The three-year-old colt Itterasshai, owned by Japanese entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, will compete in the Fukuryu Stakes on March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse as a final preparation for a potential run in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. Trainer Makoto Saito decided to skip the UAE Derby due to safety concerns. A win in the Fukuryu could position Itterasshai at the top of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Itterasshai, a son of Mischievous Alex, has shown promise in recent outings. The colt holds a record of three starts with one win, no seconds, and two thirds. His most recent performance came in the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo, where he finished third and earned nine points toward the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. In that race, Godolphin's Lucky Kid pulled off a 22-1 upset victory, securing 30 points and taking the lead on the leaderboard.
Before the Hyacinth, Itterasshai secured his maiden win by five lengths over 1 1/8 miles at Nakayama. That followed a debut at Tokyo where he was slow to break from the gate but rallied to finish third.
The decision to bypass the UAE Derby at Meydan was announced by trainer Makoto Saito at Nakayama Racecourse. "We cannot put either the horse or the rider at risk," Saito said, according to Sponichi Annex.
The Fukuryu Stakes serves as the final leg of the Japan Road series, offering 40 points to the winner on a scale of 40-20-12-8-4. Success there would elevate Itterasshai to the top of the standings and potentially earn him a berth in the 2026 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.