Derby Runner-up Heads Japanese St. Leger

There will be no Triple Crown winner in Japan this year, but Guineas winner and Derby runner-up Epoca d'Oro would make a smart impression with a victory in the Oct. 21 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) at Kyoto Racecourse.

The Orfevre colt moved up through the ranks quickly early in 2018, stepping up to win the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1) in his first try at the top level April 15 at Nakayama, going 2,000 meters (1 1/4 miles). In his next outing, he finished a close second behind Wagnerian in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1).

After the Derby, Epoca d'Oro was given the summer off and returned to finish fourth, again behind winner Wagnerian, in the 2,400-meter (1 1/2-mile) Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2) Sept. 23 at Hanshin. For Epoca d'Oro, that was a prep for the St. Leger. For Wagnerian, it was a tuneup for the 2,000-meter Tenno Sho (Autumn Stakes, G1) Oct. 28 at Tokyo Racecourse.

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant to trainer Hideaki Fujiwara, said the Hanshin race has set up Epoca d'Oro nicely for the St. Leger.

"After beginning his autumn campaign, he's in pretty good shape," Tashiro said. "I don't think the 3,000 meters (1 3/4 miles) is a problem. He just lacked a little in his last race, but he will come on for that run."

If the likely favorite is not fully cranked, there are other possibilities, though most of them have been inconsistent in showing their best.

Among the likely rivals are Blast Onepiece, a Harbinger colt whose only loss was a fifth place in the Derby; Generale Uno, a Screen Hero colt who won the Sept. 17 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen (G2) at Nakayama in his fall debut but was third in the Guineas and 16th in the Derby; and Etario, the Derby fourth.

Meisho Tekkon was third in the Kobe Shimbun Hai and benefits from the attention of trainer Yoshitada Takahashi, who recently sent out Fine Needle to win the Sprinters Stakes (G1). Fierement makes just his fourth start and has never tried farther than 1,800 meters (1 1/8 miles), but with red-hot Christophe Lemaire in the irons, anything seems possible.

The Kikuka Sho is run right-handed on the outer turf course at Kyoto.