Belesite, the three-year-old colt who finished second in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai on May 9, will continue to team up with jockey Yuga Kitamura for the G1 Japanese Derby (Tokyo Yushun) on May 31 at Tokyo Racecourse. The announcement was made by Sunday Thoroughbred Club.
The son of Epiphaneia is the first foal of Chronogenesis, a four-time G1 winner who captured the 2020 Arima Kinen and three other top-level races. Belesite’s runner-up effort in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai earned him enough prize money to secure a spot in the Derby field. Since that race, he has been training at the stable in preparation for the classic.
The combination of trainer Takashi Saito and jockey Yuga Kitamura already tasted Derby glory last year with Croix du Nord. Now they are looking to make it back-to-back victories with Belesite, a horse with a similar profile and a strong late kick that could prove decisive in the 2400-meter classic.