Lani

After finishing his 2-year-old season with back-to-back wins, including a stakes victory in the Cattleya Sho, Lani was pointed to the United Arab Emirates Derby as a possible steppingstone to the Kentucky Derby.

His first test of 2016 did not go to plan as he finished a disappointing fifth on a muddy track in the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, but trainer Mikio Matsunaga continued on to Dubai and his confidence was rewarded. Lani seized command in the stretch of the UAE Derby and held off the late bid of race favorite Polar River to win by three-quarters of a length under regular rider Yutaka Take. Lani overcame a rough start to the race in which he stumbled almost to his knees but recovered nicely.

“He’s a very strong horse so I really thought I had a good chance in the race," Take said.“Even though he tripped at the start he travelled really well throughout. Right now, he’s still rather immature so he’s got a lot of growing up to do. He’s getting better and better and I’d like to go to Kentucky [for the Derby].”

Lani shipped to the U.S. where he endured a troubled trip to finish ninth of 20 in the Kentucky Derby. Connections opted to continue on the Triple Crown trail and headed to Belmont Park to train for the Preakness Stakes. In that race Lani finished closing fifth over a sloppy track.

His trainer reported that Lani kept getting stronger as he trained for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, and he ran to his best Triple Crown finish yet, completing a gray trifecta in the Belmont Stakes when checking in third. Lani is one of just two horses to compete in all three legs of the 2016 Triple Crown.

Lani is the third stakes winner produced by his dam, Heavenly Romance, by 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence. Heavenly Romance won the 2005 Tenno Sho (Autumn), one of the most important fall races in Japan, against males. Among the Japanese stars Heavenly Romance defeated in that race were Zenno Rob Roy, Dance in the Mood, Heart's Cry, Hat Trick and Tap Dance City.