Gun Runner's Finger Bosses Them From the Front In Tokyo Derby

M's Racing's American-conceived and Japanese-foaled Finger (Jpn) (Gun Runner) moved one step closer to a sweep of the Japan Dirt Triple Crown with a front-running victory in Wednesday's ¥170 million ($1,059,270) Listed Tokyo Derby at Ohi Racecourse.

The bay colt entered Wednesday's 2000-meter contest having never finished worse than second in his seven previous career appearances. That included a runner-up effort behind Rock Ptarmigan (Jpn) (Siskin) in the Listed Keihin Hai over 1700 meters Mar. 25 before turning the tables on that rival in the first leg of the Dirt Triple Crown, the Apr. 29 Listed Haneda Hai going the metric nine furlongs.

The 9-5 second choice to Sunday Racing's recent G3 Unicorn Stakes hero Silver Ratio (Jpn) (Le Vent Se Leve {Jpn}), Finger was ridden forward from gate 12 by Keita Tosaki and took the field into the first turn as Rock Ptarmigan did his best to keep the front-runner honest.

In a nice rhythm down the backstraight, Finger was going clearly the better of the two entering the final 400 meters and was always holding Silver Ratio in the run to the wire. The latter commenced a rally from five furlongs out, came wide for the drive and stayed on well, but too late. Realize Glint (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), a $933,000 yearling out of the Ontario-bred dual Japanese stakes winner Madras Check (Malibu Moon), was clear of Rock Ptarmigan in third.

Finger can sweep the Triple Crown, formally initiated in 2024, in the Listed Japan Dirt Classic–won that year by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn})–over this same course and distance on Oct. 7. Natural Rise (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) annexed the first two legs of the series in 2025 before finishing second to Narukami (Jpn) (Thunder Snow {Ire}) in the Dirt Classic.

Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka is perhaps best known for conditioning Japanese champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) and the top older dirt galloper Mikki Fight (Jpn) (Drefong). Just this past weekend, Tanaka sent out Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) to upset the G1 Yasuda Kinen, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.

Winner of the GIII Bed O' Roses Stakes and placed in the GI Madison Stakes and GI Derby City Distaff Stakes, Estilo Talentoso was purchased by Japanese connections for $600,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and was bred to this leading stallion prior to her export to Japan. The mare is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt All Bet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and a yearling filly by Kitasan Black.

Wednesday, Ohi, Japan
TOKYO DERBY (Jpn-G1)-Listed, ¥170,000,000 ($1,059,270), Ohi, 6-10, 3yo, 2000m, 2:04.40, hy.
1–FINGER (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Estilo Talentoso (GSW & MGISP, $532,538), by Maclean's Music
2nd Dam: Bazinga Baby, by Afleet Alex
3rd Dam: Elizaveta, by Quiet American
O-M's Racing; B-Takahashi Farm; T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥100,000,000. Lifetime Record: 8-4-4-0, $1,303,031.
2–Silver Ratio (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn)–Silver Posie (Jpn), by Kurofune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥35,000,000.
3–Realize Glint (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Madras Check, by Malibu Moon. (¥150,000,000 Ylg '24 JRHAJUL) O-Yosuke Imafuku; B-Oiwake Farm; ¥20,000,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3, 4. Odds: 1.80, 1.20, 6.50.
Click for the goracing.jp chart.