One of the leading fancies is Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), winless on turf, but a seven-time scorer on the main track from 1500m to 2100m. The three-time listed winner lines up for his 5-year-old bow off of back-to-back runner-up performances in both the G1 Champions Cup–to G1 Saudi Cup-bound Japanese Champion Dirt Horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) on Dec. 3–and in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten to G1 Dubai World Cup winner and fellow Saudi Cup entrant Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) on Dec. 29. Perched in gate 14-of-16, the entire faces the re-opposing 2022 G1 Hopeful S. winner Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), third in each race, who will be cutting back to a mile for the first time in his career. He leaves from stall four under German Champion Jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev.

Said Wilson Tesoro's trainer Hitoshi Kotegawa of his charge who has accepted an invite to the Dubai World Cup in March, “His workload's been good with training uphill, and I think he's a horse that can still get better. He looks like a dirt horse and he's really switched on. The stable hasn't had a winner this year, so I'd really like to win this one.”

The connections of Dura Erede were similarly bullish, and trainer Manabu Ikezoe said, “He's a powerful horse and I think is suited to dirt. He's refreshed in between races and has kept his condition. We've had him run over a long distance on the woodchip course in training, and this should be good for him in this next race. He should do well against the other strong horses, as he hasn't had any problems with what he's experienced so far, including his races over longer distances.”

Several NAR dirt specialists have signed on to lock horns with their JRA counterparts, and Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) posts one of the most intriguing records–seven-for-eight lifetime. He ran eighth last out in the Tokyo Daishoten behind Ushba Tesoro et. al at Oi on Dec. 29 after he fluffed his lines when the gates opened. The Listed Japan Dirt Derby hero will break from stall three.

Trainer Kazuo Watanabe said, “He didn't break well in his last race, and that meant that he didn't really run to his best. I think the surface didn't help his chances either. He's a horse with a lot of speed and power, and has already broken two records in his races. He should break better with the start on turf this time, and the lighter dirt surface should be better for him.”

The lightly raced Champagne Color (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), although a winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup on this turf course in May, was 14th behind champion Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen a month later and has been missing since.

Group 3 winner Red Le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) will be competing in his fourth consecutive February S., with his best finish 1 1/2 lengths second to Lemon Pop in last year's edition. He was third in the G3 Tokyo Chunichi Sports Hai Musashino S. in November, his most recent start.

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The 'senior circuit' has provided four of the last five winners of the Derby and 10 out of the last 12, and the progressive Yuttitham (Jpn) (Justify) stands ready to add to those stats under the Wednesday night lights. The striking chestnut son of US Grade I winner Zipessa (City Zip) was purchased by Makoto Kaneko for the equivalent of $1.8 million at the 2021 JHRA Select Yearling Sale and has won three of his four starts to date, including a 2 1/2-length allowance success going Tokyo's one-turn mile first off a five-month absence May 14 (see below, SC 6). His lone loss to date came at the hooves of UAE Derby fourth Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), who bounced back to take out the G3 Unicorn S. last month. Leading JRA rider Yuga Kawada retains the call.

3c YUTTITHAM (Justify x Zipessa ) fast work on Ritto chip ahead of the Jpn1 2000m Japan Dirt Derby next Wed.

He is 3 for 4 on the track, was 2nd on debut

10.8 last 1F, outstanding

He's the most aggressive colt in Tariner Sugai's yard and it showspic.twitter.com/uweuEpyila

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) July 6, 2023

Like Yuttitham, Mitono O (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}) has tasted defeat just one time to date and rides a three-race winning streak into the Derby. The chestnut won the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series with a victory in the Fukuryu S. (conditions) Mar. 25, but connections elected to bypass the trip to the States, and the colt exits a romping six-length success from Kirinji (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in listed company over an extended nine furlongs at Sonoda May 3 (see below, SC 6).

The locally based Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) is undefeated and untested in five career appearances, all at Oi Racecourse. Three-from-three least term, he most recently defeated Hero Call (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}) by a half-dozen lengths in the Tokyo Derby over this course and distance June 7 (video, SC 12). The latter had beaten Mandarin Hero in a February allowance at Oi.

Following this year's renewal, the Japan Dirt Derby will be the final leg of the NAR Dirt Triple Crown and will be similarly structured to the JRA Triple Crown on turf. The Haneda Hai will take place in April or May followed by the Tokyo Derby in June. The Dirt Derby will conclude the series in October. Mick Fire won this year's Haneda Hai prior to his Tokyo Derby score. Any horse to sweep the series will receive an ¥80 million bonus.

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Outfooted early in the initial charge from the stalls, the grey rated in eighth three off the fence into the first turn. A bit keen in the opening quarter mile, the 1-5 chalk progressed up to sixth as Work and Love (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) held a three length advantage on the field. Improving a few more spots with a half-mile remaining, Omega Perfume remained well off the inside as the final 400 metres loomed. He let down strongly in upper stretch and challenged Casino Fountain (Jpn) (Casino Drive {Jpn}) for the lead, while History Maker (Jpn) (Empire Maker) and Westerlund (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) were making up ground on the inside and outside, respectively. However, Omega Perfume’s determined drive wore down his rival inside the final 25 yards to win by a neck with the luckless Casino Fountain a half-length in front of Westerlund for second. History Maker was fourth, a nose behind.

Second in the Listed Japan Dirt Derby over the same track and trip as the Tokyo Daishoten in 2018, Omega Perfume did land the G3 Sirus S. one start later and claimed his first Tokyo Daishoten that December. At four, he accounted for the Listed Teio Sho that June and three starts later his second Tokyo Daishoten, incidentally exactly a year ago. The G3 Heian S. went his way in May, and runner-up performances in the Teio Sho on June 24 and the Nov. 3 Listed JBC Classic were his latest two outings prior to Tuesday’s contest.
Pedigree Notes
Omega Perfume is one of two Group 1 winner for his late sire besides dual G1 Sprinters S. hero and sire Red Falx (Jpn). He is also one of 10 black-type winners for the 2001 GI Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup H. and 2002 GI Metropolitan H. victor.
The first foal of his three-time winning dam, Omega Perfume is followed by the winning 4-year-old filly Blooming Bouquet (Jpn) (Workforce {GB}) and the placed sophomore colt Extra Note (Jpn) (I’ll Have Another). Omega Fragrance has a yearling colt by Roses in May and she was covered by Epiphaneia (Jpn) this spring.

Tuesday, Oi, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥136,000,000 (US$1,310,692/£971,554/€1,069,175), Oi, 12-28, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:06.90, gd.
1–OMEGA PERFUME(JPN), 126, h, 5, Swept Overboard
                 1st Dam: Omega Fragrance (Jpn), by Gold Allure (Jpn)
                 2nd Dam: Beauty Make (Jpn), by Real Shadai
                 3rd Dam: Sailing Beauty (Fr), by Lyphard
O-Reiko Hara; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Shogo Yasuda; J-Mirco
Demuro. ¥80,000,000. Lifetime Record: 19-9-5-2. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
   *Triple Plus*.
2–Casino Fountain (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Casino Drive–Gina Fontaine
(Jpn), by Best Tie Up (Jpn). O-Kosei Yoshihashi; B-Noboribetsu
Uemizu Farm (Jpn); ¥28,000,000.
3–Westerlund (Jpn), 126, g, 8, Neo Universe (Jpn)–Uanme, by
Marquetry. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥16,000,000.
Margins: NK, HF, NO. Odds: 0.30, 37.30, 7.10.
Also Ran: History Maker (Jpn), Mutually (Jpn), T O Keynes (Jpn), Hana’s Legend (Jpn), Derma Louvre (Jpn), Mogiana Flavor (Jpn), Work and Love (Jpn), Nonkono Yume (Jpn), Danon Pharaoh (Jpn), Noble Saturn (Jpn), Kurosuke (Jpn), Night of Knights (Jpn), A Shin Suleyman (Jpn).
Click for the NRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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