Japan Road: Eight entered in Fukuryu finale
Mar 24, 2022
The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby culminates in Saturday’s Fukuryu S. at Nakayama, worth points on a 40-16-8-4 basis to the top four finishers. No previous points scorers are in the eight-horse field, so the winner will vault to the top of the leaderboard.
Triple Crown nominee Ho O Roulette is arguably the one to beat, with a perfect 2-for-2 record. The half-brother to multiple Grade 1 dirt star Omega Perfume has romped by a combined margin of 13 lengths in his maiden and allowance wins, both at this track and about 1 1/8-mile trip.
The other two Triple Crown-nominated entrants, Jasper Great and Line of Soul, don’t have his resume.
Jasper Great started out with a bang by crushing a newcomers’ race at Hanshin, but the Arrogate colt has regressed since. Shipping to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), he wound up 10th, and again finished far back in his two subsequent appearances in Japan. Jasper Great was 12th behind Ho O Roulette before trailing in the Jan. 22 Wakagoma S. on the Chukyo turf.
Similarly, Line of Soul won his Kokura premiere, but has found life tougher in his ensuing starts. The Sinister Minister colt was unplaced in two prior Japan Road races, the Cattleya S. and Hyacinth S., and he was most recently third to Notturno in a Hanshin allowance.
Notturno has been a different horse since switching to dirt, after failing to place in his first two career starts on turf. The son of Heart’s Cry rolled by five lengths in a Hanshin maiden, then stormed from well off the pace to capture an allowance at the same venue.
Undefeated filly Delicada is another main contender who’s won both starts at Hanshin. The daughter of Pyro secured good stalking position early and pounced in her maiden and allowance tallies.
Zeus Bio just graduated at Hanshin himself, while Odilon is a two-time winner at Chukyo. Odilon’s only dirt loss was a fourth in last fall’s JBC Nisai Yushun at Mombetsu. Peisha Es has been unplaced twice since his successful Tokyo debut, checking in ninth in the Cattleya and sixth in an allowance at this track and trip.
Wagering on the Fukuryu will be unavailable at TwinSpires.com.
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