The Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) is every Japanese horseman's dream. But to become the top of a class made up of almost 8,000 thoroughbreds, one needs a lot more than just a good horse or jockey, and it is why the Japanese Derby has come to be known as the test of "luck."

A winner of the Tokyo Yushun is regarded a winner for life; past and present, many of the horses held in the highest esteem are Japanese Derby winners, from Vodka to Deep Impact, to Narita Brian to Symboli Rudolf and to Shinzan.

Modeled after the English Derby, the Japanese Derby was first organized in 1932 at the Meguro track in Tokyo before being moved to Fuchu, where the race has been held since at the original distance of 2,400 meters. It has held Japanese Grade 1 status since the Japan Racing Association began grading races in 1984 as the second leg in the triple crown series.

In 1995, the race was opened up to horses from the local circuit, and in 2001, foreign-bred horses were allowed entry. Makoto Kaneko, owner of Grade 1 champions Deep Impact and Kane Hekili, had the first Japanese Derby runner from overseas, fittingly naming his American-born colt Kurofune – after Admiral Matthew Perry's black U.S. Navy ship which docked into Japanese harbor in 1853, marking the end of the nation's isolation policy. Kurofune would finish fifth in the race before going on to win the Grade 1 Japan Cup Dirt in 2001. Now, up to seven foreign-bred are allowed in the Japanese Derby.

The Tokyo Yushun is run under the same terms as two other renowned races at Fuchu – the Japan Cup and the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). The full field of 18 breaks from the home stretch for 400 meters to the first bend, which turns left for 550 meters to the back stretch. Another run of 400 meters leads into two more turns that usher the final straight of 525 meters, the first 225 meters of it sloping uphill.

Newly crowned Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) champion Unrivaled looks set to be the favorite this Sunday afternoon, but it remains to be seen if he is heads-and-shoulders above the rest, like Buena Vista was in the Japanese Oaks last weekend. The competition will be more than keen to steal the show from Unrivaled, who will look to cap the first double since Deep Impact in 2005. The following are the early favorites among 24 nominations for the 76th Japanese Derby. Post time is 15:40 p.m.:

UNRIVALED (pictured): The No. 1 choice in the Japanese Derby has traditionally fared well, which is a good sign for this son of Neo Universe. Of the 22 Grade 1 and Japanese Grade 1 races the JRA organizes, the favorite in the Japanese Derby has the highest winning percentage at .600. Over the last eight years, only Fusaichi Ho O in 2007 has failed to come through, so the odds are definitely in favor for the Yasuo Tomomichi-trained colt. Unrivaled made it 4-for-5 for his career with an impressive victory in last month's Satsuki Sho, leaving runnerup Triumph March and the rest of the field in the dust at Nakayama Racecourse. And although he has never raced at Tokyo, Unrivaled certainly has it in his blood to win the Japanese Derby; his sire was a former winner, and his dam Ballet Queen produced the 1996 champion, Fusaichi Concorde, who won with just two races under his belt. Should Unrivaled prevail on Sunday, he and Neo Universe will only be the second father-and-son pair ever to capture the first two races of the triple crown. JRA legends Symboli Rudolf and Tokai Teio are the only pair to have accomplished such a feat. Tomomichi likes what he has seen from Unrivaled in training since the Satsuki Sho, and Yasunari Iwata will be eager to put behind last weekend's Japanese Oaks, in which his mount Wide Sapphire was scratched after the jockey was thrown off during the post parade, the filly going loose for a prerace lap of honor. Iwata – one of the most clutch riders in the game alongside Yutaka Take, Katsumi Ando, Norihiro Yokoyama and Hirofumi Shii – has been perfect in four races aboard Unrivaled; the horse's only defeat came while he was under replacement Yuga Kawada. This will be Iwata's best shot yet at the Japanese Derby, and it's hard to imagine Unrivaled doing any worse than third place. He is the clear horse to beat among this lot. Unrivaled Unrivaled

JO CAPPUCCINO: He turned the NHK Mile Cup upside down with victory by two lengths as the 10th choice, and now the colt has thrown his hat into the ring for the Japanese Derby seeking further prestige and the 150 million yen winner's check. There was nothing fluky about Jo Cappuccino's performance in the NHK Mile Cup as the Manhattan Cafe son won by two lengths on a tough course in record time (1 minute, 32.4 seconds), but the Kazuya Nakatake-trained horse has yet to venture beyond 1,600 meters on turf (he has run at 1,700 meters on dirt). Five NHK Mile Cup holders have entered in the Japanese Derby in the past, and only King Kamehameha in 2004 and Deep Sky last year – which is very elite company – have gone on to win. Take away Unrivaled and the field looks relatively level, but even then, it's unlikely that Jo Cappuccino, under the young Kosuke Fujioka, will be a top five pick this weekend. Yet the lack of support may not stop him from turning a few heads, just as he did in the NHK Mile Cup. It's much too early to write off Jo Cappuccino as a flash in the pan. Expect another aggressive race from this darkhorse. Jo Cappuccino Jo Cappuccino

TRIUMPH MARCH: The Katsuhiko Sumii-trained son by Special Week has only one win to show for in five starts, but he has yet to finish below fourth and was second in the Satsuki Sho as well as the Wakaba Sho, both run at 2,000 meters. No horse with just one victory has won the Japanese Derby in 69 years, but the Melbourne Cup-winning trainer and jockey Koshiro Take, who has partnered Triumph March in every race so far, love the way he is improving with each start. Although Take has yet to win the race, his older brother, superstar Yutaka, has won the Japanese Derby a record four times. Given Sumii's track record in big races, however, maybe it's time for the younger Take to join a select group of jockeys. Triumph March, though unproven, certainly has the potential to make that happen. Triumph March Triumph March

LOGI UNIVERSE: He went into the Satsuki Sho with a perfect record as the outstanding favorite, and came out of it with the first defeat of his five-career starts. Logi Universe finished 14th in a field of 18, the worst loss by a Satsuki Sho favorite in 20 years. No one was more confused after the race than his jockey Norihiro Yokoyama, who had claimed the colt was in the best shape of his life going into the Satsuki Sho. Yokoyama, who, for all his magic on the big stage has never won the Japanese Derby, will have to hope Logi Universe has sorted himself out since his last race; the Kiyoshi Hagiwara-trained horse won his first four races so convincingly, that it's difficult to believe the reason for his flop was anything but mental. It would not be a total shock if Logi Universe bounced back to win, but he is now far from the sure bet that he was supposed to be for the Satsuki Sho. Logi Universe Logi Universe

REACH THE CROWN: Like Logi Universe, the Kojiro Hashiguchi-trained colt was tipped by many to win the Satsuki Sho but succumbed to 13th place, just one notch better than the favorite. Record four-time Japanese Derby-winning rider Yutaka Take said for all of Reach the Crown's potential, he is a one-paced horse who has to be on the lead by himself; if someone confronts him during the trip, as was the case in the Satsuki Sho, then it's game, set and match. According to his trainer, he is undoubtedly special; Hashiguchi likens Reach the Crown to two other past horses at his stable: Heart's Cry, the Arima Kinen and Dubai Sheema Classic champion who was the only Japanese horse to beat Deep Impact, and Special Week, Reach the Crown's sire who himself won the Japanese Derby, as well as both versions of the Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup. If Reach the Crown can travel on his own up front, then he could make the race very interesting. But if not, another disaster could be in the works here. Reach the Crown Reach the Crown

SEIUN WONDER: After finishing a disappointing eighth in the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho, last year's champion of the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes bounced back with a third-place performance in the Satsuki Sho under Hiroyuki Uchida, who has passed on the reins to another new partner in Yuichi Fukunaga for the Japanese Derby. The Tokyo Yushun has not been kind to the past 2-year-old champions; triple crown winner Narita Brian was the last horse to win the Japanese Derby as the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes champion. The key for Seiun Wonder will be to stay slim. Trainer Masazo Ryoke didn't work the colt hard enough for the Yayoi Sho, but after shedding 10 kilograms for the Satsuki Sho, he produced. With Grass Wonder running through his veins, the distance should not be an issue for Seiun Wonder. It's now all in the hands of Fukunaga, who has more than scored his share of upsets in big races. Seiun Wonder Seiun Wonder

BREAK RUN OUT: The favorite in the NHK Mile Cup was nothing short of disappointing, never having a moment as Yutaka Take's mount perished to ninth among 18. Break Run Out may have had the excuse that he was running his first race in three months then, but the Smart Strike son will not have such luxury on Sunday. The Hirofumi Toda-trained horse is aiming to become the first foreign bred to win the Japanese Derby with new partner Shinji Fujita on board; some think the trainer had his sights set on the Tokyo Yushun all long, and that he was using the NHK Mile Cup as a tuneup for the big one. Whether it's true or not remains to be seen, but Break Run Out will definitely be in improved form from the NHK Mile Cup. He must make a tough adjustment of an additional 800 meters on Sunday, but it's probably too early to dismiss Break Run Out just yet. Break Run Out Break Run Out

APRES UN REVE: The TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho winner always draws publicity ahead of the Japanese Derby as the trial race is held under the exact same conditions as the Tokyo Yushun. Apres Un Reve, with Hiroyuki Uchida up, won the Aoba Sho comfortably by more than a length, and is owned by Sunday Racing which, during this spring alone, has already won the Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) and Japanese Oaks with Buena Vista, and the Satsuki Sho with Unrivaled. No Aoba Sho winner has won the Japanse Derby in the last decade, but can Apres Un Reve follow in their footsteps and keep it going for Sunday Racing? Only the Shadai Race Horse group has won all four Classic races in the same spring, but a horse like Apres Un Reve can only boost the hopes of Sunday Racing.