Roger Barows stuns at 92-1 in Japanese Derby

Roger Barows, a 92-1 outsider, turned in a stalking trip into a shocking win in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Ridden by Suguru Hamanaka, Roger Barows was second behind runaway leader Lion Lion for the first mile of the $3.8 million race at 1 1/2 miles before taking the lead in the final quarter-mile. Roger Barows held off a late charge from 7-2 Danon Kingly to win by a neck in stakes record time of 2:22.60.

The Japanese Derby was the first stakes win for Roger Barows, who was seventh and second in Grade 2 races in March and May.

“I was hoping for a fast pace, so settling in second behind an early pace was an ideal race for us,” Hamanaka told Japan Racing Association publicity. “The colt is a stayer with much stamina, so he held on strongly even after the uphill climb, and ran persistently all the way to the end.

The second through fourth-place finishers were the first three finishers in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in April.

Danon Kingly, third in the 2000 Guineas, finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of 3-1 Velox, who was second in the 2000 Guineas. Saturnalia, the winner of the 2000 Guineas, finished fourth of 18 in the Japanese Derby as the 3-5 favorite after a slow start.

Roger Barows, a winner of 3 of 6 starts, is owned by Hirotsugu Inokuma and trained by Katsuhiko Sumii.