Forever Young and T O Password had their final drills April 30 for the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, and the approaches were vastly different for the two Japanese contenders.
Tomoya Ozasa's T O Password, the winner of the Japanese Road to the Derby who is undefeated in two career races, worked in company and was credited with a sharp half-mile in a bullet :46.80 over a track rated as "good" after overnight rain.
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Undefeated UAE Derby (G2) winner Forever Young worked by himself and was credited with five furlongs in a much more relaxed 1:03.
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Both drills went according to plan and reflected what their trainers thought their horses needed four days out from an attempt to become the first Japanese winner of the American classic.
T O Password, trained by Daisuke Takayanagi, is the far less accomplished horse but showed more outward energy both before and during his work. Outfitted with blinkers, T O Password was a bit reactive to the morning environment, occasionally spinning and shying, but when placed down the backstretch behind his workmate, T O Saint Denis, a longshot entered in the May 3 Alysheba Stakes (G2), he bowed his neck and settled into stride nicely.
"Yesterday I got on him the first time and he was a little spooky boy, but today with the company I didn't feel any problem, and he finished up really strong," said Kazushi Kimura, the 24-year-old native of Japan who just won his third consecutive Sovereign Award as Canada's top jockey for his achievements at his principal base, Woodbine.
Watch: Kimura Discusses His Mount in the Kentucky Derby: T O Password
Kimura said it was actually a six-furlong work, but Churchill clockers did not recognize his opening furlongs.
"We are gonna be going 14- or 15-second furlongs, which for North America is a little slow, but that's a common Japanese training style," Kimura said. "Everything went well, and that's exactly what I wanted and what my trainer wanted. Everything went smooth."
After sitting behind his workmate for about two furlongs, Kimura guided T O Password outside, and the colt responded with immediate acceleration, drawing even and then gaining a three-quarter length advantage on the turn before Kimura drew him back in. Under slight urging from Kimura in the lane, T O Password regained a neck advantage at the wire and eventually left T O Saint Denis behind on the gallop out. Fractions according to Churchill's clocker were :23.80, :46.80, and out five furlongs in :59.60.
"He only ran two races in Japan and he went to lead and just got to the wire, so I wanted to teach some from behind so he gets the kickback. I didn't feel any problem with that, so it's all a good sign," Kimura said. "I just tried to get some kickback from the company and then swinging out and cruising up."
Kimura, who rode Mandarin Hero to finish 12th in last year's Kentucky Derby, thinks he has a better chance this year.
"I'm trying to shock the world. Today (T O Password) finished up strong, and even after the wire he still kept going well. I am feeling no problem with the distance. He might be green, but he has potential."
Stablemate T O Saint Denis was credited with four furlongs in :47. The 5-year-old Kitasan Black horse has won twice in 22 starts.
Undefeated Forever Young, trained by Yoshito Yahagi for owner Susumu Fujita, has a more controlled personality than T O Password. He calmly walked the outside rail to the front side, passing within a couple of feet of dozens of observers, only once reacting to a group of excited children jumping and waving their hands at him.
According to Yusaku Oka, Forever Young's assistant trainer and exercise rider, the primary purpose for his final Derby work was an assessment of how Forever Young has been growing and how he is moving. Fractions for the work were :14, :27, :39.60, 1:03, and out six furlongs in 1:16.80.
"The ground was bad today, but he handled it very well. I think we did a good job for final breeze," Oka said in comments translated by racing manager Hiroshi Ando. "Maybe your guys think it was slow, but for us it was just on the plan. This is Japanese style."
Forever Young did not wear his customary headgear in the solo drill, but he will wear it Saturday when he races under Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai. The headgear, which are not blinkers, is meant to help him deal with kickback.
Oka said he thinks Forever Young has adapted well to Kentucky, though he admitted a campaign that included wins in Saudi Arabia and Dubai initially appeared to catch up with the undefeated Real Steel colt when he arrived in Louisville.
"We had many travels since February, so when he reached Kentucky, we felt he got a little bit tired on (the) condition side. So we had to adjust to recovery and push the training, too. I think we did the right things," Oka said.
"We had a good breeze today, so for me, it is a relief to be prepared for racing. ... Of course I have confidence, because Forever Young has never lost. But Japanese horse has never won the Kentucky Derby, so (the) confidence side is hard to judge."
-Byron King also contributed to this story.
