Croix Du Nord is considered the horse to beat in Sunday’s Gr1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2400m).
After claiming the Gr1 Hopeful Stakes at year-end, Croix Du Nord, clinched the Japan Racing Association’s Best Two-Year-Old Colt for 2024 award by a landslide after an unbeaten three-race campaign.
Croix Du Nord wins the Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama in Japan (Pic – JRA)
However, he was beaten in the Gr1 Satsuki Sho, by a length and a half to winner Museum Mile. Now, with the second classic in Japan’s Triple Crown mere days away, indications are Croix Du Nord may have a slight upper hand.
At Ritto on Wednesday (28 May), Croix Du Nord worked under jockey Yuichi Kitamura together with a training partner. The Derby hopeful looked in top shape, more filled out and more powerful than he had before the Satsuki Sho. He covered 1200m over the woodchip course in 1m 22.8s and clocked 11.2s over the final 200m.
This time, with only six weeks between races, compared to four months heading into the Satsuki Sho, his preparation has been easier. “It was a difficult schedule getting him ready for the Satsuki Sho,” says trainer Takashi Saito. “With a sharpener this time, it’s made things easier. He’s moving well and his responses seem to be a level, or even two levels, above what they were before.
“Compared to the Satsuki Sho, he is in much better shape, both mentally and physically.”
Museum Mile breezed up the Ritto hill course under an assistant to trainer Daisuke Takayanagi on Wednesday. His time over 800m was 56.4s with a final 200m in 12.1s. All looked well and jockey Damian Lane had gotten a reading on 21 May working over 1400m on the flat with a final 200-meter time of 11s flat.
However, Takayanagi’s comments post-workout were a bit more lowkey than usual. “He definitely looks close to the condition he was in last time but, this time, he’s holding back a bit,” he said.
Unlike Croix Du Nord, Museum Mile went from his two-year-old Group 1 to the Gr2 Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen, 2000m) and then to the Satsuki Sho. This will be his third start of the year.
“This week I had him just do enough to keep him switched on,” Takayanagi said. “Courage is what we need. As the Satsuki Sho winner, I think I can say he’s heading into the Derby in a condition that will leave no room for embarrassment.”
Satsuki Sho third-place finisher Masquerade Ball is looking in fine shape as he returns to Tokyo for what will be his third time. He won both previous starts at the venue, a listed race and the Gr3 Kyodo News Hai (1800m).
It’ll be the first time for the Duramente colt to race over anything longer than 2000m but trainer Takahisa Tezuka says his suitability to the Tokyo course is his biggest hope.
“He’s really wants a big, wide-open course. He has a huge stride and he’s really bad at taking the turns, which is something we’ve been working on. Tokyo is definitely his best venue,” he said.
Satsuki Sho fifth-place finisher Satono Shining and Group 3 winner Fandom are two others gaining a good deal of attention, with the first possibly handing Yutaka Take his seventh Derby win, while Fandom’s Hiroshi Kitamura guns for his first.
Christophe Lemaire is paired with darkhorse Shohei, who has raced only at Kyoto and comes off a win of the Gr2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai (2200m) on 10 May. Fourth in the Satsuki Sho, the Epiphaneia-sired Giovanni completes the roll call of the first classic’s top five finishers and the top candidates to score the 92nd running of the Japanese Derby.
