Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Mandarin Hero
May 05, 2023
Hiroaki Arai’s Mandarin Hero picked up 40 points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby, narrowly sufficient to earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) field.
The Terunobu Fujita trainee raced four times as a juvenile and came out on top in each of those assignments, with every start coming at Oi Racecourse. He wrapped up the year with a narrow victory in the Nov. 16 Haiseiko Kinen, prevailing by a head. A runner-up finish in the Kumotori Sho commenced his sophomore season and earned him a trip to the United States.
Mandarin Hero joined the field for the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 8 and ran well in the 1 1/8-mile contest. The son of Shanghai Bobby saved ground while always in decent striking range, then displayed acceleration and courage when splitting horses in late stretch to miss by just a nose under the wire. His career mark now stands at 6-4-2-0, with earnings of $386,854.
The dark bay colt was bred in Japan by Hirano Bokujo and brought the gavel down at $100,100 as a yearling at the 2021 HBA Summer Yearling Sale. He is out of the unplaced Fuji Kiseki mare Namura Nadeshiko, who counts herself as a half-sister to Group 3 heroine Tokai Mystery.
Mandarin Hero earned a 100 Brisnet Speed rating and a 106 Brisnet Late Pace rating in the Santa Anita Derby, and with improvement he could be a major player in the Run for the Roses. The colt has been on the grounds at Churchill Downs this week and will be well acclimated to his surroundings by Saturday. He still remains a wildcard in the field, and the sophomore will have to overcome a very wide post slot, but Mandarin Hero is one to consider for exotic wagers at big odds. Kazushi Kimura will guide the colt beneath the Twin Spires.
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