19 June, 2018
May is always an exciting time in Japan with a G1 race every Sunday throughout the month. Aside from the four main events, including of course the G1 Japanese Derby and Oaks, there were also six other graded stakes throughout the month.
First up the one lone dirt graded race, the 1900m G3 Heian Stakes at Kyoto Racecourse on May 19th. Sunrise Soar(JPN) upset the favorite, Great Pearl(JPN) who broke poorly, to win his first graded stakes title. The near black son of Symboli Kris S(USA) broke on the lead and never looked back. The four-year-old Manhattan Cafe(JPN) filly and third favorite Queen Mambo(JPN) worked her way up to place second, a length and a half behind the winner, and fifth favorite Queen's Saturn(JPN), a Pyro(USA) colt, was a nose back in third.
The Aoi Stakes is new to the graded stakes calendar this year and has yet to earn an official grade, though ran under G3 like conditions. It has been established as a 1200m turf sprint for three-year-olds, a market that was a bit underserved during classic season. Held on May 26th at Kyoto Racecourse, Gold Queen(JPN) upset the field as ninth favorite. The three-year-old filly by top dirt sire Sinister Minister(USA) dominated the newly minted graded stakes race, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over a field of mixed sex. Sixth favorite Love Kampf(JPN) and second favorite Travesura(JPN) dead heated for second.
The G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup despite being 1400m is often a prep race for the G1 Yasuda Kinen in early June. Ran over the Tokyo Racecourse, an extra furlong wouldn't necessarily make much of a difference to a good horse. On May 12th, Moonquake(JPN) worked his way up to get his head in front and earn his first graded stakes title. Campbell Junior(AUS) suffered a bitter loss on his long journey to finally earn a graded stakes win but was sufficient to prep him for the Yasuda Kinen in a few weeks. 2016 Champion Two-Year-Old Satono Ares(JPN) made a dramatic display, coming from nearly last place to finish third by a nose, a neck away from the winner's circle.
The 2000m G3 Niigata Daishoten on May 6th at Niigata Racecourse was filled with old soldiers this year, and it was seven-year-old Suzuka Devious(JPN), who has been running in graded stakes most of his career, finally achieved graded stakes success in this 33rd start. He wore down fellow seven-year-old Stay in Seattle(JPN) in the final stages to win by ¾ of a length. Six-year-old Nasuno Seikan(JPN) was third.
The 2200m G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai is the final Derby prep of the year, held on May 5th it is just 22 days away from Derby day, so it is a last resort for some late bloomers. This year it was Stay Foolish(JPN) who entered Kyoto Racecourse's winners' circle after going to post as 7th favorite. The son of Stay Gold(JPN) had been third in the 2000m G1 Hopeful Stakes last December, but a poor finish in a February classic prep took him off course till this race. He stalked the pace closely all the way and easily held off closer Admire Alba(JPN) who finished second. Chardonnay Gold(JPN) was third. The top two finishers earned an automatic berth into the Japanese Derby.
The 2500m G2 Meguro Kinen was held on the same day as the Japanese Derby this year but is 100m longer and for four-year-olds and up. Continuing in the vein of upsets that seem prevalent this past month, ninth favorite Win Tenderness(JPN) sat off the pace for the majority of the marathon and then swooped in for the win ¾ of a length over tenth favorite Nobel Mars(JPN). The favorite, Perform a Promise(JPN) was a head back in third.
The first G1 of the month was the 1600m G1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse and is only open to three-year-olds. The previous two years the NHK Mile was dominated by some genuinely classy fillies, but this year the colts took back the title. Six favorite Keiai Nautique(JPN) made a fantastic move going from last to first in the stretch, upsetting second favorite Gibeon(JPN) by a neck in the process. Red Veyron(JPN) also made an impressive move from the 11th position to finish third by just ahead.
The 1600m G1 Victoria Mile is one of only two G1s available that is limited to fillies and mares. So while not being the oldest of G1s on the Japanese calendar it is still a popular one and fillies, and mares of all types usually give it a go since Tokyo Racecourse is a notoriously fair racetrack. This race saw another upset with eighth favorite Jour Polaire(JPN) running away with the race and favorite Lys Gracieux(JPN) closing like a bat out of hell. Jour Polaire(JPN) ran third in last year's Victoria Mile, so her affinity for the course was obvious. A pair of poor runs leading up to this year's race left her off most punter's tickets, but it didn't bother her at all. Lys Gracieux(JPN) missed yet another G1 title by a nose, and Red Avancer(JPN) was third by a further neck.
The 2400m G1 Japanese Oaks is always a great race, but it was made more significant this year by the stunning performance by G1 Oka Sho winner Almond Eye(JPN), who left little doubt if her pedigree was going to affect her staying ability. The three-year-old daughter of Champion Sprinter and Miler Lord Kanaloa(JPN) wouldn't have been devalued in the slightest if she couldn't stay a mile and a half but that wasn't the case. After stalking the pace in good position till they turned from home, she switched gears and won by a strong two lengths. Going back to 2000m for the G1 Shuka Sho in October shouldn't be a problem for her, so we could be looking at another Filly Triple Crown winner. Lily Noble(JPN) was second, with 2017 Champion Two-Year-Old Lucky Lilac(JPN) in third.
All over the world, no race trumps the Derby, and in Japan, the 2400m G1 Japanese Derby has much the same effect. While you won't see fancy attire at a Derby in Japan, the ferocious cheers from the 126,767 as the horses near the post will impress anyone. This year was no different with the G1 Satsuki Sho winner Epoca d'Oro(JPN) launched himself to the lead and holding on to it until the final few meters when Wagnerian(JPN) wore him down on the outside. As disappointing it is not to have a Triple Crown contender this year it was an emotional victory for jockey Yuichi Fukunaga, whose father had never had the chance to win the Derby when his career was cut short by a fall. It was Fukunaga's 19th ride in a Japanese Derby, and up to the last 50m it didn't look like he was going to get there but Wagnerian(JPN), a son of Deep Impact(JPN), found one final gear and powered passed a steady Epoca d'Oro(JPN) to win by half a length. Based on the cheers he got in the jockey room upon his return you never would have thought that 17 others had just lost the Derby, everyone was happy for Yuichi Fukunaga.
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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