Having ridden for years in Japan, Desormeaux is a friend of Yamamoto and of Fujisawa.

"When Kent comes over to Japan, Mr. Fujisawa and I become his guarantor for his working visa as a jockey," Yamamoto said. "We go out to dinner and we have him ride my horses."

But Desormeaux, amazingly enough, also is the jockey for Big Brown.

He rode the horse to victory at the Kentucky Derby and at the Preakness. At Belmont, he will be riding the Triple Crown contender, not the would-be Triple Crown spoiler.

"I am very disappointed about that," Yamamoto said.

Reporters have asked Desormeaux which horse he thinks will win at Belmont. He has declined to answer.

"We've got our hands full with this one," the jockey said of Casino Drive. "He's got that stride. . . . He's a phenomenal talent."

Japanese racing writers are saying that even if Casino Drive does not win, the horse's challenge is a breakthrough for horse racing in Japan, where racing purses are among the largest in the world but racing talent has lagged behind.

"It is an American-bred horse, but the eyes of an owner who chose this horse and the training by Mr. Fujisawa make Japanese feel proud," said Yoko Takizawa, a racing writer and author.

In his penthouse office, where he presides over an entertainment conglomerate that runs Pachinko parlors, creates video games and markets athletes, Yamamoto does not predict victory for Casino Drive.

"If Big Brown wins the race, then I will be really honored," he said, while smiling opaquely.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

Yet since he began buying American and British thoroughbreds in 2004, Yamamoto has made no secret of his goals: He wants to win big-time U.S. races such as the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.

Racing in Japan, he said, is merely a "steppingstone."

No matter which horse wins, Yamamoto said, Casino Drive's long-term future is in the United States, not Japan.

"As a horseman, it is my obligation to hand down his genes to future generations," Yamamoto said. "If that is to be wished, it is better to do it in the States."

Yamamoto will be at Belmont Park on June 7 to watch his horse run.

Special correspondent Akiko Yamamoto contributed to this report.

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