God Selection Wins Fukuryu on Japan Road to KY Derby
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He certainly wasn't the selection of the Japanese punters but God Selection came from nowhere to win the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse March 27 and earn the right of first refusal for Japan's spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
God Selection, a Novelist colt, ran up a record of 1-for-3 as a juvenile, is not nominated for the U.S. Triple Crown and did not compete in any of the first three legs of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. He was dispatched at odds of 15-1 in the Fukuryu.
After tracking early leader Lord Strom, jockey Yuji Nakai produced the colt in the lane and he scampered home a three-length winner, backing up his seasonal debut victory Feb. 7 at Chukyo Racecourse.
Meisho Murakumo was second, a neck in front of Gold Higher. Those two were lukewarm favorites in the field of 14.
The victory earned God Selection 40 points on the Japan Road leaderboard—good enough to vault him to the top spot. To be eligible for the automatic bid to Louisville, however, he would have to be nominated to the Triple Crown with the $6,000 payment due March 29.
Should his owner, Hiroyuki Kawakatsu, not pony up, the next three in line for a Kentucky Derby bid would be the winners of the first three legs of the series—La Perouse, Alain Barows, and Lemon Pop—all original Triple Crown nominees.
Lemon Pop, a Lemon Drop Kid colt, is owned by Godolphin, which already has undefeated U.S. juvenile champ Essential Quality among the Kentucky Derby favorites and qualified Rebel's Romance for the Run for the Roses with a victory in the UAE Derby Sponsored by Emirates NBD (G2) just hours after the Fukuryu.
Yet another Godolphin 3-year-old, Highland Avenue, is tied for the lead with a filly, My Generation, on the European Road to the Kentucky Derby, which winds up April 1 at Chelmsford City in England. Highland Avenue, however, is being pointed to the Qipco Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and is not entered for the Chelmsford race. Heider Family Stables' My Generation is not Triple Crown nominated and is more likely to target the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1).
Some U.S. punters complained the Fukuryu, despite its connection to the Kentucky Derby, was not available for wagering in North America, blaming a mixup in the date of the race. While the Japan Racing Association provides comprehensive information about its big races, it can be difficult to sort out English-language information for non-graded stakes. The date of the Fukuryu was listed for an extended period as "TBD" on Churchill Downs' own Road to the Kentucky Derby website before the March 27 date was plugged in.
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