Six months after Japan-based runners finished third and fifth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1), Natural Rise opened a clear advantage in the long Tokyo Racecourse stretch and then held off a final charge from Clay King to win the Cattleya Stakes Nov. 23.
The 1,600-meter (about one-mile) race for juveniles is contested on the dirt track at Tokyo and serves as the opening event in a four-race Japan Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
While the connections of the talented Japan-based winner of the Cattleya didn't fully commit to targeting the First Saturday in May, they will consider other races in the Japan series in shaping a final decision. The Cattleya offers points to its top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale, and bigger points races are down the line for the series that wraps up with the Fukuryu Stakes March 22, 2025, at Nakayama.
"It's a long interval between this race and the Kentucky Derby. So we have to see how well he's going to land from this and then decide," said winning trainer Keizo Ito. "Now that he's won this race, he's eligible to run in the open class. So I think of the future races that I can think of for him, some would be the future races in the series. So that's possible."
With jockey Takeshi Yokoyama up, Natural Rise, a son of Kizuna, completed the 1,600 meters in 1:36.40 in posting the three-quarter length victory. Kentucky-breds followed the top two as T O Elvis finished third and Godolphin homebred Snappy Dresser, the 5-2 favorite, finished fourth after needing to wait for room well into the stretch before putting together a too-late rally.
Campaigned by Hiroyuki Yoshioka, Natural Rise has won his first two starts. He took his debut in a maiden special weight July 20 at Sapporo by six lengths but then faced some minor setbacks before Saturday's successful return. Ito said the colt flashed talent from the start, but the time off brought some nerves ahead of Saturday's test.
"He had a long layoff. He had a long, long break, so I had an expectation, but I also had some nervousness at the same time," Ito said.
Bred by Grand Stud, Natural Rise boasts Kentucky ties as Kizuna is a son of pensioned WinStar Farm sire Distorted Humor. Natural Rise is out of the War Front filly Lady Madonna, who scored a pair of victories racing in the United States.
Earlier this year, a Japan-based horse for the first time earned a placing in the Kentucky Derby when Forever Young finished third. Forever Young punched his Derby ticket through the main points road by winning the UAE Derby (G2). T O Password finished atop the 2024 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, accepted the bid, and finished fifth.
