Yoshida (JPN)

AFter finishing second in his career debut, Yoshida made quite an impression with a front-running, four-length romp at Keeneland in his second start.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott then tested him in stakes company and Yoshida dropped 23 lengths off the pace in the early running of the James W. Murphy Stakes on the 2017 Preakness Stakes undercard. The adversity proved just a hurdle for Yoshida, however, who charged from last to first to take command in the stretch before surging away to win by four lengths.

In his next start, Yoshida was tested in graded stakes competition and ran respectably when fifth by 4 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes. He followed with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes before another second in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes. Yoshida earned his first graded stakes win in October 2017 when he split horses in the stretch and rallied powerfully to prevail in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park. 

In his 4-year-old bow with a summer target of the Royal Ascot meeting, Yoshida tried Grade 1 company for the second time  in the Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes and outfinished multiple Grade 1 winner Beach Patrol to prevail on the 2018 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard.

On the heels of that win, Yoshida did ship to the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting and ran in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, finishing a solid fifth of 15 starters. He returned stateside with a dull effort in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 11, however, finishing fifth of six.

After that disappointing performance, Mott and Yoshida’s owners decided to try their horse on dirt for the first time in the Sept. 1 Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Breaking from the inside post, Yoshida tracked the pace in the rear pack of a full 14-horse field before rallying nine-wide at the top of the stretch. Once clear, jockey Joel Rosario drove Yoshida to the lead and the horse had plenty in reserve to post an impressive two-length win over Gunnevera. He closed the year with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In 2019, Yoshida continued to compete against the best horses in his division, starting in major graded/group stakes through the end of summer. His best finishes came at Saratoga, where he ran second to McKinzie in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes and third behind Preservationist and Bal Harbour in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets.