Tag: Hidetaka Otonashi

Derma Sotogake Drills; Thursday Oaks Schedule Quickens

Three GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls, as well as a GI Kentucky Oaks potential entrant, worked Wednesday morning over a fast surface at Churchill Downs, the track said in a release on Wednesday.

Hiroyuki Asanuma's G2 UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) drilled five furlongs in 1:01.40 and was partnered with Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.'s Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong), who worked a half-mile in :50.

Shortly after those breezes during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Oaks horses, R.T. Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine's Sun Thunder (Into Mischief) worked a half-mile on his own in :48.60 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard.

“He pretty much just clipped 12s the whole way around,” Hernandez said. “They added blinkers to him this morning, and that seems to make him want to go forward, and kind of get into things a little earlier than he did before the blinkers. He finished in 48 and 3 [-fifths], with a good gallop out.”

Richard Bahde's Taxed (Collected), the runner-up in the GIII Fantasy S. and No. 15 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, worked a half-mile in :47.60 under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Derma Sotogake and Continuar's Work

The pair of Japanese workmates drilled continuing through five furlongs, with Continuar completing a half-mile.

Breaking off at the half-mile pole, Continuar was 3 lengths in front under Kazunari Yoshida. By the head of the stretch, Derma Sotogake had drawn even under Masatoshi Segawa and was clear at the wire.

Fractions for Derma Sotogake were :25.80, :37.20, :48.60 and 1:01.40. Continuar was clocked in :13.40, :26.40, :50 and out five furlongs in 1:04.40.

Both horses will walk in the Quarantine Barn on Thursday.

Kate Hunter, the Japan Racing Association representative for the Kentucky Derby, said that both riders were happy with the works with Segawa pleased with the response in the stretch from Derma Sotogake.

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer of Continuar, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Monday with Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer of Derma Sotogake, due in the following day.

Thursday Schedule

One Derby work is scheduled for Thursday morning and that is Wild On Ice (Tapizar). Jockey Ken Tohill is flying to Louisville this afternoon and will be aboard for the work for trainer Joel Marr.

The Kentucky Oaks work schedule Thursday is much heavier with nine breezes slated.

Trainer Brad Cox is expected to work his trio of Wet Paint (Blame), Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro) and The Alys Look (Connect). Trainer Todd Pletcher has his duo of Gambling Girl (Dialed In) and Julia Shining (Curlin) scheduled to breeze along with Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) for Norm Casse, Flying Connection (Nyquist) for Todd Fincher, Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) for Mark Casse and possibly Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) for Brendan Walsh.

The post Derma Sotogake Drills; Thursday Oaks Schedule Quickens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Aristoteles Looks to Rebound in Tenno Sho Spring

The G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), first run at Hanshin in 1938, was subsequently moved to Kyoto, but returns to Hanshin for the 2021 renewal as Kyoto undergoes extensive renovation this spring. Among this season's likely favorites, Aristoteles (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) finished runner up behind 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) in last fall's G1 Kikura Sho (Japanese St. Leger) before taking the 2,200-meter G2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama Jan. 24. Heavily favored in his latest start in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 meters Mar. 21, the 4-year-old finished a distant seventh behind winner Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}).

“One of the keys will be getting him to run with a good rhythm, so these past two weeks the jockey has been working the horse uphill in training, as well as on the woodchip course, and getting good contact and understanding with him,” said trainer Hidetaka Otonashi of Aristoteles. “His last piece of work was a lot quicker. I think if the ground is good on the day of the race, the 3,200 meters won't be a problem, and as I've said, getting into the flow of things will be important, but I'd like him to bounce back to form this time.”

In regards to tactics in this weekend's contest, jockey Christophe Lemaire added, “He's become more mature, especially mentally. He's in top condition right now. The start will be important, and also not losing anything in the run. His footwork is good and, hopefully, he can show this inside the last 500 meters.”

Also likely to gain plenty of support, Deep Bond recorded a pair of credible fourths behind winner Contrail in a pair of group starts last season, including the aforementioned Kikura Sho, but couldn't build on those when posting a forgettable 14th in the 2,000-meter Nakayama Kimpai Jan. 5. The 4-year-old's connections hope his eye-catching five-length win in the Daishoten can get the colt back in the winner's circle Sunday.

“He's always been a big striding horse, but in some of his previous races he's looked a bit slow,” said trainer Ryuji Okubo. “Now though, he's looking a lot faster and lighter, and even in the ground last time, he was impressive.”

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