by Mike Curry

Deep Sky charged into contention from the outside in the stretch and powered clear to a 1 1/2-length victory in the $2,698,113 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse.

The Japanese Derby is the second leg of the Japanese Triple Crown. Captain Thule won the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas) on April 20, but he did not contest the Japanese Derby. The Triple Crown concludes on October 26 with the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) at Kyoto Racecourse.

Trainer Mitsugu Kon bypassed the first leg of the Triple Crown with Deep Sky in favor of the NHK Mile Cup on May 11 at Tokyo. The Agnes Tachyon colt delivered a 1 3/4-length win in the 1,600-meter (7.95-furlong) NHK Mile Cup and was sent off as the 3.60-to-1 favorite in the Japanese Derby.

Deep Sky was reserved near the back of the 18-horse field by jockey Hirofumi Shii in the early going as Let’s Go Kirishima set an uncontested pace in the 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) turf race. Runner-up Smile Jack seized command in the stretch as the pacesetter faded. Deep Sky was angled outside of third-place finisher Black Shell for the drive and accelerated willingly when called upon to win convincingly in 2:26.70.

Smile Jack finished three-quarters of a length in front of Black Shell, who edged 6.10-to-1 second choice and Japanese Two Thousand Guineas third-place finisher Meiner Charles by a neck.

Shii, who rode Vodka to a win in the 2007 Japanese Derby, became only the second jockey to win consecutive editions of the classic race.

Deep Sky is out of the Chief’s Crown mare Abi, a half sister to German classic winner Royal Dragon.

Mike Curry is Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor