Tomoya Ozasa's horses are easy to identify with their names starting with the owner's initials: T O.
T O Royal, for one, was a cinch to spot in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) April 28 at Kyoto Racecourse, rallying smoothly from a pace-stalking position to win the staying challenge by two lengths.
American racing fans get a chance to see another May 4 as T O Password is set to line up in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, giving his owner a chance for a remarkable international double.
T O Password, champion of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby," will be a longshot in Louisville. T O Royal, a 6-year-old son of Leontes, went to the post as favorite in the 3,200-meter (about two miles) Tenno Sho, the longest grade 1 on the Japanese racing calendar.
With Yuji Hishida riding, T O Royal broke well, took an outside position comfortably behind the early speed and bided his time until the field headed into the stretch the second time off the outer loop of the Kyoto Racecourse turf course.
None of the other 16 had enough left to mount a challenge and T O Royal saluted the judge a comfortable two lengths to the good of Blow the Horn. Deep Bond, who had finished second in each of the last three editions of the race, just failed to hold that spot again but got third-place earnings.
Second-favorite Durezza was prominent early but faded to finish 15th.
T O Royal was trying top-level competition for the third time in the 18th start of his career. He finished third in the 2022 Tenno Sho (Spring) and 14th in that year's Japan Cup (G1).
Despite those discouraging results, he came to this year's Tenno Sho with back-to-back wins in the Diamond Stakes (G3) at 3,200 meters (about 2 1/8 miles) at Tokyo Racecourse and the Hanshin Daishoten (G2) at 3,000 meter—enough to boost public confidence in his chance at the most testing of trips.
Hishida indicated the trip was as smooth as it appeared.
"The horse raced in good rhythm and responded well going downhill after the third corner," he said. "So, we were able to turn the last corner comfortably and slip out of the pack with ease.
"I'm really happy to have won this race because I decided to become a jockey when I saw this race 20 years ago," Hishida added.
T O Royal's connections were not shy about touting his readiness for the Tenno Sho after the Hanshin Daishoten victory.
"The horse seems to have improved even more," assistant trainer Atsushi Obayashi said in the buildup to the Tenno Sho. "Everything about his prep has gone smoothly. The competition will take a step up, but there's nowhere this horse comes up short. He has come into his own now ... He has ample stamina and, with the condition he's in presently, I think he has ample chance."
DOMINATION 💪
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) April 28, 2024
T O ROYAL pulls away to win the Tenno Sho (Spring) 🌸#テーオーãƒã‚¤ãƒ¤ãƒ« | @JRA_WorldRacing pic.twitter.com/6s3w5CSDvX
