Fukuryu Stakes offers final opportunity on Japan Road

Mar 21, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby makes its fourth and final stop in Saturday’s Fukuryu S. at Nakayama. With the winners of the first three legs all absent, the winner of the Fukuryu can book a ticket to Churchill Downs by taking home 40 points.

Only five of the 11 entrants are early nominees to the Triple Crown, including Sunrise Soleil, a stablemate of Japan’s leading Derby hopeful, Forever Young. Both are trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who has had success on the world stage from Dubai and Saudi Arabia to Australia and the Breeders’ Cup. Forever Young won the second Japan Road scoring race, the Dec. 13 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, but then began a Mideast swing, winning the Saudi Derby (G3) ahead of the March 30 UAE Derby (G2).

While Forever Young hopes to bank his Derby points on Dubai World Cup night, Sunrise Soleil could give Yahagi another contender. The three-quarter brother to multiple Grade 1-placed turf performer Curren Bouquetd’or has proven more effective on dirt. Successful in a Kyoto newcomers’ race on Jan. 21, Sunrise Soleil was most recently second in a March 9 allowance at Chukyo. Both came at this about 1 1/8-mile trip.

"As a trainer, I am decisive and unconventional."

Yoshito Yahagi provides an insight into his success as a trainer 🐎

🇯🇵 #TheSaudiCup🏆 | #サウジカップ | #矢作芳人 | @netkeiba | @JRA_WorldRacing | @JRAVAN_info 🎌 pic.twitter.com/hxt8lPGpAD

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 24, 2024

The projected top three in the betting, according to en.netkeiba.com – La Oracion, Rata Forest, and Harbor Light – were not originally nominated to the Triple Crown.

La Oracion, by 2016 Belmont (G1) upsetter Creator (a son of Tapit), has won two straight at this track and trip. Rata Forest, seventh as the favorite in the Japan Road’s opening Cattleya S., rebounded with a victory back at Tokyo Feb. 11. Harbor Light, a son of U.S. champion sprinter Drefong, is 2-for-2 since switching to dirt going about 1 3/16 miles at Kyoto.

Aside from Sunrise Soleil, the other early Triple Crown nominees in the Fukuryu are T O Password, who captured his Jan. 6 Kyoto premiere; Not Enough, a Sept. 30 maiden winner who returned from a layoff to make it two in a row on Jan. 8; Arare Tabishuru, a course-and-distance allowance winner who previously just missed to the smart filly Ammothyella; and big outsider Bushin, who hasn’t shown the talent of his full brother, 2020 Derby star and Horse of the Year Authentic.

Amber Doll, a son of 2014 Derby/Preakness (G1) champion and Hall of Famer California Chrome, finally broke his maiden in his fourth attempt. Century Bond, a two-time winner on turf, tries dirt after finishing 14th in the Hopeful (G1). Ramsay Tesoro, a maiden winner two starts back, was well beaten in an ensuing allowance here.

The Fukuryu awards points on a 40-20-12-8-4 basis to the respective top five finishers, the most of any race on the Japan Road. Current points leader Ramjet earned 30 points in the Feb. 18 Hyacinth S.