Sitting at No. 22 in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field, Mandarin Hero needed two defections in order to run for the roses. He got them on Thursday when both Practical Move and Lord Miles scratched from the race. Mandarin Hero now gets a chance to become the first Japan-bred to win the Run for the Roses, and if he can repeat his effort in the Santa Anita Derby he has a big shot.

22 Mandarin Hero (20-1)

• Trainer Terunobu Fujita
• Jockey Kazushi Kimura
• Last race Second in the Santa Anita Derby by a nose
• Career record 6 starts: 4 wins, 2 seconds
• Career earnings $386,854
• Best career Beyer Speed Figure 100 (2023 Santa Anita Derby)
• Sire Shanghai Bobby

Below, we'll dig further into Mandarin Hero as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered on Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

So what key information could decide how Mandarin Hero performs in the Kentucky Derby? And how does the post draw affect his chances? ... Join SportsLine now to get a full profile on Mandarin Hero and every other horse in the Kentucky Derby!