U.S. Sprint Bloodlines Rule as Continuar Wins Cattleya

Continuar assumed the early lead in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby with a late-running victory in the Nov. 26 Cattleya Stakes as American sprint bloodlines had a good day on the Tokyo Racecourse dirt track.

The Drefong  colt, with Damien Lane up, assumed the lead inside the 200-meter mark in the 1,600-meter test (about one mile) and just held on to win by half-length over Mirror of Mind, a son of Mind Your Biscuits  who came flying from last of 10 in the late going.

Continuar, making his third start, parked outside rivals midway back in the field down the backstretch. Lane asked him to pick it up around the sweeping turn, and he moved outside for room.

Kicking in nicely as the horses crested the uphill climb, Continuar looked like an easy winner until Mirror of Mind lit the afterburners for jockey Kazu Yokoyama. He was last midway through the stretch run and farthest outside but quickly closed the gap and was eating into the winner's margin as they crossed the finish line.

Jasri, a Rulership  colt, ran evenly to finish third, another length back.

Continuar was bred by Lake Villa Farm and produced by the Fusaichi Pandora  mare Pan de Ring. He races for Lion Race Horse Co. and trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

The chestnut colt sold for ¥77 million (about US$550,000) at the 2021 Japan Racing Horse Association's Select Yearling Sale and won at first asking Oct. 8 at Hanshin, going 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on a sloppy track. He then reported second at the same distance but on a fast track, also at Hanshin, Nov. 6. He went to the post as the second favorite in the Cattleya Stakes.

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is a four-race series with the winner of the most points offered a guaranteed spot in the Run for the Roses. Continuar earned 10 points for the victory. Mirror of Mind got four, Jasri three, and fourth- and fifth-place finishers Plavi and Francorchamps two and one.

The points on offer escalate throughout the series, so the results usually are not known until after the final leg. The Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse Dec. 14 offers 20-8-4-6-2 points; the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo on Feb. 19 awards 30-12-9-6-3 and the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakama March 25 is worth 40-16-12-8-4 points.

Yahagi suggested his charge could race in the Middle East this winter.

"I think I want to take him to Saudi, then Dubai and then maybe Kentucky," Yahagi said.

The series has not had any significant impact to date on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), and the Cattleya results could indicate more of the same is in store for the 2023 renewal since the top two finishers were sired by American sprinters. Mirror of Mind's sire, Mind Your Biscuits, also was responsible for Francorchamps. Later in his career, Mind Your Biscuits did win in stakes company going as far as 1 1/8 miles.

Drefong, by Gio Ponti  , and Mind Your Biscuits, by Posse , crossed the wire first and third in the 2016 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), but the latter was elevated to second on the disqualification of Masochistic . Drefong earned the Eclipse Award as the year's top sprinter. Mind Your Biscuits won the 1,200-meter (about six furlongs) Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) in both 2017 and 2018.

Both stand at the Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido. Mind Your Biscuits is represented this year by a promising first crop to race. Drefong, with his crop racing in 2018, has produced 189 starters and 102 winners from 374 registered foals, per the Japanese database JBIS.