Japanese Horses Have Made Belmont Impact

Lani has been a constant target of attention and curiosity along this year’s Triple Crown series, and along with Exaggerator, he will become one of just two horses to have run in all three events once the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (gr. I) goes in the books June 11.

But the Japan-owned and -trained colt isn’t the only Belmont Stakes runner with connections from that country this century. Sunday Break in fact hit the board, running third in the 2002 edition behind Sarava and Medaglia d'Oro  . The two horses were bred by the same outfit, although in different countries. Lani is a Kentucky-bred son of Tapit  —Heavenly Romance, by Sunday Silence, bred by North Hills Co. Limited, while Sunday Break (Forty Niner—Catequil, by Storm Cat) was bred by North Hills Management in Japan. Koji Maeda is the owner of both.

Sunday Break, trained by Neil Drysdale, enjoyed a fine season in 2002, breaking his maiden at Santa Anita Park in January and coming back to win allowance contests at Santa Anita and Aqueduct Racetrack. He ran third in the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and then won the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II), the New York prep for the Belmont. Sunday Break tailed off a bit after the Belmont, placing third in the following year’s Arcadia Handicap (gr. IIT). He finished his career with four victories from 13 starts and earnings of $451,220.

Another very interesting horse with Japanese connections never quite made the running of the race, but created quite a stir the week of the 2008 Belmont. Casino Drive, bred in Kentucky by Shell Bloodstock, was a $950,000 Keeneland September yearling on the strength of his pedigree. He is by Horse of the Year Mineshaft   out of the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour. Amazingly, Casino Drive was seeking to become the third straight foal out of Better Than Honour to win the Belmont. The filly Rags to Riches started the procession in 2006, then half brother Jazil won the 2007 edition.

After winning his first start in Japan at 2, Casino Drive came to the States and won the Peter Pan. Kept at Belmont, he was training up to the Belmont Stakes, memorably walking seemingly all morning, each morning, around the Belmont barn area for trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. You couldn’t go anywhere that week without running into Casino Drive strolling around the grounds. That regimen, however, got him in trouble when he stepped on a nail, bruised a foot, and had to be declared out of the Belmont Stakes.

Casino Drive reappeared in October, winning an allowance race at Santa Anita, then ran last of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). In 2009 he ran twice in Japan, finishing second in the February Stakes (Jpn-I); and once in Dubai, where he was unplaced in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I). He did not run in 2010 and ran three times in Japan in 2011, where he finished third once.

Owned by Hidetoshi Yamamoto, Casino Drive won four races in 11 starts and earned $904,575. If he hadn’t picked up that nail, history may well have changed and Lani would be looking to become the second Japanese-owned and –trained horse to win the Belmont in the last eight years.

As it is, Lani has his own unique training regimen. Instead of walking endlessly around the backstretch like Casino Drive, Lani goes out for his exercise on the main track—and stays out there for a good deal longer than American-based horses.

ANGST: Connections Expect Improved Lani in Belmont

Trained by Mikio Matsunaga, he has been walking and trotting around the giant Belmont layout three laps some mornings before coming back to his digs in Barclay Tagg’s barn for more walking and his daily bath. His connections believe the 12 furlongs of the Belmont Stakes can only help their charge, as Lani seeks to pick up the ball carried by Sunday Break and Casino Drive and run it across the goal line.