A field of 12 Japanese-bred 2-year-old colts descends on Kawasaki Racecourse Wednesday evening for the $490,090 Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, a 1600-meter contest that serves as the second of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. A total of 42 Derby points are on the line, to be awarded to the first five finishers on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2.
Aigle Noir (Jpn), a son of Eclipse Award winner Bricks and Mortar, looks for his fourth win from five starts overall and will try to remain undefeated on the dirt in the process. Fourth on turf debut at Hanshin in June, the dark bay graduated over 1700 meters at Kokura Sept. 2 and narrowly prevailed in a Tokyo allowance Oct. 14, defeating Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes). Aigle Noir stepped up to stakes company last time, besting the re-opposing Satono Phoenix (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in the Listed Hyogo Junior Grand Prix Nov. 22 (see below, SC 7), while Amante Bianco further flattered the form with a handy success in the Cattleya S., the first of the Japanese Kentucky Derby points races at Tokyo three days later.
Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) was purchased for ¥98 million ($720,603) as a yearling at the JRHA Select Sale and is flawless in his two starts to date. A son of GII Santa Ynez S. victress Forever Darling (Congrats) and from the family of Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Kris S.) , the Yoshito Yahagi trainee opened his account with a stylish four-length victory in an 1800-meter newcomers event at Kyoto Oct. 14 and was the facile winner of the Listed JBC Nisai Yushun at Mombetsu when last seen Nov. 4 (see below, SC 3). Ryusei Sakai rides the narrow second ante-post favorite.
Godolphin homebred Nasty Weather (Jpn) (Pyro) is also two from three on the dirt, while Seltsam (Jpn) (Henny Hughes)–a distant third to Aigle Noir and Satono Phoenix last time–is the lone group winner in the field, having upset the G3 Hakodate Nisai S. on the turf back in July.
None of the participants from the Cattleya S. presses on to this test, meaning that the winner takes over at the top of the standings. The series continues with the Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Feb. 18 and the Fukuryu S. (allowance) at Nakayama Mar. 23.
The 2022 renewal was won by subsequent G2 UAE Derby hero and recent GI Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits).
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