Pyromancer took the lead in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby with a pace-stalking victory Dec. 17 in the second leg of the series, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse.
The Pyro colt remains undefeated after three starts, his first two at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on the dirt before winning at 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) Wednesday, and Keiji Yoshimura, who trains for Godolphin's Japan division, said the Run for the Roses in on his radar, depending on orders from on high.
Pyromancer showed both poise and persistence in the Zen-Nippon score. After a clean break, jockey Mirai Iwata positioned his mount second, behind New York-bred Idaten Shacho. Best Green, who entered the race 4-for-4, was close up in third.
As that trio hit the stretch turn, they spread three wide with Pyromancer in the middle. Idaten Shacho was first to quit, fading along the rail as Pyromancer and Best Green battled side by side before Pyromancer edged clear near the 100-meter mark and held off a late run by Tamamo Freesia by a neck. Best Green held third.
Iwata said it was a learning experience for Pyromancer.
"It was the first time for the horse to run under the light and run on a left-handed course and it looked like the horse was a little bit annoyed with those conditions," Iwata said. "But he had a very good run and I am happy he held off the strong charge from second-place finisher. It was very good.
"With this victory, we have a lot to expect from him. And we look forward to much improvement next year."
Pyromancer, bred by Darley Japan Farm out of the Hard Spun mare Centrifuge, finished in 1:44.2 over a course rated good. His first two victories came at Kyoto Racecourse, administered by the dominant Japan Racing Association. Kawasaki is a member of the National Association of Racing, administered by local governments and proprietor of the country's most important dirt races.
The victory earned 20 points, moving Pyromancer into the No. 1 spot on the leaderboard. Tamamo Freesia snared 10 points, moving the Le Vent Se Leve filly into a tie for second with Satono Voyage, who won the first race in the series, the Nov. 29 Cattleya Sho at Tokyo Racecourse. The remainder of the top five received points on a 6-4-2 scale.
The series moves back to Tokyo Feb. 22 for the Hyacinth Stakes, with 30 points for the winner, and concludes with the Fukuryu Stakes March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse. The top points-earner gets an invitation to the Kentucky Derby (G1).
"Yes, we are excited about thinking of (the) Kentucky Derby as it is a kind of dream for us," trainer Yoshimura said. "Consulting with the owner, we just continue to do our best to condition the horse to be in the best form for (his) future campaign."
Forever Young, who finished third in a memorable three-way photo in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, won the 2023 Zen-Nippon. His connections then abandoned the series in favor of the big-money races in the Middle East, where he won the 2024 Saudi Derby (G3) over Book'em Danno, then earned his spot in the Run for the Roses with a victory in the UAE Derby (G2) in Dubai.
Video
