Four Kentucky-breds now based in Japan Nov. 23 potentially could take an initial step toward a return home when Tokyo Racecourse hosts the opening leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
The allowance conditions race, carrying the name the Cattleya Stakes, is a 1,600-meter (about one-mile) dirt race for 2-year-olds. A field of 16 juveniles is expected to start.
Godolphin homebred Snappy Dresser, a Kentucky-bred son of Union Rags —Caramel Snap, by Smart Strike, enters off an impressive Oct. 20 debut in which he overwhelmed 15 other juveniles to win a 1,400-meter (about seven-furlong) maiden race by 11 lengths. He registered that win on the same surface that Saturday's Cattleya will be contested.
Sent from the United States to Japan as a weanling, Snappy Dresser is trained by Masahiro Otake and will be ridden by Ryusei Sakai.
The other three Kentucky-breds in the field are Malibu Orange, a daughter of freshman sire Vekoma who earned a maiden win on debut Oct. 6 going about a mile on the Tokyo dirt; Dragon Welds, a son of Frosted who scored by nine lengths in his Oct. 5 debut going about seven furlongs on the Kyoto dirt; and T O Elvis, a son of Volatile who in his second start won an about six-furlong maiden race by 9 1/2 lengths Oct. 5 at Kyoto.
Malibu Orange was bred by Newtownanner Stud Farm and sold for $325,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Willow Oaks Stable is the breeder of Dragon Welds, who sold for $150,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, and T O Elvis was bred by Jeff and Melissa Prunzik.
Bolt Tesoro, a Japan-bred son of Thunder Snow campaigned by Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings, enters off a clear victory in an about one-mile maiden race Nov. 2 at Tokyo. The track was listed as muddy that day.
The Cattleya begins the four-race Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby that concludes with the Fukuryu Stakes March 22, 2025, at Nakayama. Last year's Cattleya was won by Amante Bianco. T O Password finished atop the 2024 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, accepted the bid, and ran admirably to finish fifth in the field of 20.
For the first time, a Japan-based horse earned a placing in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when Forever Young finished third in the 2024 race. Forever Young punched his Derby ticket through the main points road by winning the UAE Derby (G2). Churchill Downs has tweaked this year's Road to the Kentucky Derby series by moving the UAE Derby to a now-combined European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby.
