Nonkono Yume earns BC Classic berth; Sumahama wins Kentucky Derby berth

Nonkono Yume earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November, and Sumahama earned a place in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 with their stakes wins at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.

Nonkono Yume (9-1) won the Group 1 February Stakes at a mile for his fifth stakes win. The $2,031,984 February Stakes is the first race in the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offering a fees-paid berth for the BC Classic to the winner.

Sumahama, the 5-2 favorite, won his stakes debut and third consecutive start in the $321,730 Hyacinth Stakes, the third and final race in the Japan qualifying division for the Kentucky Derby.

Sumahama is eligible to start in the Kentucky Derby, provided the colt is nominated to the race for $6,000 by March 19, according to a statement from Churchill Downs.

By the Sunday Silence stallion Neo Universe, Sumahama won the Hyacinth Stakes at a mile by 2 1/2 lengths over Taiki Ferveur, who finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Ruggero in the field of 16.

Sumahama was ridden by Yusuke Fujioka for owner Sanshisuimei Company Ltd. and trainer Ryo Takahashi. Sumahama has won three of four starts, including a maiden race and an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on dirt.

Sumahama earned 30 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with the win in the Hyacinth. Ruggero, who won the Cattleya Sho Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse in November, is second in the Japanese point standings with 16 points, followed by Taiki Ferveur at 12 and the sidelined La Vent Se Leve with 10.

Churchill Downs is offering a Kentucky Derby berth to the highest-ranked horse among the first four in the point standings. This is the second year Churchill Downs has offered a berth to a Japan-based qualifier. Last year, Epicharis earned the most points among Japanese runners but was not sent to Kentucky because of fatigue, his trainer said last spring.

Nonkono Yume is eligible to the Breeders’ Cup program. A 6-year-old Japanese-bred gelding by Twining, Nonkono Yume won the February Stakes by a neck over Gold Dream, the even-money favorite. Gold Dream, who won the 2017 February Stakes, led in the stretch but could not hold off Nonkono Yume, who closed from the back of the field of 16 under jockey Hiroyuki Uchida.

Gold Dream finished a neck in front of 19-1 Incantation.

Nonkono Yume has won 8 of 21 starts for owner Kazumasa Yamada and trainer Yukihiro Kato.

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