Master Fencer Helping to Bridge U.S., Japanese Racing

In time, 2019 may prove to be an extraordinary year for the bridge that connects Japanese racing to the rest of the world.

In late March, Japanese Triple Tiara winner Almond Eye traveled about 5,000 miles to Dubai and defeated a solid field of Thoroughbreds from around the world in the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1) at Meydan.

A little more than a month later, Master Fencer made the 6,500-mile journey from Tokyo to Louisville and closed like a motorboat over the sloppy racetrack to wind up sixth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) after the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Later this week, Master Fencer will look to improve on that highly creditable performance in Bluegrass country when the 3-year-old son of Just a Way resurfaces June 8 in New York for the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and attempts to become the first Japanese horse to capture an American Triple Crown race.

"We have an increased number of Japanese horses racing overseas, and it has created a lot of attention. When you have horses like Master Fencer come over and do well in the Kentucky Derby, it creates excitement in Japan," said Takahiro Uno, general manager of the Japan Racing Association's New York area office. 

The excitement seems to be traveling both ways. In recent years, American racing executives have worked overtime to line up Japanese horses for their major races, providing incentives such as the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby or the $1 million bonus the New York Racing Association will provide to the connections of Master Fencer if their horse can emerge victorious at Belmont Park Saturday.

"We've been working on getting a Japanese horse in the Belmont Stakes for a few years," said NYRA senior vice president of racing operations Martin Panza. "We're happy to have Master Fencer here. I'm sure the million-dollar bonus helped his owner make the decision to run here. After he ran in the Kentucky Derby, it became a matter of staying here for one more race. We see this as a long-term project that's about building relationships, and we'll keep on working on it."

For American track operators, landing a Japanese horse such as Katsumi and Yasuyo Yoshizawa's Master Fencer for a major stakes is a win-win situation. Not only does it inject some intrigue and excitement into their race, it also introduces famous U.S. stakes to the devoted fans of the sport in Japan, where ¥2,795,008,304,000 (US$24.96 billion) was wagered last year.

Conversely, there are also benefits the JRA and the racing industry in the Asian country can derive from showcasing their horses in major international races and generating national pride for those distinguished runners.

"These Triple Crown races are good starting points for our fans to learn about American racing and for our horsemen to pay more attention to them and maybe come here to the United States and race," Uno said. "How well Master Fencer ran, in general, should give Japanese trainers incentive to consider American races for their 3-year-olds. The quality of Japanese horses has increased in the last 20 years, and hopefully we can also encourage American trainers and owners to come to Japan and race."

The presence of a Japanese horse in a Triple Crown race has become a more common sight in recent years after a long absence.

Ski Captain was the first Japanese starter in the Kentucky Derby when he finished 14th in 1995. Another did not return until 2016, when Kentucky-bred and Japanese-based Lani finished ninth in the Run for the Roses and fifth in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

With stamina a trademark for most Japanese runners, it's logical that the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion" at Belmont Park has been a much more successful destination for them.

Sunday Break was third in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, and Lani also checked in third. Epicharis, the UAE Derby Sponsored by The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) runner-up, arrived in New York intent on competing in the 2017 Belmont Stakes but was scratched during the morning hours before the race.

"People say Belmont Park will suit Master Fencer better, but we have to see. Each horse is different," Uno said. 

According to Uno, about $4.1 million was wagered in Japan on the Kentucky Derby, which he called a "good starting point."

"The people at Churchill Downs did a superb job to help us in the simulcast operation in Japan," he said. "Without their support, we could not have achieved much. Their kind assistance and great effort has been greatly appreciated."

Post time was and will be a major issue. Both the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby are contested before 8 a.m. in Tokyo when many fans are still sound asleep. As a result, the bulk of the wagering is conducted online as opposed to happening at a bustling racetrack.

To help in that regard, NYRA and the JRA are working on a simulcast show on the Green Channel, the JRA's cable network. 

Also, no one could blame Japanese handicappers for being skeptical of their hometown hero in the Kentucky Derby. Master Fencer did not exactly "win" a spot in the race, he got there through attrition. He was the second- and fourth-place finisher in two of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby preps, hardly an endorsement for a horse facing the best American 3-year-olds.

It made sense that Master Fencer was sent off at odds of 58-1 in Churchill Downs' 1 1/4-mile classic. Yet jaws dropped over the way he rallied from 19th and last after a mile and made up 6 3/4 lengths in the final furlong, finishing just four lengths behind Maximum Security.

Now, with Master Fencer getting an extra quarter-mile of distance in the Belmont Stakes, there are expectations that a much larger number of horseplayers in Japan will be setting their alarm clocks in advance of the expected 7:45 a.m. post time there.

"To run on a wet track and face the best American 3-year-olds and finish sixth, after being second and fourth in our races, it was surprising, but it shows the quality of the Japanese horses and it will create more interest in the Belmont Stakes," Uno said. "The handle for the Kentucky Derby was a little over $4 million, but that was a first step in educating our fans about the great American races. We hope his race in the Kentucky Derby will lead to more wagering this time, but I have to remind you, it is early morning in Japan. We will just keep our fingers crossed."

Just as American officials are keeping their fingers crossed that Japanese horses will become frequent visitors to the U.S and their fans will develop a passion for international racing and wagering.

"It's great any time you can have a mutual appreciation of racing and the horses by people in different parts of the world," Uno said. "It's good for us to create interest in Japanese racing here in the United States, and that is why we are here, to promote our racing. We want to build a bridge between American and Japanese racing."