Lord Kanaloa, who has dominated sprints in Japan and Hong Kong since last fall, stretched his speed to a mile with a win in Sunday’s $2.06 million Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse.

Sent off as the 3-1 favorite in the field of 18, Lord Kanaloa rallied wide under jockey Yasunari Iwata to take the lead in the final furlong. Lord Kanaloa held off a late threat from Shonan Mighty to win the Grade 1 race by a neck in 1:31.50. Danon Shark, a 36-1 outsider, was third.

Lord Kanaloa ran erratically late, but Iwata said that was not a major concern.

Aidan O’Brien won his fourth Epsom Derby, and the Coolmore group its third straight, as lightly raced Ruler of the World rallied from the rear of a 12-horse field under Ryan Moore to capture the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths.

The undefeated favorite, champion Dawn Approach, turned in an abysmal performance, pulling vigorously at jockey Kevin Manning soon after the gates opened, eventually dragging his rider up to the lead and fading badly in the Derby’s final half-mile, finishing last.

Intello finished third but looked like the best horse on May 12 at Longchamp in the Group 1 Poules d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas), and he will have a chance to prove he is France’s top 3-year-old Sunday at Chantilly in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby.

Former champion jockey Frankie Dettori returned to riding at Epsom on Friday after a six-month suspension for a drug positive.

Dettori, 42, was winless with three mounts on the English Oaks undercard.  He had hoped to return to riding on May 20, but his comeback was delayed by French racing officials. Dettori tested positive for cocaine in France last September, and was suspended last November. He was cleared to ride on Thursday and received a license that day from the British Horseracing Authority.

Champion British jockey Richard Hughes won the second classic race of the year, and second of the month, aboard 20-1 shot Talent  in Friday’s $600,000 English Oaks at Epsom Downs.

Hughes, the leading rider in England last year, won the English 1000 Guineas on May 5 aboard Sky Lantern.

He rode Talent for trainer Ralph Beckett, who also finished second with Secret Gesture, the 3-1 second choice in the field of 11.

The Epsom Derby is the most famous race in England, but in the 2013 edition of a race first run in 1780, England’s primary role is playing host. Among the 12 horses entered in the Derby, only three are trained in England, with seven Irish invaders, one from Germany, and one from France. Five of the Ireland-based horses are trained by Aidan O’Brien, but the Derby focus is on a different Irish shipper, undefeated 2-year-old champion Dawn Approach.

Lord Kanaloa, the top sprinter in Japan and Hong Kong in the last year, will attempt to carry his speed to a mile in Sunday’s $2.06 million Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse.

The Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen is the top turf mile in the first half of the year in Japan and has drawn a strong field.

Animal Kingdom, the winner of the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on March 30, worked a half-mile on soft turf at Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday, preparing for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes there June 18.

The 5-year-old Animal Kingdom was timed for the final quarter-mile in 24.6 seconds by trainer Graham Motion. Animal Kingdom was ridden by John Velazquez, who flew from New York for the workout.

Former Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has withdrawn an appeal of an eight-year suspension for administering steroids to runners in his stable in England earlier this year, the British Horseracing Authority announced Wednesday.

The eight-year suspension was announced April 25 and Al Zarooni announced days later that he planned to appeal. Wednesday, his lawyers said he would not pursue the appeal.

Everyone seemed to want a part of Secret Gesture earlier this week, in advance of Friday’s $600,000 English Oaks at Epsom Downs.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani of Qatar bought a 50 percent share of Secret Gesture from owner and breeder Newsells Park Stud. On Wednesday, when the field of 11 was finalized for the Group 1 English Oaks, Secret Gesture was made the 5-2 favorite.

The English Oaks, run over 1 1/2 miles on turf, figures to be a battle of lightly raced fillies.