It's the 86th running of the Japanese Derby (or the Tokyo Yushun as it's known in Japan) this coming Sunday, and the race will be run at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, although that hustle and bustle will be shifting to Fuchu, and taking on a different look.
The Derby is one of the greatest races on the Japanese horse racing calendar, and attendance figures on the day invariably top the 100,000 mark. It represents the second leg of the Triple Crown, after the Satsuki-sho (or Japanese 2,000 Guineas) earlier in the spring, and the final race of the series in autumn, the Kikka-sho (or Japanese St. Leger).
The race starts in front of the packed grandstands, and after taking in just over a circuit of the turf track (the race distance is 2,400 meters), the winning colt on Sunday will flash past the winning post to claim a Derby victory, in probably a little over 2 minutes and 20 seconds, and will become the proud recipient of all the glory that goes with a Classic win, as well as the ¥200 million winner's check. The post-race ceremony for the winner and connections can really drive home the meaning of what it is to win the race.
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