When a race has existed for nearly nine decades, it generally will have played host to a little bit of everything.

In the case of the Santa Anita Derby, you will find heavy favorites or huge longshots winning the 1 1/8 mile contest. There are no shortage of Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes winners, and divisional champions and legends of the sport have added victory in the race to their resumes. There are plenty of dominant performances (see Majestic Prince in 1969, Affirmed in 1978 or Sunday Silence in 1989), and thrilling photo finishes (the 2012 edition is a great example).

But the 2023 edition featured something never before seen in its previous eighty-five renewals. Of all the horses to start the race, not one of them had ever come from Japan.

That is, until Mandarin Hero came to call.

Hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun, Mandarin Hero had been a regular at Oi Racecourse in Japan prior to visiting North America. His first five starts took place at Oi, and those yielded four wins and a second. Already the owner of a terrific record, Mandarin Hero was not meant to stay in Oi. His connections looked outside of Japan and towards North America. One specific track caught their eye: Santa Anita.

Of course, the ultimate goal was the Kentucky Derby, and the Santa Anita Derby has long been established as one of the most prolific prep races for the Triple Crown opener. With dreams of Louisville in front of them, Mandarin Hero's team sent him West to California as their journey towards America's biggest horse race continued.

Despite his fine record in Japan, questions surrounded Mandarin Hero's class going into the Santa Anita Derby. In short, more than one person showed skepticism that the dark bay colt could win the race. Set at just over 8-1 when wagering was complete, Mandarin Hero was ranked fourth in the wagering behind Skinner at around 7-2, National Treasure at 5-2, and Practical Move at even money. Though clearly not dismissed as a win candidate, Mandarin Hero getting the spoils had the look of being a surprise scenario.

Drawing post eight for the Santa Anita Derby, Mandarin Hero and jockey Kazushi Kimura arrived at midpack early as Low Expectations and One in Vermillion went up front early. Only four horses were ahead of Mandarin Hero when he arrived at the clubhouse turn, and only a few lengths separated him from the front. Racing on the outside of Dazzlemesilver after an opening quarter-mile of 22.30, Mandarin Hero got past that rival and then matched up with Skinner, one of the principals in the Santa Anita Derby, in the backstretch.

With a half-mile split of 46.30 courtesy of One in Vermillion, the Santa Anita Derby had a decent pace. Mandarin Hero trailed by just a couple of lengths as he closely pursued National Treasure and Practical Move. The entire field was actually close together, separated by a handful of lengths as the excitement in the grandstand grew. One in Vermillion began to pick it up going into the far turn, turning in a time of 1:11.25 for three-quarters of a mile. Practical Move followed suit on the inside, ready to make it three consecutive victories going into the Kentucky Derby. National Treasure made his bid with Mandarin Hero on the inside, both horses right behind the top two. On the outside of National Treasure came Skinner, who moved with authority as he looked to take over the Santa Anita Derby. With the quarter-mile pole in plain sight, no less than five horses had a chance to take the Southland's most prestigious race for three-year-olds.

Turning into the stretch, Practical Move maintained the lead on the inside. Skinner was ready to spring the minor upset, giving it his all on the inside. Mandarin Hero rode the rail coming out of the turn and was able to get into second with a furlong left as he held a small advantage over Skinner. They both went after Mandarin Hero, who moved determinedly down the stretch. Mandarin Hero opened up a bit on Skinner while catching up to Practical Move. After all the questions going into the race, Mandarin Hero was suddenly on the cusp of victory. He just needed to find a half-length to draw level with Practical Move. The crowd's excitement grew; no one knew who would win the Santa Anita Derby. A surprise victor could not be ruled out. The moment was huge for Kimura, for this was his first Santa Anita winter/spring meet following a successful time at Woodbine. After a slow start to the stand, he had picked up wins, including some stakes scores. To win one of the biggest Grade I events of the meet would be monumental for Kimura's career.

The top three were less than a length apart, none of them yielding in the final seconds. Mandarin Hero found more than Skinner, inching closer with every stride. He nearly caught Practical Move at the wire, but just missed by a nose in one of the most thrilling editions of the Santa Anita Derby in recent memory.

After a mile and one-eight in 1:48.69, Practical Move found himself Southern California's top Kentucky Derby hope. But it could be said that Mandarin Hero achieved a moral victory that afternoon in Arcadia. Though he finished in second place, Mandarin Hero showed he could take on the Southern California contingent. His performance was tenacious and notable given it was his Santa Anita debut along with the fact he traveled thousands of miles to take part in the race. In short, Mandarin Hero earned respect in front of an on-track crowd topping 31,000 and a national television audience.

Ironically, Mandarin Hero was the only member of the Santa Anita Derby's top three to start in the Kentucky Derby. Practical Move and Skinner both came down with a temperature that resulted in their withdrawals, and an additional defection in Grade II Wood Memorial champion Lord Miles allowed Mandarin Hero to be part of the 2023 Derby field after his connections rolled the dice and waited to see if they could be part of the spring classic. As it turned out, it was not Mandarin Hero's day under the Twin Spires as he finished up in twelfth place at more than 17-1.

But Mandarin Hero could hold his head up. The Kentucky Derby is a unique race, and plenty of good horses have finished off the board. Mandarin Hero had already established himself as a good horse in Japan, and he validated that with his bang-up run in the Santa Anita Derby.

Speaking of the Santa Anita Derby, Mandarin Hero will forever be known as the first Japanese-bred horse to take part in the race. Even before he left the starting gate, Mandarin Hero guaranteed himself that he will be remembered for his history-making appearance in the legendary event. And his runner-up effort only added to his noteworthy tale.