Japan’s 19 contenders at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup

The 2024 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar attracted a record number of internationals, including 19 entrants from Japan alone. 

When Del Mar last hosted the championships in 2021, two Japanese shippers won — Loves Only You, who scored a historic first for her homeland in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and March Lorraine, who pulled a 49-1 upset in the Distaff (G1).

Both were trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who returns in the $7 million Classic (G1) with Kentucky Derby (G1) near-misser Forever Young.

For in-depth analysis of all the international contenders from Japan, Europe, and further afield, see the International Scouting Report at Brisnet.com. 

Here’s a quicker overview of the Japanese contingent, in race order:

Friday – Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1)

Unbeaten Ecoro Sieg has blitzed his rivals in both starts, including a juvenile record-setting performance at Nakayama in his latest. The Kentucky-bred son of Twirling Candy shortens up to about five furlongs here for Hideyuki Mori, the first Japanese trainer to make a splash on the world stage in the 1990s. 

Friday – Juvenile Fillies (G1)

American Bikini, a daughter of 2015 Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic champion American Pharoah, has turned in brilliant frontrunning displays at Kokura and Chukyo. Yet to race beyond about seven furlongs, the half-sister to 2020 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) winner Paris Lights should handle the added ground in her two-turn debut.

Mori’s Otomena Shacho was a distant second in American Bikini’s maiden but came right back to romp next time at Chukyo herself. By Speightstown, the Kentucky-bred is out of the Grade 2-winning Mylady Curlin.

Friday – Juvenile (G1)

Mori has both of the Japanese hopefuls. Shin Believe, an $800,000 two-year-old-in-training purchase by Constitution, aced his only start going about 1 1/8 miles at Niigata. Stablemate Ecoro Azel looked sharp on debut but broke poorly last time out when fifth behind Juvenile Fillies contender American Bikini.

Friday – Juvenile Turf (G1)

Trainer Noriyuki Hori, who has dispatched stable stars to win major races in Hong Kong and Australia, sends his first runner to North America in Satono Carnaval. The undefeated son of Kitasan Black dominated his Tokyo debut before cutting back to about six furlongs in the Hakodate Nisai (G3), and he should prefer stretching out to a mile here. 

Saturday – Distaff (G1)

Awesome Result, a Kentucky-bred by Triple Crown winner Justify, brings a stellar 7-for-7 record into the biggest test of her career. Like 2021 upsetter Marche Lorraine, she prepped in the Breeders’ Gold Cup at Mombetsu.

Alice Verite wanted to get into the Filly & Mare Turf but instead finds herself making an audacious dirt debut. The frontrunning Group 3 winner, who retreated to 10th versus males in the Niigata Kinen (G3) in her latest, has shown high speed on the turf.

Saturday – Turf (G1)

Shahryar, a fine third to Auguste Rodin in last year’s Turf, tries again after a better prep at Sapporo this time. The hero of the 2021 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1) has also run well in Dubai, where he captured the 2022 Sheema Classic (G1) and placed second in the March 30 renewal to Turf rival Rebel’s Romance.

Group 2 winner Rousham Park is still developing into the finished article. After coming up just short in the Osaka Hai (G1) earlier this season, he is on the verge of a breakthrough at the top level. 

Saturday – Classic (G1)

Forever Young enjoyed a summer vacation after his taxing spring campaign when he turned the Saudi Derby (G3)/UAE Derby (G2) double and finished third in the three-way Kentucky Derby photo. Although Yahagi said that the colt was about 80% fit for his prep run in the Oct. 2 Japan Dirt Classic, Forever Young still won convincingly.

Ushba Tesoro, last year’s Dubai World Cup (G1) winner, wound up fifth in the Classic at Santa Anita. Most recently second as the defending champion in the Nippon TV Hai, he hopes to close more effectively at Del Mar.

Derma Sotogake delivered Japan’s best Classic result so far when runner-up a year ago in his first start back from a sixth in the 2023 Kentucky Derby. But not much has gone right for him this season, and he was a tiring fifth last out in the same prep with Ushba Tesoro.

Saturday – Sprint (G1)

Deep closer Remake and frontrunner Don Frankie, familiar foes at home and abroad, take their rivalry to the Breeders’ Cup. The last time they met in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), Don Frankie held second and Remake was a troubled fourth. Each won his comeback race, Don Frankie scoring cozily in the Cluster Cup at Morioka and Remake repeating in the Korea Sprint (G3).

Group 3-placed Meta Max, who has yet to reach their level, needs to improve to factor in his first international venture.

Saturday – Mile (G1)

Geoglyph hasn’t won since he beat future world champion Equinox in the 2022 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1), but he’s run deceptively well in his only two tries over a metric mile. A respectable sixth in the Yasuda Kinen (G1) two back, he exits a good second in the about 1 1/4-mile Sapporo Kinen (G2).

Ten Happy Rose, who shocked the Victoria Mile (G1) at odds of 207-1, will try to pull another upset. She warmed up in the Centaur (G2), a sprint that was too short for her, and finished a creditable seventh. 

Saturday – Dirt Mile (G1)

T O Saint Denis hadn’t done much at home to suggest that he could finish second in the Alysheba (G2) on Kentucky Oaks Day, so he clearly moved up in U.S. conditions. He trailed in a Chukyo allowance in his latest, but that might not mean a lot if he takes to Del Mar as he did to the slop at Churchill Downs.