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Tastiera Conquers Second Leg of Triple Crown - Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

Fourth favoriteand Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) runner-up Tastiera turned the tables this time and powered to victory to notch this year’s Tokyo Yushun, reaching the pinnacle of a total of 7,708 three-year-old thoroughbreds. As a first-crop progeny by sire Satono Crown, who was also trained by Noriyuki Hori and third in the 2015 Tokyo Yushun, the bay colt gave his sire his first G1 victory. After breaking his maiden last November (Tokyo, 1,800m), Tastiera was fourth in the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) and went on to land his first graded win in the Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2, 2,000m) in March before finishing a 1-1/4-length second in the Satsuki Sho (G1, 2,000m). This marks trainer Noriyuki Hori’s second Tokyo Yushun title following the 2015 win with Duramente, first JRA-G1 victory since the 2022 February Stakes with Cafe Pharoah and 15th overall. Jockey Damian Lane, who has ridden under short-term license since April 15, has now five JRA-G1 titles under his belt, his latest being last year’s Mile Championship with Serifos. He also becomes the first foreign-based jockey since Mirco Demuro (2003, Neo Universe) to claim the Tokyo Yushun title.

After breaking from stall 12, Tastiera was positioned well in fifth and two-wide while Pax Ottomanica set a moderate pace way up front maintaining a huge lead into the stretch. Hitting the straight in fourth, the Satono Crown colt responded well to steadily close in, inheriting the lead from the pacesetter 200 meters out while repelling a determined challenge from Bellagio Opera from an inner route and a fiercely dueling Sol Oriens and Hearts Concerto on his outside to reach the wire a neck ahead for the win.

‟It’s a very special, great feeling especially for Hori Stables and Carrot Farm with whom I’ve had success with. It was definitely the position (today), and credit to the horse—he’s so versatile, he could jump quick, put himself in a good position and relax. It's just a great sense of achievement,” commented Damian Lane.

Heavy favorite and Satsuki Sho victor Sol Oriens broke well and sat in sixth, just behind the eventual winner, while Hearts Concerto, who was off slow and near the rear earlier, steadily made headway in the backstretch to catch up and enter the straight alongside Sol Oriens. Although unable to tag the winner, the Satsuki Sho champion held off the son of Heart’s Cry by a nose for second place in a result of a fierce duel to the line, while being denied the possibility of a Triple Crown triumph by the winner by a neck.

Other Horses:
4th: (1) Bellagio Opera—took economic trip around 8th, showed fastest late speed on inner stretch to rally for lead until wire, nose short for third place
5th: (15) Nocking Point—traveled behind winner, switched to outside at early stretch, passed one by one
6th: (3) Ho O Biscuits—chased leader in 2nd, dueled with winner briefly, weakened in last 100m
7th: (13) Season Rich—tracked leaders in 3rd, failed to sustain bid in last 200m
8th: (14) Phantom Thief—sat 3-wide around 10th, lacked needed kick
9th: (10) Shazzan—settled around 10th, angled out, passed tiring rivals
10th: (7) Hrimfaxi—hugged rails around 10th, switched to outside at early stretch, even paced
11th: (18) Satono Glanz—unhurried around 14th, showed belated charge
12th: (8) Metal Speed—raced in 4th inside winner, remained in contention until 300m out
13th: (16) Pax Ottomanica—set pace, maintained lead up to 200m pole, ran out of steam
14th: (4) Top Knife—stumbled and ran in 15th, entered lane in last, showed belated charge
15th: (9) Gruner Green—traveled around 8th, showed little after final corner
16th: (6) Shonan Bashitto—broke poorly, trailed in rear, no factor
17th: (2) Skilfing—saved ground around 12th, advanced on outer route in backstretch, outrun at stretch
FF: (17) Dura Erede—stumbled at break and lost rider

THE 90TH TOKYO YUSHUN (JAPANESE DERBY, G1)
3-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 2,400 meters (about 12 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 28, 2023       Tokyo Racecourse        11th Race         Post Time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 648,000,000 (about US$ 4,947,000 <US$1=¥131>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 2 kg allowance for Fillies, 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2020
Course Record: 2:20.6       Race Record: 2:21.9 [Do Deuce (JPN, by Heart's Cry), 2022]
Safety factor: 18 runners    Going: Good to Firm    Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 28,386,745,400       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 44,446,791,000       Attendance: 71,868

Winner= 5 starts: 3 wins & 1 second / Added money: ¥ 327,349,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 482,329,000

* Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1)

With the aim of establishing a systemized program that emulates the Triple Crown race held in Britain, and enhancing the quality of thoroughbreds in Japan, a 2,400-meter race for three-year-old thoroughbreds was established at Tokyo Racecourse (then situated in Meguro ward) in 1932. While maintaining its status as one of the most popular JRA events with a record crowd of 196,517 in 1990, the race has evolved during its long history, opening its door to runners from National Association of Racing (NAR; local public racing) since 1995 and foreign-bred participants since 2001. In 2010, the race entered a new phase as JRA reached the final stage of its internationalization project, allowing foreign contestants in all its graded events. The winner’s prize money, which had already exceeded 100 million yen in 1989, has now reached 300 million, making it the third richest race behind the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) and the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m).
Among those who won both the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, 2,000m) and the Derby, only eight in the past went on to claim the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, 3,000m), successfully becoming JRA’s Triple Crown winner—the latest being Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact) who followed his sire as one of only three in JRA history to accomplish the feat undefeated in 2020. Meanwhile, Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet) became the first filly in 64 years to claim the derby title in 2007.
This year, Sol Oriens, Tastiera, Phantom Thief, Metal Speed and Shonan Bashitto, the top five finishers in that order of the Satsuki Sho (Apr.16), automatically acquired berths to run in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Proven grade-race winners who also made their bids in the Satsuki Sho; Hrimfaxi (9th), Bellagio Opera (10th) and Gruner Green (11th) were at the starting gate aiming to enhance their performances. Contenders coming off Derby trials were Skilfing and Hearts Concerto, the top two finishers of the Aoba Sho (G2, 2,400m, Apr.29), and Pax Ottomanica, winner of the Principal Stakes (Listed, 2,000m, May.6). The field also included Season Rich and Satono Glanz, respective winners of the Mainichi Hai (G3, 1,800m, Mar.25) and the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,200m, May.6) as well as 2022 Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) victor Dura Erede who came off a runner-up effort in the UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m, Mar.25).