Lovcen could be nicknamed "Mr. Versatility" after winning the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1T) May 31 at Tokyo Racecourse with a devastating late rush through deep stretch that brought him to within one win of a Triple Crown sweep.
The victory was a dramatic turnabout from the World Premier colt's gate-to-wire performance in the first leg of the series, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1T).
Unable to to get early position in the Derby, jockey Kohei Matsuyama had to improvise. Showing total faith in his mount, he waited in midfield, outside rivals, until the leading pack crested the hill in the long Tokyo stretch. Lovcen then did his job in the final strides to defeat Peintre Naif and jockey Christophe Lemaire by a head.
Basse Terre and Yuga Kawada were third while Yutaka Take piloted Going to Sky to finish fourth. Lemaire, Kawada, and Take are all previous Japanese Derby winners—Take a six-time winner. For Matsuyama, the victory filled a vacancy in his trophy case.
"I still can't believe I'm now a 'Derby Jockey,'" Matsuyama said. "It was surreal coming back to the stands and being greeted by the enormous cheering crowd. I couldn't hold back the tears."
Had Lovcen not found the final turn of foot, Matsuyama's tears might have been from frustration.
Starting from the No. 17 gate in a field of 18 as the heavy favorite, Lovcen bobbled slightly at the start, brushed his inside rival and missed any chance to take a forward position. Instead, he set up camp outside rivals and in the clear but well back in the field as they raced around the Mount Fuji-facing turn and down the backstretch.
The stretch run turned into a test of stamina as most of the 3-year-olds were trying 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) for the first time. Realize Sirius, runner-up in the Satsuki Sho, made an early move to take the lead and held it around the turn.
As he faded going up the hill, Basse Terre took the point and had every chance until Peintre Naif, with Lovcen just to his outside, came flashing by. Lovcen finished in 2:22.7 over turf rated good to firm. The race record of 2:21.9 was posted by Do Deuce in 2022.
Trainer Haruki Sugiyama scored his ninth Japanese grade 1 win and also got his Derby win.
"To be honest, I did feel the pressure as odds-on favorite and the hopes of notching two-thirds of the Triple Crown, but I believed in the colt and he gave his best and showed his true strength today," Matsuyama said.
"We weren't able to sit in the most ideal position due to the wide draw but, as in the Hopeful Stakes, Lovcen showed an incredible turn of foot which proves his strength and versatility. He still has potential and we have a lot to look forward to."
Lovcen announced himself in the Hopeful Stakes (G1T) in December at Nakayama Racecourse. Making just his second career start, following victory in a "newcomer" race over soft turf, he was caught in traffic in the stretch run, shifted out dramatically and produced an eye-catching finish to remain undefeated.
He returned for his 3-year-old debut Feb. 15 in the Kyodo News Hai (G3T), going 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) and finished third. In that, he shot from the gate a beat ahead of the field but took back to mid-pack. Realize Sirius led and got the laurels with Lovcen a head and a neck in arrears.
Matsuyama took no chances in the Satsuki Sho as Lovcen led throughout the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles).
Only eight horses have swept the Triple Crown series, the latest being Contrail in 2020. Contrail and his sire, Deep Impact, both took the title while remaining undefeated. This year's third leg, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1T) is scheduled Oct. 25 at Kyoto Racecourse.
Deep impact also sired World Premier, who got his first grade 1 win at stud with Lovcen's victory in the Hopeful.
Lovcen was bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm and races for Forest Racing. Yoshida acquired his dam, Songwriting, by Giant's Causeway, for $800,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training sale. She was winless in eight starts in Japan. Lovcen is her premier offspring to date.
Video
