15 August, 2018
Summer racing in the JRA goes into full swing in July with all group racing being G3 events. Usually, the top class of horses take this time off before resuming a fall campaign, so the summer months give the late bloomers and second string horses have a chance to make their mark.
The main exception of the second string rule this month was the G3 Queen Stakes at Sapporo on July 29th which saw the return of G1 winners Deirdre(JPN) and Soul Stirring(JPN) who finished first and third respectively. The 1800m race for fillies and mares started with post time favorite Deirdre(JPN) breaking slow and settling in second to last as they went past the grandstand the first time. As the field turned for home Deirdre(JPN) came around the pack wide and ran straight down the center of the track to pass Champion two-year-old filly and 2017 G1 Japanese Oaks winner Soul Stirring(JPN) early to win by three lengths. Frontier Queen(JPN) caught Soul Stirring(JPN) at the wire to finish second. Deirdre(JPN) was making her first start since running third in the G1 Dubai Turf in March and her ultimate goal for the year will be the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December.
There was one race last month for three-year-olds, the 1800m G3 Radio Nikkei Sho at Fukushima on July 1st. Meisho Tekkon(JPN), from the second to last crop of the late Manhattan Cafe(JPN), stalked the pace for the majority of the race before making his move after they turned for home and outdueling Kibono Daichi(JPN) in the stretch. Post time favorite Fierement(JPN) came flying down the stretch, trying to make up for a slow break, but could not catch the winner in time, finishing half a length behind in second, three-quarters of a length ahead of a tiring Kibono Daichi(JPN). Meisho Tekkon(JPN)'s victory this summer should make the 2016 Hokkaido Selection Sale graduate a contender in many major events this fall.
Two-year-old racing got a major boost this month with the first of only a hand full of group races for the generation. The 1200m G3 Hakodate Nisai Stakes at Hakodate on July 22nd had a full field of sixteen starters, mostly made up with winners of one, just two had won more than one race and three others who had run in maidens prior to their first win. The prize went to Aster Pegasus(USA), an imported son of the late Giant's Causeway(USA) when he came speeding down the center of the track to catch Just a Way(JPN) filly Love Me Fine(JPN) at the wire. Carlino(JPN) ran third.
The 1000m G3 Ibis Summer Dash at Niigata on July 29th is the shortest graded stakes race in the JRA. They start in a shoot and run the length of the Niigata stretch and is the only race without a turn in it. This exciting sprint was captured this year by the five-year-old mare Daimei Princess(JPN), her first graded stakes win of her career. The daughter of King Halo(JPN) won easily with over Love Kampf(JPN) and Nine Tails(JPN).
The G3 1200m CBC Sho at Chukyo on July 1st saw six-year-old Ares Barows(JPN) snagged his first graded stakes victory of his career over a field filled mostly with other older horses and a few graded stakes winners. Despite a slow break, which is usually a bad move in a sprint, the son of Deep Impact(JPN) rallied in the stretch to outrun his rivals and win by a 1 1/4 over Nagara Flower(JPN), with Second Table(JPN) finishing third. Three-year-old G3 winner Asakusa Genki(USA) going up against older horses for the first time and the only three-year-old in the field ran fourth, a half a length behind Second Table(JPN) after he too broke slow.
The 1400m G3 Procyon Stakes at Chukyo on July 8th was the only dirt graded race in the JRA in July. While most of the big stars of the JRA dirt scene ran in the NAR's JPN1 2000m Teio Sho in late June, the dirt sprinters contended in this lucrative dirt sprint. The race was upset by 5th favorite Matera Sky(USA), an imported son of Speightstown(USA), who easily wired the race when favorite Incantation(JPN) broke slow. Second favorite Win Mut(JPN), who stalked Matera Sky(USA) from the beginning, held on for third.
The 1600m G3 Chukyo Kinen on July 22nd at Chukyo was won in record time by Greater London(JPN), a horse who seemed on track for greatness in 2015 through 2017 winning five consecutive races before finishing fourth in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in 2017. He had an average run in the months after his first G1 attempt, but this was his first time in the winners' circle since March 2017. He finished 3/4 of a length over Logi Cry(JPN), and Reliable Ace(JPN) finished third.
The 2000m G3 Tanabata Sho at Fukushima on July 8th had a massive upset when nearly 100.8 odds 11th favorite Meadowlark(JPN) upset the field of twelve horse field. The seven-year-old on of aging Derby hero Tanino Gimlet(JPN) broke slow but made a powerful move in the stretch to catch Meiner Sage(JPN) by a neck at the wire to claim his first graded stakes title and first win since 2015. Power Pocket(JPN) finished third.
The 2000m G3 Hakodate Kinen at Hakodate on July 15th was captured by seven-year-old Air Anthem(JPN) who along third place Eterna Minoru(JPN) stalked the pace for the first portion of the race and held off Sakura Empereur(JPN) challenge in the stretch. While Air Anthem(JPN)'s next race has not been announced yet, the Chukyo Kinen was a prep race for Sakura Empereur(JPN)'s attempt at a second consecutive win in the G2 2000m Sapporo Kinen in the middle of August.
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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