Perrière makes late run, wins Japan points race for Ky. Derby

Perrière moved to the top of the standings on the Japan road to Kentucky Derby 2023, making a late run down the stretch Sunday to seize a 1 1/2-length victory in the $273,442 Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse.

A 3-year-old colt by Henny Hughes, Perrière (1-1) took the lead in the final furlong of the one-mile dirt race, running past eventual runner-up Z Lien (93-1) to avoid a major upset.

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Eclogite (68-1) was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third, getting a nose in front of fourth-place Great Sand Sea (6-1). It was another neck back to Goraiko (15-1) in fifth.

Owned by Yuji Hasegawa, trained by Yoichi Kuroiwa and ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, Perrière upped his record to 4: 3-0-1. His winning time of 1:37.2 without a run-up came after the first half-mile went in 47.2 seconds and the first five furlongs in 1:00.0. The first 70 yards were run on turf before the field of 14 joined the fast, dirt track for the rest of the race that went around one left turn.

The top five finishers earned 30-12-9-6-3 points toward qualifying for the maximum one berth that is reserved for a Japan-based horse in the May 6 Kentucky Derby.

Perrière, whose only loss still earned him six points, has 36. Derma Sotogake, who beat Perrière in the December running of the Nikai Yushun, is next with 20 followed by Z Lien with 12 and Cattleya winner Continuar with 10.

There is one race left in the Japan qualifying series. That is the March 25 running of the Fukuryu Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race on the dirt at Nakayama.