Could this be Japan’s year at the Kentucky Derby?

Christophe Lemaire rides Admire Daytona, who was bred in Japan, during the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on April 5. | REUTERS

by JASON COSKREY
Apr 29, 2025

Around this time last year, Japanese horse racing held its collective breath as a decadeslong ambition suddenly flickered into possibility.

Forever Young, the horse many believed was Japan’s best chance yet to win the Kentucky Derby, had thundered down the stretch in the iconic race and reached the finish line at almost the same moment as two other horses.

Some fans may have hoped for the best during the several minutes it took to determine the order after the dramatic three-way photo finish. In the end, Forever Young came up short, narrowly finishing behind winner Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone. A second Japanese contender, T O Password, finished fifth.