Crown Pride, a pace player in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), returns to top-level competition Dec. 4 at Chykuo Racecourse in Japan in the Champions Cup (G1) to challenge last year's winner and likely favorite, T O Keynes.
Crown Pride, a Reach the Crown colt, reached the Run for the Roses thanks to a victory in the U.A.E. Derby Sponsored By Mubadala (G2) in March at Meydan. Other than T O Keynes, he faces a much softer field in the 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8 miles) Champions Cup than he saw at Churchill Downs.
Crown Pride and fellow Dubai visitor Summer Is Tomorrow were the main players in a hot early scramble in Louisville before the late run that saw Rich Strike chase down Epicenter in the final strides. Crown Pride finished 13th, beaten some 18 lengths, while Summer Is Tomorrow jogged home last.
While the Chukyo assembly won't be mistaken for the Kentucky Derby field, Crown Pride still has something to prove in the race, as he has reported second in both starts since returning from North America. And he will have to prove it against T O Keynes, a Sinister Minister 5-year-old who won last year's Champions Cup, defeating the likes of Sodashi and Chuwa Wizard. He also defeated Crown Pride by 2 1/2 lengths in their last race, the JBC Classic at Morioka Racecourse.
"The winner last time was able to catch him, but he ran a strong race, cutting out what was a good pace for him," Crown Pride's trainer, Koichi Shintani, said. "I think that was good experience for him and I'm pleased with how he's progressing.
"As he matures, he's showing a lot more power, and there's more to come from him," he added. "His experience in Dubai and America has also been good. I think he can do well this time too, and since returning from overseas, he's finished second, but I want to see him go one better."
Jockey Yuichi Fukunaga will be aboard Crown Pride.
T O Keynes also has participated in Japan's recent assault on the world's richest dirt races, finishing eighth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in Riyadh in February. He is 2-for-3 since returning from that Arabian adventure.
"He took a very wide position in his last race, and I did wonder about that," said Juntaro Taira, assistant to trainer Daisuke Takayanagi. "But at the end he showed how much power he has. He's been at the stable since, and he's a lot more relaxed than he was previously."
As Japanese racing puts added emphasis on dirt racing, there are some progressive types to be considered as well.
Jun Light Bolt, a 5-year-old by King Kamehameha, was switched to the dirt three starts back and has posted two wins and a second, despite a lost shoe in the first effort. Sunrise Hope scored an upset win in one of the primary trials for the Champions Cup, the Miyako Stakes (G3) in November, and returns along with Hapi, fourth in the Miyako.
Hapi, a 3-year-old Kizuna colt, was second to Jun Light Bolt in another trial, the Sirius Stakes (G3) at Chukyo Oct. 1.
Gloria Mundi, a 4-year-old son of King Kamehameha, finished well up the track in his most recent start, but that was the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) on the turf, against some monsters. On the dirt, he's 4-for-5 with two of the wins at Chukyo. He also gets Ryan Moore in irons as the European jockey seeks to maximize his return on his temporary license with back-to-back victories after taking the Japan Cup (G1).
The race is run left-handed around a slightly egg-shaped oval, starting midway down the stretch. There is a significant uphill climb on the backstretch. Chukyo is located in the Nagoya District, between Tokyo and Osaka. The grandstand reopened in March after a two-year renovation project.
