Danon Bourbon, Wonder Dean finish 5th, 8th in Kentucky Derby; T O Elvis wins Churchill Downs Stakes for JRA’s first-ever dirt G1 sprint title in N. America

Danon Bourbon smelled racing history. But that will have to wait for another day.

Trainer Manabu Ikezoe’s colt had his moment in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday (May 2) but ended up in fifth place, three lengths out of first, on a day when history belonged to Cherie DeVaux who became the first-ever female trainer to win the race with long-shot Golden Tempo.

Fellow JRA challenger Wonder Dean, ridden by Ryusei Sakai and trained by Daisuke Takayanagi, was eighth in the 2,000-meter spectacle at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The winning time by Golden Tempo, who went off at odds of 23-1 as the ninth overall favorite, was 2 minutes, 2.27 seconds.

Yet not all was lost for Sakai/Takayanagi, who ahead of the Run for the Roses, crushed the field in the 1,400m Churchill Downs Stakes by more than three lengths with their prized colt T O Elvis.

T O Elvis made it a perfect 5-for-5 for his career as he became the first Japanese-trained horse to win a dirt Grade 1 sprint on North American soil. He is only the third horse from Japan to capture a dirt G1 title in the United States following March Lorraine (2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff) and last year’s Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Naturally, the T O Elvis camp were elated by the victory, his first career shot at a G1 title.

“I believed in him all long and I am so happy,” Takayanagi said. “The races in America tend to start fast and the pace picks up, which I always felt would suit T O Elvis.

“He had really good position during the trip. Going into the final turn, I wasn’t sure if he could last the 1,400m but in the end it was all up to the jockey.

“Fortunately we now have a lot of options including racing abroad again.”

Danon Bourbon, under Atsuya Nishimura, went off as the seventh betting favorite. He ushered a party of 18 into the final straight on the lead and had his Japanese connections thinking - what if.

But in only his fourth start, the Maxfield son was first overtaken by Ocelli and eventually the Jose Ortiz-ridden Golden Tempo who went from next-to-last to first down the stretch, on the outside in what turned out to be a run for the ages.
Ikezoe is expecting bigger and better things going forward for Danon Bourbon, who went abroad for the first time.

“He had us dreaming halfway down the stretch,” Ikezoe said. “From the travel over to the work, everything had gone well up to this point.

“He looked really sharp in the paddock and all I hoped was that he could make it in and out of the gate in one piece. He was calm, was patient and reminded me how smart of a racehorse he is.

“We were in the No. 2 spot at the start, with our eyes on the frontrunner. Pretty much our usual position; towards the front but not all the way out in front.

“I was screaming on the stretch. He’s only three and I think he more than showed that he can hold his own in the States. He still has a lot of room for growth and I’m counting on him from here on.”

While complimenting his partner, the 26-year-old Nishimura was biting his lips, wondering if more could have been done to lead Danon Bourbon to the promised land.

“It’s a tough one for me,” Nishimura said. “He felt really good going into the final straight and I thought we could hang on to the finish.

“Bourbon ran to his potential for sure. It was his first race overseas but everyone went above and beyond to make sure he was in great shape - and he was.

“I was hoping to repay all that we were given with a good result so it’s unfortunate. We were right behind the horse on the lead at the first turn, and the pace settled to his liking. He was jogging at a nice, good rhythm and had him just off the pace on the backstretch where we wanted.

“The result is the only thing that’s frustrating. Bourbon is a talented horse, and I hope I can become a jockey worthy enough to keep riding him.”

Wonder Dean was coming off victory in the G2 UAE Derby in late March, the Dee Majesty son’s first graded win of his career, after running to fourth in the G3 Saudi Derby in February.

Sakai - who rode reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Forever Young to the narrowest of third in the Kentucky Derby in 2024 - seems to be convinced he can count on for more from the Takayanagi-trained colt going forward.

“It wasn’t easy going to Saudi then to Dubai then to America but I really want to thank the team for getting him into the fantastic shape he was in,” Sakai said.

“With all the noise around him, the horse managed to stay calm and kept his composure even after he went on to the track. He’s only three but I was so proud of him, the way he handled himself.

“I was speaking with the trainer about how we weren’t bothered about our positioning, just letting him go at his own rhythm. He traveled fine but got knocked around a bit from the first to the second turn, which probably cost him in the end. But he ran his heart out and I’m only grateful.

“He won in Dubai and he’s only three years old but he already has so much experience which I like to think will tie into his future. I expect much more from him going forward.”

Official Results (Equibase)
Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs Stakes