Champion juvenile. Derby winner. Last out G1 Osaka Hai hero Croix Du Nord is hunting his fourth Group 1 in Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring), and, if he pulls off victory in the 15-horse field, the son of Kitasan Black will have emulated his Classic-winning sire.A two-time winner of Japan's longest top-tier contest at 3200 metres in 2016/2017, Kitasan Black claimed seven victories at the highest table. Croix Du Nord tries the 3200-metre trip for the first time on Sunday and will partner with Yuichi Kitamura. If he pulls it off, he will be the ninth Derby victor to accomplish the double and the first in 19 years.Trainer Takashi Saito said, “On April 26, I had Taisei Danno ride and we clocked him. Race week, I didn't think it necessary to push him much, so I put an open-class horse ahead of him and they lined up going into the straight. I only wanted to see his responses at both the top of the straight and when he caught the horse in front. He was better than last week, including how he used his body.”Defending his Tenno Sho title is Redentor. Although he appeared on the racecourse only once since his victory a year ago, the son of Rulership should improve off of his eighth-place finish in the G2 Kyoto Kinen in February.“As I watched him in last week's fast work, he was very much on his toes and was making a good effort,” said trainer Tetsuya Kimura. “This week in fast work he worked with two other horses. He settled nicely and I think he made an extra effort right before the finish line. Comparing the two workouts, I'd say they were about the same, with him looking full of energy. A back-to-back win of this race is on the line and eyes will be on him.”Yet to win a Group 1, Arqana seven-figure sales topper Shin Emperor (Siyouni) has a brace of group wins to his credit. The 2025 G2 Neom Turf Cup winner ran fourth in the 2026 edition that was promoted to the highest level in the interim. He also holds placings in the 2024 Tokyo Yushun/Irish Champion Stakes/Japan Cup. He was due to contest Saturday's GI Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, but that video gait analysis prevented him from traveling. Maybe Sunday is the day?Assistant trainer Yukihiko Araki said, “We were planning to take him to the United States [for the GI Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day] but following his final workout on April 19, we heard from the organizers that the video gait examination indicated the horse might become keen under way. We didn't want to go as long as there was that risk, so we switched his target race to the Tenno Sho.“Mirai Iwata rode him on April 23 and he said the horse is doing fine. The jockey rode work April 23 and everything is going well. As the horse gets older, he's more inclined to take it easy. He's relaxed, almost too relaxed at times, and doesn't make much headway. But I think he can handle 3200 meters.”Admire Terra (Rey De Oro) had Aqua Vernal (Epiphaneia) back in second in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten over 3000 metres in March. Third in the 2024 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), the five-year-old entire leaves from post three and, with a win, would hand jockey Yutaka Take a record-extending ninth Tenno Sho (Spring) badge.The post Feelin’ Springy: Croix Du Nord Aims For Tenno Sho Glory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.