Japanese shipper Crown Pride upsets UAE Derby
Mar 26, 2022
Japanese-based Triple Crown nominee Crown Pride could be bound for Churchill Downs after punching his Kentucky Derby (G1) ticket in Saturday’s $1 million UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan. Sent off as a 16-1 shot, Teruya Yoshida’s homebred drove from just off the pace to score 100 Derby points.
Crown Pride was giving trainer Koichi Shintani, who just started out in 2020, his first graded stakes victory. Shintani said he’s eager to go to Louisville, if Yoshida gives the green light.
A descendant of 1989 Kentucky Derby champion Sunday Silence on both his sire and dam’s side, Crown Pride had tried the Feb. 20 Hyacinth S. on the Japan Road. A bad start ruined his chances, and his hitherto perfect record, but he closed for a respectable sixth in the metric mile event.
Crown Pride’s first two wins had come at about 1 1/8 miles, and he appreciated the step up to about 1 3/16 miles in the UAE Derby. Although he didn’t get away perfectly from post 10, Crown Pride was able to settle within striking range for new rider Damian Lane.
American shipper Pinehurst showed his speed in the initial strides, but locally-trained Summer Is Tomorrow dashed to take over the lead. Rounding the far turn, Pinehurst beat a retreat, and Summer Is Tomorrow kept on rolling into the stretch.
Crown Pride stayed on as the only danger, and ultimately outstayed Summer Is Tomorrow by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:59.76. Summer Is Tomorrow had 1 1/4 lengths to spare from Island Falcon, with the stalking Bendoog holding fourth. The U.S. hopefuls ended up at the rear of the field – Gilded Age (13th), Get Back Goldie (15th), and Pinehurst (a long-way last of 16).
Godolphin’s Island Falcon, a Triple Crown nominee, earned 20 points for his third. Runner-up Summer Is Tomorrow (40 points) and fourth Bendoog (10 points), stablemates from the yard of Bhupat Seemar, are not early nominees. Seemar mentioned the possibility of exploring the Kentucky Derby for Summer Is Tomorrow.
Crown Pride now sports a 3-for-4 mark. By Reach the Crown, who is a grandson of Sunday Silence and Seattle Slew, Crown Pride is out of the King Kamehameha mare Emmy’s Pride.
Yoshida was celebrating his second win on the Derby trail on Saturday; earlier at Nakayama, his homebred filly Delicada captured the Fukuryu to top the Japan Road leaderboard. Unlike Crown Pride, however, Delicada is not an early Triple Crown nominee.
FOLLOW FOR UPDATES AND EXCLUSIVES
Missed something? Catch up on past Kentucky Derby news
