16 April, 2018
March roared in like a lion again this year with the last of the classic prep races for those hoping to get a run in the G1 Oka Sho(Japanese 1000 Guineas) and G1 Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas). There was one sprint that was a prep for the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at the end of the month. Four races were run over middle distances while there were also two stayer races in March.
There were three fillies preps leading up to the April 8th 1600m G1 Oka Sho(Japanese 1000 Guineas). The first was the G2 Tulip Sho at Hanshin, where 2-year-old Champion Filly Lucky Lilac(JPN) made an easy move in the stretch to beat her nine other rivals by two lengths over the mile Oka Sho trial. Next up was the G2 Fillies' Review, also at Hanshin but this time over a shorter 1400m. Regally bred Liberty Heights(JPN) lived up to her pedigree and fought her way up to beat a game Encore Plus(JPN) and Dernier Or(JPN) at the wire by half a length. The last of the filly preps was the G3 Flower Cup mid-month run over a longer 1800m at Nakayama. Cantabile(JPN) held off a fast-closing rally by Tosen Bless(JPN) to win by just a neck.
March had four different prep races for the April 15th 2000m G1 Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas). The first was the 1800 G2 Yayoi Sho at Nakayama which has produced Satsuki Sho winners like Victoire Pisa(JPN) in 2010. Other famous winners have been Satono Crown(JPN) and Makahiki(JPN). This year it was an easy romp for likely Satsuki Sho favorite Danon Premium(JPN) who cruised to victory. Another probably favorite in the Satsuki Sho Wagnerian(JPN) came flying at the end but couldn't get closer than a length and a half behind the winner despite having the fastest closing fractions of the race. The next three-year-old stakes which could also be seen as a prep for the 1600m G1 NHK Mile in May was the G3 Falcon Stakes at Chukyo Racecourse since it is over only 1400m. Mr Melody(USA) who looked to be a top dirt sprinter took to the turf for the first time and did not disappoint. The imported son of Scat Daddy(USA) took off midway down the stretch and held off a closing rally by fellow imported runner Asakusa Genki(USA) by 1¼ lengths. Another successful prep race for the Satsuki Sho, the 1800m G2 Spring Stakes at Nakayama has produced Satsuki Sho winners Orfevre(JPN), Logotype(JPN), Unrivaled(JPN) as well as had top horses like Kitasan Black(JPN) in its winner's circle. This year's renewal was a nail-biter between Stelvio(JPN), and Epoca d'Oro(JPN) battle it out in the final meters. After a photo finish, Stelvio(JPN), a son of Lord Kanaloa(JPN) last year's Leading Freshman Sire, was declared the winner by the narrowest of noses. Both will see each other again in the Satsuki Sho in mid-April. The final prep race for the first leg of the Triple Crown was the 1800m G3 Mainichi Hai at Hanshin where Blast Onepiece(JPN) was untouchable once they hit the stretch. The son of Harbinger(GB) beat the closest challenger Gibeon(JPN) by a cool two lengths.
There were two stamina group races this past month with the first being the 3000m G2 Hanshin Daishoten at Hanshin where the perennial bridesmaid Rainbow Line(JPN) got up to win for the first time since February of 2016. The son of Stay Gold(JPN) has hit the board in numerous G1s and G2s but had been seeking that long-missing second group win after winning the G3 Arlington Cup in 2016, making his many fans hope that he might be ready for a big 2018 campaign in the stayer races later in the year. The next stayers race was the G2 Nikkei Sho over 2500m at Nakayama, where young sire Nakayama Festa(JPN) who was second in the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, get his first group winner. Ganko(JPN) who had been racing on dirt since the winter of his two-year-old season had switched back to turf only two months prior and even ran third in the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai back in January, took the lead at the top of the stretch and never looked back.
Mid-distances races where strongly represented this month including one exclusively for females. The G2 Nakayama Himba Stakes at Nakayama was wired by four-year-old Kawakita Enka(JPN) who took the lead early and had another gear left over to hold off a fast closing Frontier Queen(JPN). The next race was the G2 Kinko Sho over 2000m at Chukyo and was the place for the long-awaited return of Satono Diamond(JPN). He had to settle for third that day while Suave Richard(JPN) wore down pace setter Satono Noblesse(JPN) to win the April 1st G1 Osaka Hai prep race by half a length. The G3 March Stakes at Nakayama over 1800m was the only graded dirt race held in the JRA this month. Winner Centurion(JPN) sat off the pace for most of the race and made his big move at the top of the stretch before hitting the lead at the 200m mark. The post time second favorite held off a quickly closing Queen's Saturn(JPN) just enough to win by a nose. The final race in the category was the 1600m G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy at Nayakama, a likely prep race for the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June. He's in Love(JPN) picked up another graded stakes victory for sire Harbinger(GB) who has been picking graded wins more frequently. The fourth favorite had to weave his way between horses and chased down the leader Campbell Junior(AUS) in the final strides to win by half a length.
The G3 Ocean Stakes at Nakayama on March 3rd was a 1200m final prep race for the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen on the 25th. King Heart(JPN) posted a major upset as the tenth favorite in a nail-biter of a race where everything was down to the last 100 meters. Heads, noses, and fractions of lengths were all that separated most of the runners as they hit the wire. As pace setter Nero(JPN) faded to a not too distant fourth, King Heart(JPN) got his head in front of second favorite Nac Venus(JPN) and favorite Daimei Fuji(JPN).
Later that month King Heart(JPN) wouldn't be so lucky in the 1200m G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, coming in 10th. Nac Venus(JPN) proved she was game enough to finish third by a little over half a length. The top sprinter prize for the spring, however, was earned by Fine Needle(JPN) who caught Let's Go Donki(JPN), who was also second last year, at the wire to win by a nose. Fine Needle(JPN) was coming off a victory in January's G3 Silk Road Stakes and lived up second-favorite status at post time. He will be headed off to Hong Kong next for the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on April 29th.
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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Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
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