |
| *Triple Crown nominee. |