16 March, 2018
There were eleven graded stakes races in the JRA this February ranging from 1400m to 3400m. There were three classic prep races and one G1 on dirt, while the rest were for four-year-olds and up on the turf.
The road to the Japanese classics continues with two races typically used as prep races for the G1 Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas) on April 15th and one prep for fillies headed to the G1 Oka Sho(Japanese 1000 Guineas) on April 8th. While not having a fantastic record of producing classic winners overall, the G3 Kisaragi Sho over the 1800m turf course at Kyoto was won by Satono Diamond(JPN) back in 2016. He went on to run third in the Satsuki Sho, second by a nose in the G1 Japanese Derby and a win in the G1 Kikuka Sho(Japanese St Leger) that year. This year on February 4th the same owner captured the race when Satono Favor(JPN) hung on to nosed out second favorite Glory Vase(JPN) in a thriller. Russet(JPN) gave a particularly good performance posting the fastest fractions in the final three-furlongs, showing that Hokkaido Training Sale graduate could benefit from more distance. Unlike the Kisaragi Sho, the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai on February 11th, over the 1800m turf course at Tokyo has had a much better classic track record. Since 2012, every even year winner has gone on to win the G1 Satsuki Sho two months later. Gold Ship(JPN), Isla Bonita(JPN) and Dee Majesty(JPN) all captured the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, and all three are now covering mares this spring. Sixth favorite Oken Moon(JPN) by 2008 Kikuka Sho winner Oken Bruce Lee(JPN) made quite a stir when he upset the popular prep race as the two top favorites failed to perform and hung on to beat the third favorite Satono Saltus(JPN) by ¾ length. This underdog, whose three-race win streak shouldn't be ignored, will train all the way up to the Satsuki Sho.
The fillies had one prep of their own the following day at Tokyo in the G3 Queen Cup going 1600m over the turf. Tetradrachm(JPN) helped to continue her sire's rising star by winning a race that has seen some quality fillies hit the board over the past ten years. The daughter of Rulership(JPN) beat some very well bred fillies with the full sister to iron horse Staphanos(JPN), Finift(JPN) finish second by ¾ length and the second foal of two-time American G1 winner Zazu(USA), Arusha(JPN) finish a further 1¾ lengths back in third. Tetradrachm(JPN) and Finift(JPN) should clash again in the Oka Sho early next month while it seems that Arusha(JPN) is looking for more distance and will aim for the May 20th G1 Japanese Oaks. It was truly a month for underdog stallions in the classic prep races. Zenno Rob Roy(JPN), Oken Bruce Lee(JPN), and Rulership(JPN) all three had progeny beat sons and daughters of Deep Impact(JPN), whose offspring usually perform particularly well in the classics.
One of the more interesting things from the past three classic preps is the defeat of various sons and daughters of Deep Impact(JPN) by those of other stallions in Japan. Deep Impact(JPN) usually ends a three-year-old crop with plenty of talented graded stakes winners and several classic wins but this week it his offspring were all second to those of 2004 Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy(JPN), 2008 Kikuka Sho winner Oken Bruce Lee(JPN) and Rulership(JPN) a up and coming young stallion. While Satono Favor(JPN)'s sire Zenno Rob Roy(JPN) is also by Deep Impact(JPN)'s sire Sunday Silence, Oken Moon(JPN) and Tetradrachm(JPN) by Oken Bruce Lee(JPN) and Rulership(JPN) respectively are both free of Sunday Silence(JPN) blood. This past month showed the strong diversity that Japanese bloodstock has to offer.
There was a pair of 1400m races in February, and the top finishers will have several paths to travel down afterward. If they lean more towards sprints, they could run back in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen on March 25th, but if they prefer a mile, they will likely be headed for either the G1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares or the G1 Yasuda Kinen this summer. The G3 Kyoto Himba Stakes for fillies and mares on the 17th will likely have several of its members clash up in the mile-long G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes in early April before moving on to the Victoria Mile a month after that. Winner Miss Panthere(JPN) faltered badly last summer but trainer Mitsugu Kon sorted her out last fall, so this was her third consecutive win. The group four finishers were all less than a length apart as they crossed the wire so expect to see more from Dea Regalo(JPN), Estitato(JPN), Angel Face(JPN) later this year in the distaff division. While the G3 Hankyu Hai was open to all sexes, it was the seventh favorite mare Diana Halo(JPN) who upset the top two favorites, Mozu Ascot(USA) who is by Frankel(GB) and two-time G1 winner Red Falx(JPN). It was a particularly special win for her trainer Nobuharu Fukushima, who had tacked her up as his very last entry before retiring. Mr. Fukushima has officially retired from the JRA as of February 28th, ended over half a century of work in Japan's racing industry, 20 over years as a jockey and 30 years as a trainer.
Mid-distance races have been growing in popularity over the past few decades which resulted in the creation of more races ranging from a mile to ten furlongs. Three races fit into that category over the past month with the first being the G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai over a mile on February 4th. The winner, Lys Gracieux(JPN), was particularly impressive both in her race day and past performance. This daughter of Heart's Cry is a quality racehorse who has only been out of the money twice in her 11 race career, and both of those attempts were in races that went beyond ten furlongs. She has run second in three different G1 races between her two-year-old and three-year-old seasons, and this was her first attempt at taking on older males. Mid-stretch she broke through the pack and gamely held them all of to win by a solid length. She could have a very good year in-front of her. Runner-up was 2016 Champion Two-Year-Old Satono Ares(JPN) who seems to have found his calling as a miler.
Turtle Bowl(IRE) passed away around the end of the 2017 breeding season, and while he had not had the most successful first crop debuts in Japan, he was still a relatively new addition to the Japanese breeding scene. What ended up being his final book of mares was quite small and as the saying goes 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone.' Triomphe(JPN) a gelding from Turtle Bowl(IRE)'s first crop impressively defeated a field of much more accomplished horses in the G3 Kokura Daishoten on February 18th to become his late sire's first JRA graded stakes winner. With 53 winners from 69 runners in his first crop over both of Japan's racing circuits, Turtle Bowl(IRE)'s last two crops to go through the sales should be hot items now.
Like the longer Kyoto Kinen discussed in the next paragraph, the 1800m G2 Nakayama Kinen typically gets a quality field. Run at the end of the month, February 25th, this year's renewal had three G1 winners, three G2 winners and two G3 winners from ten runners. Win Bright(JPN) a dashing grey son of the late Stay Gold(JPN) showed yet again his love for Nayakama Racecourse by expertly navigating his way to lead take his second G2 at that track and distance. Out of six starts at Nakayama, he has won three times and ran second twice, a fact the racegoers were keenly aware of by post time, making his second favorite. He narrowly got his neck in-front of last year's G1 NHK Mile winner Aerolithe(JPN), while favorite G1 Mile Championship winner Persian Knight(JPN) was closing fast but had to settle for 5th. Last Year's G1 Dubai Turf Winner Vivlos(JPN) finished about 2½ lengths back in 8th place but will still be headed back to Dubai this year to defend her title.
While stayer races are not quite as common as they were a few decades ago, there are still plenty of races for those more inclined to run in the longest races the sport of kings has to offer. There were two in February, and the first was the 2200m G2 Kyoto Kinen on the 11th. The field of ten was made of up two classic winners, two G1 winning fillies, and two G2 winners. In the end, it was the son of 2008 Japanese Derby winner Deep Sky(JPN), Clincher(JPN) the lackluster fourth favorite at post time that shook things up and justified his second-place finish in the 3000m G1 Kikuka Sho(Japanese St. Leger) last fall. Runner-up 2017 Satsuki Sho winner Al Ain(JPN) had been hoping to end a nearly year-long dry spell and third place Rey de Oro(JPN), the 2017 Japanese Derby winner, was preparing for a run in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on March 31st. After his impressive win Clincher(JPN) will be on a path to the G1 Tenno Sho Haru, a 3200m marathon at the end of April. Al Ain(JPN) will drop back to 2000m in the G1 Osaka Hai on April 1st; the same distance as his Satsuki Sho win, while Rey de Oro(JPN) and 8th place Crocosmia(JPN) will both travel to Dubai for the Sheema Classic.
The February 17th G3 Diamond Stakes is the second longest graded stakes in the JRA and a favorite of eight-year-old gelding Fame Game(JPN) who captured his third renewal this year. Age was just a number as he convincingly beat five-year-old Ridge Man(JPN) by 1¾ lengths while posting the fastest fractions of the last three furlongs. The son of Heart's Cry has invites from Dubai and Australia so he could run anywhere in the world that he wants.
The first G1 of the year is always the G1 February Stakes, one of only two G1 dirt races held in the JRA. Over the years it has grown in popularity as a launching point for Dubai World Cup Carnival dirt runners and in 2016 became a Breeders' Cup World Championship 'Win and You're In' Challenge race for the Breeders' Cup Classic. Given the scarcity of JRA dirt races, this race is often packed with highly talented dirt horses and this year was no exception. With the retirement of 11 time G1 winner, an all-time record, Copano Rickey(JPN) back in December, a gap was felt, but the 2014-2015 February Stakes winner's absence allows some fresh blood into the fray. However, it was still the old guard in it to win it with 2015 JPN1 Japan Dirt Derby winner Nonkono Yume(JPN) and 2016 February Stakes winner Gold Dream(JPN) duking it out down the stretch for a nail-biting photo finish. In the end, it was Nonkono Yume(JPN), a six-year-old gelding, in front by a neck, having unseated 2017 JRA Champion Dirt Horse Gold Dream(JPN).
All JRA graded stakes results and race replays are available on Japan Association for International Racing, and Stud Book (JAIRS)'s website: http://japanracing.jp/
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