Japan's UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake shoots for glory in Kentucky Classic

The Kentucky Derby is up for grabs and Japan's UAE Derby hero Derma Sotogake is staking a strong claim to win the American Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

No Japanese trained runner has ever won the Run for the Roses.

The starting gate will be full with 20 horses vying to wear the famed garland of red roses that is presented to the winner.

Most of the three-year-olds will be running 2,000 metres for the first time on Saturday. Besides the distance, the traffic-choked conditions typically eliminate half the field in the opening quarter-mile.

Here are some of the leading contenders.

Derma Sotogake is one of two Japanese horses in the field, along with Mandarin Hero, who finished second by a nose in the Santa Anita Derby. They’re just the third and fourth Japan-bred entries in Derby history.

Derma Sotogake is coming off a wire-to-wire victory by 5 1/2 lengths in the UAE Derby. Owner Hiroyuki Asanuma is a dermatologist in Hokkaido who uses the word derma as the first part of all his horses’ names. Sotogake is an outside leg trip in sumo wrestling.

One of the most fancied runners in the field ist Forte who comes into the Derby on a five-race winning streak and is the early 3-1 favorite.

Winner of the Florida Derby by a length after being ninth in the early going Forte has lost just once in seven career races, as a two-year-old. He’s trying to become just the fourth two-year-old champion since 1980 to go on and win the Derby.

Forte is also one of three horses in the race trained by Todd Pletcher, a two-time Derby winner. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. knows the colt well, having ridden him in all of his races.

The Brad Cox-trained Angel of Empire comes off a 4 1/4-length victory in the Arkansas Derby, where Derby rival Reincarnate finished third. His running style is from off the pace. If he can negotiate heavy traffic in front, he could be a threat in the late going.

Flavien Prat will be aboard, the fifth different jockey for the colt.

Blue Grass winner Tapit Thrice bbrings a four-race winning streak into the Derby. The gray colt is a powerful late runner and one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s three entries. He didn't break sharply from the starting gate in his Blue Grass and Tampa Bay Derby victories, but if he can get in position by the top of the home stretch, he’ll have a shot to win. Luis Saez has been aboard for the colt’s last three wins.

Which brings us to Confidence Game who comes off a 10-week layoff, much longer than most contenders. The dark bay colt was purchased for $25,000, making him the cheapest horse in the field.

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