Japanese business executive Hidetoshi Yamamoto made his fortune in amusement games and slot machines. He is a pure sportsman, and proved it by sending two of his young Thoroughbreds to Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon for the 55th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan at nine furlongs, a prep for the 140th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7.

Both horses, trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, were purchased out of the Keeneland 2006 September Sale. Spark Candle, a son of 1992 Horse of the Year and Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy and Serena’s Song, who won 11 Grade 1 stakes in her career, was purchased for $1.5 million.

The other purchase, this for $950,000, was Casino Drive, a son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, a son of A.P. Indy, and Better Than Honour, the dam of 2006 and 2007 Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches.

Their connections said that regardless of what happened in the Peter Pan, Casino Drive would start again in the Belmont Stakes, simply because of the family tie.

What happened in the Peter Pan was an impressive second start for Casino Drive, who did everything right and everything professionally in his 5 ¾-length victory before 6,023 fans. Under Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who won the Kentucky Derby last week with Big Brown and will be favored with that one next Saturday in the Preakness, Casino Drive saved ground behind a fast pace, came out between horses and powered to the victory in 1:47.87. He paid $4.50 to win.

Despite his impressive breeding and gaudy purchase price, Casino Drive’s ability was unknown entering the Peter Pan. In his only previous start, he was an 11 ½-length victor at Kyoto, covering “about” nine furlongs in a pokey 1:54 3/5 on February 23. He then bounced around from different training centers to Japanese racetracks, hoping to dodge an outbreak of influenza.

He, Spark Candle and a maiden, Champagne Squall, arrived on April 30 and were quarantined at Aqueduct before heading to Belmont Park.

“Today, he proved his ability,” said Nobutaka Tada, managing director of Globe Equine Management Ltd. “He had so much to overcome: only one race, more than two-month layoff, long trip and quarantine. Now, we have three weeks to go to the Belmont Stakes and he has three weeks to improve. And he has so much potential to improve. He likes it here at Belmont Park. He feels like he’s home. He’s an American-bred, so he is home.”

Casino Drive made himself at home under Desormeaux. He acted up a bit in the paddock, which Desormeaux dismissed as “playful exuberance,” but settled once the race began. He nestled himself on the rail, as Spark Candle, racing with blinkers, kept the heat on Mint Lane through splits of 23.08, 46.31, 1:10.47 and 1:35.26.

Desormeauz calmly waited until the stretch before tipping his mount out and sending him onward to the Belmont Stakes in first class.

“I certainly understand how Jazil and Rags to Riches won the Belmont,” Desormeaux said. “Yeah, he can run a lot. It’s going to be fun. He’s a phenomenal talent, and we’ve got our hands full with this one. It’s going to be ultimately exciting for all of the fans. He’s got that stride.”

Mint Lane’s trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, did not commit to the Belmont Stakes, nor did jockey Eibar Coa.

“I was going a little bit too fast, and I was really hoping I could go 48 on the front end,” Coa said. “They (Casino Drive and Spark Candle) had the race set up, because (Spark Candle) was next to me the whole way and I never had a shot to relax my horse. At the top of the stretch, Casino Drive went right by me and he had the race won. My horse was clearly second best. He tried hard and I think he will be okay.”

Ready’s Echo broke slowly and had to make up a lot of ground late. Still he was only beaten a half-length by Mint Lane for the place.

“He needed to break better for us to catch up today,” said his jockey, Johnny Velazquez. “He tried his best, but he was still too far back, especially against a horse that ran away with it at the end “

Golden Spikes, Cosmic, Spark Candle, Tomcito, Deputyville and Fast Talking completed the order of finish.