Kentucky Derby 2026: Japanese runners difficult to measure
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The success of Japan-based horses in America and internationally, most notably that of 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young, has fueled thoughts that a Kentucky Derby may soon be within reach for a horse from the Land of the Rising Sun.
For the fourth straight year, two horses from Japan are entered in the Kentucky Derby, earning their way in from results in Derby qualifying races run in Japan and Dubai. Whether Danon Bourbon or Wonder Dean are good enough to run as well as Forever Young did in 2024 – he finished third, beaten two noses – is anybody’s guess.
Danon Bourbon, a horse with an American pedigree, may be the more fancied of this year’s Japanese runners. He is a Kentucky-bred son of Maxfield, a horse who went 5 for 5 at Churchill Downs – including two Grade 1 stakes victories – though he did not participate in the Kentucky Derby. Danon Bourbon is out of the Tapit mare Wild Ridge, whose lone win from six career starts came in a one-mile turf race at The Meadowlands. Wild Ridge’s five other foals have mostly been sprinters who participated in the low-level claiming ranks.
Danon Bourbon, purchased for $450,000 at the 2024 Keeneland yearling sales, is 3 for 3. Last October, he won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race by 10 lengths, beating 15 rivals in gate-to-wire fashion. In February, Danon Bourbon won a 1 3/16-mile allowance by five lengths. He earned his way to the Derby with a 3 1/2-length victory in the Fukuryu Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. Danon Bourbon raced an up-close third in both those races and showed a good turn of foot finishing.
“He starts pretty clean from the gate every time, hopefully from post 7 he’ll be in a good position to break cleanly and get a position in the race,” said Satoshi Oshita, assistant to trainer Manabu Ikezoe.
Danon Bourbon will be ridden by Atsuya Nishimura, who has ridden him in all three of his races in Japan.
Danon Bourbon, who races for Masahiro Noda’s Danox Co., appears to have stamina to go along with his speed. On Monday at Churchill Downs, the horse had a strong gallop, known in racing parlance as a two-minute lick. Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch timed him in 1:56.03 for the first mile, and Danon Bourbon went around a second time as well.
Danon Bourbon seemed more controlled and professional on Monday than over the weekend when he galloped a bit erratically while perhaps still getting accustomed to his new surroundings.
“The horse isn’t quite used to the training style where you have people on the inside and the outside, so he was just going two regular laps,” Oshita said.
Forever Young in 2024 came into the Kentucky Derby undefeated in five starts with victories in the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby. He was sent off the 7-1 third choice in the Kentucky Derby and ran a terrific race, rallying from 16th to finish third, beaten two noses by Mystik Dan. He was bumped in the stretch by Sierra Leone, who edged Forever Young by a nose for second. T O Password, a 48-1 shot from Japan, did finish fifth.
Forever Young finished third in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic. But in 2025 he won the Saudi Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the latter at Del Mar.
Oshita said “of course the success of Japanese horses over the past couple of years has given us more confidence in participating.”
Wonder Dean, a Japanese-bred son of Dee Majesty, is 2 for 6. After beginning his career with a fourth-place finish on turf, he won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race by eight lengths on dirt and finished second twice in nine-furlong stakes in Japan. He shipped to Saudi Arabia in February and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Saudi Derby at one mile.
Racing an up-close fourth early, Wonder Dean reeled in a loose-on-the-lead Six Speed to win the UAE Derby by 2 1/2 lengths. It was another six lengths back to third-place finisher Pyromancer, another Japan-based horse who had come into that race undefeated.
“A mile is a bit short for him, for sure he can handle” 1 1/4 miles, said Takuya Nakano, the exercise rider for Wonder Dean.
While Nakano is confident Wonder Dean, trained by Daisuke Takayanagi, can handle the distance, he would prefer to see him get away well and get an up-close position to avoid getting dirt kicked in his face.
“I have a question mark about a 20-horse field,” Nakano said. “He might be behind horses and might get kickback. For distance, I don’t have a question mark. After they jump out from the gate, American horses are fast and he doesn’t have the speed.”
Ryusei Sakai, the regular rider of Forever Young, will be aboard Wonder Dean in the Derby.
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