The first of the Japanese Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders, Forever Young, arrived at Churchill Downs early in the morning April 13 and has begun to settle in over the dirt track he'll call home for the next three weeks.
Remaining in Dubai after winning the UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan Racecourse March 30, Forever Young departed the morning of April 10. After a pit stop in Brussels, Belgium, the undefeated colt landed in Chicago around 11:15 p.m.
A perfect 5-for-5, the son of Real Steel could be Japan's best shot yet at taking home the roses. Now a professional traveler after trips to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, Forever Young has taken every step of his globetrotting journey in stride.
"He shipped really well to Saudi and Dubai," said Churchill Downs Asia representative Kate Hunter. "(His connections) seem to be very pleased with him across the board. He recovers from each race really well without needing any kind of veterinary intervention. He seems to have a very strong, natural physical response to rebuilding his own body."
Transported to the Chicago Import Quarantine facility in West Dundee, Ill., Forever Young spent the typical time of 42 hours in quarantine before being cleared the night of April 12. By 9 p.m., he was on the road and arrived at Churchill Downs at 4:15 a.m. the next morning.
"He was ready to get out and ready to rumble," Hunter said of the colt's eagerness to get out of quarantine. "He's very happy to be able to stretch his legs now every morning at Churchill."
It didn't take long for Forever Young to meet the Churchill Downs surface as he visited the track for the first time April 14. Like his Derby predecessors from Japan, he begins his exercise with a warm-up session in the chute before walking to the front side to begin his daily gallop.
Japan’s @KentuckyDerby contender #ForeverYoung stretching his legs this morning at @ChurchillDowns pic.twitter.com/3CBZfeRKmV
— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) April 16, 2024
"So far, he seems to like it," Hunter said of the track. "He seems to have settled in very well."
Hunter mentioned that Forever Young's exercise rider, Yusaku Oka, said that the surface was not as firm as they were expecting. However, this is likely due to the amount of rain Louisville, Ky., has received in the last week.
Forever Young will likely see his first fast work toward the end of this week or early next week. He will be on a Tuesday and Saturday breeze schedule, an adjustment made by trainer Yoshito Yahagi to reflect the fact that Forever Young has been competing on Saturdays this year.
"The big races in Japan are typically on Sunday, so they breeze on Wednesday," Hunter said. "Because the races are on Saturday now, he's switched a day ahead. It's worked out very well for him."
Yahagi has already had success in the United States, winning the 2021 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) with Loves Only You and the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) with Marche Lorraine. He's the only Japanese trainer with a Breeders' Cup winner. Yahagi also trained Continuar, who traveled to participate in the 2023 Kentucky Derby before scratching days before the race.
"As Yahagi and his team get more and more experience overseas, they're tweaking everything," Hunter said. "Learn from the things they did in the past to try and improve their future."
Yahagi himself will not arrive until Derby week, but jockey Ryusei Sakai will arrive next week and start riding Forever Young in the morning.
T O Password's Travel Plans Set
Forever Young is not Japan's only hope at conquering the Kentucky Derby. T O Password, who qualified by winning the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse and clinching the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invite, will be joining Forever Young in Kentucky soon.
According to Hunter, T O Password will leave Japan the morning of April 23. By way of Anchorage, Alaska, the son of Copano Rickey will arrive in Chicago around 11 that night. After clearing his 42-hour quarantine, he should arrive in Louisville the morning of April 26—one day before the deadline set by Churchill Downs for Derby contenders to arrive.
T O Password will have a companion for his trip. Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi and owner Tomoya Ozasa are also sending over T O Saint Denis, a 5-year-old son of Kitasan Black who plans to run in the May 3 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill.
A two-time winner from 22 starts, T O Saint Denis marks a symbolic victory for Hunter in her quest to see more Japanese horses participating in the U.S.
"I've been trying to get (horses for the other races Derby weekend) for a while and this is the first time it worked out," Hunter said. "The Japanese are stretching their legs out internationally more in general. I am getting a lot more interest in (grade) 1 races all over the United States from Japanese wanting to come over."
There are still many financial, medical, and logistical hurdles to overcome for Japanese connections when traveling to the U.S., but Hunter has been hard at work pushing for change to make it more feasible for Japanese runners to compete regularly.
"If I'm able to get the Japanese ducks in a row with the government regulations and the testing, you could see Japanese horses over here all the time," Hunter said.
