DUBAI, twenty eighth March, 2026 (WAM) — Japanese colt Wonder Dean, ridden by Cristian Demuro, made victory within the $1,000,000 Group 2 UAE Derby, sponsored by Jumeirah, on the thirtieth Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday.
Daisuke Takayanagi-trained Wonder Dean grew to become the fifth straight Japanese winner of the UAE Derby, following Crown Pride (2022), Derma Sotogake (2023), Forever Young (2024) and Admire Daytona (2025). Each of them additionally went to Churchill Downs for the G1 Kentucky Derby however couldn’t win; Forever Young went closest, simply edged out by Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.
Takayanagi stated: “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.
“Wonder Dean is creating bodily and mentally on a regular basis and I’m very enthusiastic about what he can do sooner or later.”