Finger, a Gun Runner colt who thrives while racing on the lead, moved within one win of sweeping Japan's Dirt Triple Crown with a front-running victory in the Tokyo Derby June 10 at Oi Racecourse.
Finger, with Keita Tosaki riding, jumped to the lead from gate 11, missing the muddy kickback throughout the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). He opened a commanding lead at midstretch and won comfortably by 1 1/4 lengths over late-running Silver Ratio.
Realize Glint, a Kitasan Black colt trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was another 3 lengths back in third.
Finger, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, finished second in all three starts as a 2-year-old, an 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) newcomers event at Nakayama Racecourse and two 1,600-meter (about 1-mile) tilts at Tokyo Racecourse. All were on the dirt.
He got his first win Jan. 4 going 1,800 meters at Nakayama, also leading all the way, and then switched to the all-dirt National Association of Racing circuit where he won the Bluebird Cup at Funabashi Racecourse Jan. 21 and the Keihin Hai March 25 at Oi.
In the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Haneda Hai, he started from post 11 and employed the same tactics as in the Derby, leading from the start. In that race, however, he withstood significant pressure through most of the 1,800 meters before taking a big lead in the stretch.
Finger, bred by Masahiko Sugino, was produced by the grade 3-winning Maclean's Music mare Estilo Talentoso.
The third leg of the series, the Japan Dirt Classic in October, has been a key race for later international competition.
Forever Young won the Dirt Classic in 2024 in his first start after his dramatic third-place photo finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). In his next outing, he scored his first $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) victory. Last year, Luxor Cafe finished third in his first start since a 12th-place finish in the Run for the Roses.
The Japan Dirt Triple Crown was organized, with purse increases and a bonus for a sweep, to support Japanese owners and trainers seeking to compete in major international dirt racing events such as the Saudi Cup, the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), and the Breeders' Cup dirt races.
It was first run as a series in 2024.
