By Alan Carasso
For the fifth year running, a horse trained in Japan has proven too good in the G2 UAE Derby, as Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}) went to front-running Six Speed (Not This Time) at midstretch and edged away for a solid victory, to collect 100 points on the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby
Exiting a sound fourth to would-be UAE Derby runner and the undefeated Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G3 Saudi Derby across in Riyadh on Feb. 14, Wonder Dean jumped with them and was forwardly placed through the early exchanges, as impressive G3 UAE 2000 Guineas winner Six Speed flaunted his early pace and took them along on a clear advantage.
Content to sit in a midfield position down the back while facing the breeze, Wonder Dean was there when Cristian Demuro asked him to improve with fully 800 meters to travel and as the field reached the head of the Meydan straight, the race was down to two.
Six Speed battled on bravely into the final furlong, but he was always a questionable stayer, and Wonder Dean drove past late en route to a comfortable victory. Pyromancer (Jpn) (Pyro), making his first start since running his winning streak to three in the Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in December, ran on for third ahead of Brotherly Love (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) in fourth, each never a threat to the winner.
“I had a dream run around,” said Demuro. “I was able to ride him how I wanted and although he didn't have much cover, he came there so easily and then really picked up well
“If I am asked to ride in the Kentucky Derby it would be a first and a wonderful experience.”
Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) took the runnings from 2022-2025. All four went on to contest the 'Run for the Roses', with Forever Young's remarkable third in 2024 easily the best performance.
Winning trainer Daisuke Takayanagi indicated it was Churchill or bust for Wonder Dean.
“This is my first international success so I feel amazing. I was truly impressed by his performance. I was confident beforehand as I thought the extra distance would definitely help, and that Meydan would suit him.
“I was expecting the leader Six Speed to stop a lot earlier than he did and so I was a bit worried, but I always thought he would get there. We will go directly to America from here.”
Despite arguably failing to see out the 1900-meter distance, Six Speed will be pointed for the Derby.
“We knew there was a chance he might not stay because he has so much speed,” his rider Mickael Barzalona commented. “But I let him roll on the way he likes to . At the end, he was very tired and it was his heart that kept him in it.”
Pedigree Notes:
Wonder Dean is the second stakes winner and the first at group level for his sire, a son of Deep Impact (Jpn) whose major career success came in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) back in 2016.
Whereas the winner's sire raced exclusively on the grass, dam sire Wonder Acute, a son of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes winner Charismatic, made 47 of his 48 starts on the dirt, winning three times at group level while finishing runner-up in the G1 Japan Cup Dirt (now Champions Cup) each year from 2011 through 2013. He was also second and twice third in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten.
Wonder Dean has a 2-year-old half-brother by Satono Crown (Jpn), a yearling half-brother by dirt star Gold Dream (Jpn) and a colt by American import Honor Code foaled Mar. 11.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE DERBY SPONSORED BY JUMEIRAH-G2, $1,000,000, Meydan, 3-28, 3yo, 9 1/2f, 1:59.19, fs.
1–WONDER DEAN (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Dee Majesty (Jpn)
1st Dam: Wonder Siang Praw (Jpn), by Wonder Acute (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Wonder Stow Lily (Jpn), by Bago (Fr)
3rd Dam: Wonder Madonna (Jpn), by Pilsudski (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Yoshinari
Yamamoto; T-Daisuke Takayanagi; J-Cristian Demuro.
$580,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, $770,541. Werk Nick
Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Six Speed, 126, c, 3, Not This Time–Browse, by Medaglia
d'Oro. ($50,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; 220,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE).
O-Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve
Adkisson, Swinbank Stables; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Bhupat
Seemar. $200,000.
3–Pyromancer (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Pyro–Centrifuge (Jpn), by Hard
Spun. 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Godolphin; B-Darley Japan
Farm; T-Keiji Yoshimura. $100,000.
Margins: 2HF, 6, 5.
Also Ran: Brotherly Love (GB), Devon Island, Union Security, Lino Padrino, Salloom, Rammaas, Go Man (Fr), Labwah. Scratched: Duke Of Immatin. Click for the ERA chart. VIDEO.
WONDER DEAN 🥇
Ridden by “Cristian Demuro” and trained by “Daisuke Takayanagi”, won the “UAE Derby” race on “Dubai World Cup” night at Meydan Racecourse#Dubairacingtv#DWC26#DubaiWorldCup pic.twitter.com/oBovC6dh81
— Dubai Racing Channel (@DubaiRacingTV) March 28, 2026
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