Woodbine’s leading jockey for the last three years, KAZUSHI KIMURA, is set to ride in his second consecutive Kentucky Derby (G1) as he has picked up the mount on T O PASSWORD from Japan. T O Password (Copano Rickey – T O Rachel by King Kamehameha) earned an automatic berth for the 150th Derby when he earned the most points through the four-race Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, picking up 40 points for his win in the Fukuyru Stakes on March 23 at Nakayama Racecourse.
According to a news item posted on ‘X’ from @sponichikeiba, trainer Daishi Takayanagi noted the riding assignment and said about T O Password, “He has been in the stable since the last race and is doing well. He will go into quarantine on [April] 16th and is scheduled to depart from Narita on the 23rd.”
Kimura rode Mandarin Hero (12th place) in the Kentucky Derby last year.
T O Password is owned by Tomoya Ozsasa and debuted Jan. 6, defeating 15 rivals by two lengths in a 1 1/8-mile newcomers’ race at Kyoto Racecourse. In the Fukuryu Stakes, T O Password was a 14-1 long shot but was able to get the early lead and took the field gate-to-wire. His time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:54.10.
T O Password is by Group 1 winner COPANO RICKEY, son of champion and leading sire GOLD ALLURE (Sunday Silence).
T O Password’s dam, T O Rachel, is a grey mare foaled in Japan and a daughter of Kentucky-bred mare Nike Favor who is herself a daughter of Horse of the Year Favorite Trick and the Saratoga Six mare Sixy Chic.
3yo 1800m Fukryu Stakes at Nakayama, a "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" race :
Wired by 3c 10. T O PASSWORD (Copano Rickey) under Katsuma Sameshi
Fell in to beat 3c 4. ARARE TABASHIRU (Cape Blanco)
40-20-12-8-4 points for the Kentucky Derby 🇺🇸#JRA pic.twitter.com/hfrSryqs1c
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) March 23, 2024
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