Japan's Road to the Derby Begins With Cattleya Sho

American fans might not recognize names of the 2-year-olds contesting the Cattleya Sho at Tokyo Racecourse Nov. 23—the opening round of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby—but several of their sires are as familiar as can be.

Two of the 16 entered are by American Pharoah , while Uncle Mo , Eskendereya, Bernardini , Declaration of War, and Malibu Moon  also are represented.

The 1,600-meter (about 1 mile) dirt contest is up for grabs, as are the points awarded in the four-race sequence that offers a fees-paid berth in the starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The Cattleya Sho awards Derby points on a scale of 10-4-2-1 for the first four finishers.

The American Pharoah progeny expected in the race are Clepat, a filly out of the Smart Strike mare Intelyhente, and Danon Pharaoh, a colt from the El Corredor mare Crisp, winner of the 2010 Santa Anita Oaks (G1). Both exit maiden wins.

A $310,000 purchase by J.S. Company from the Paramount Sales consignment to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Clepat has improved with distance in each start, breaking her maiden in her third and most recent effort at 1 1/8 miles. Danon Pharaoh was a US$1,629,000 purchase by Danox during the 2018 JRA Select Yearling Sale. He finished second in his debut before winning in his next start going a mile.

Clepat, Serein, and Aurora Tesoro, a Malibu Moon colt exiting a win over the course, are Kentucky-breds. The remainder of the field was produced in Japan. Aurora Tesoro was purchased by Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings for $450,000 from the Bluewater Sales consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York. 

Serein, a $500,000 Uncle Mo filly purchased from the Paramount Sales consignment to the Keeneland September sale by North Hills, won at first asking at Sapporo, then finished second Oct. 15 at Tokyo.

American Baby, by Bernardini, won his only start over the course and distance Nov. 2 as did Dieu du Vin, a Declaration of War colt that won over a sloppy track Oct. 26. Daimei Corrida, an Eskendereya colt, has a win and a second from his last two outings.

Lovely Angel is the third filly slated to contest the male-dominated race, while Cosmo Imperium will bring the most experience into the test with five starts, twice in stakes including his latest effort in the Sapporo Nisai (G3) in which he finished off the board.

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series will next move to Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun Dec. 18 at Kawasaki with the points offering doubled. On Feb. 16, the series returns to Tokyo Racecourse with the Hyacinth offering 30-12-6-3 points. Things wrap up March 29 with the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama where the 40-16-8-4 points on offer likely will determine the potential Run for the Roses nominee.

The 2018 Cattleya Sho was won by Make Happy, a Square Eddie  filly campaigned by the Yoshida family who made no further impression on the series. Lani, who finished third in the 2016 Belmont Stakes (G1) after off-the-board efforts in the first two legs of the American Triple Crown, won the race in 2015.

Master Fencer, who finished fourth in the series, accepted the invitation to the 2019 Derby when the top three points-earners declined. The Just a Way colt finished seventh, placed sixth after the disqualification of Maximum Security. Master Fencer went on to finish fifth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and 13th in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) in July when he was switched to the turf.