May, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

No Astral Projection Here, As ‘Stars’ Lands Japanese Oaks

Chances for a 2022 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown are alive and well after G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas heroine Stars On Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) delivered the Classic double in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) for Shadai Race Horse and trainer Mizuki Takayanagi at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday.

Sent off as the 5-1 third choice, the bay broke well from the widest gate in 18, but was stuck wide as the field strung out in the wake of Nishino Love Wink (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Sitting in eighth, Christophe Lemaire had his filly relaxed on the backstretch and she remained there entering the second and final turn.

Wheeling into the straight with plenty of horse, Lemaire cut Stars On Earth loose and she immediately began to pick up with a quarter-mile to travel while out in the centre of the course. The pacesetter still maintained her advantage, but Nishino Love Wink was starting to flag and several rivals were ready to pounce.

Flashing the greatest turn of foot, Stars On Earth grabbed the lead inside the final furlong and fended off a late run from Stunning Rose (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) by 1 1/4 lengths. It was the same margin back to Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in third. Favoured Circle of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), the champion juvenile filly in Japan last year was a 2-1 shot, but she broke slowly and never engaged, trailing in 12th of 18.

“I am really thrilled to have won in front of a big crowd today– it's really not fun to win with an empty stand so I appreciate all you fans for coming,” said Lemaire, who was winning his first Group 1 of 2022 and third Oaks after Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) in 2017 and Japanese Fillies Triple Crown victress Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) one year later.

“The filly was in great condition coming into the race but it requires a lot of effort to start from an outside draw, so I was easy with her in early. She stayed calm and responded really well in the closing stages so I was happy. It was her first attempt at 2400 meters but her pedigree showed that she should be up in terms of stamina so I thought it shouldn't be a problem. She's already won at 1600 meters and shown to handle 2400 meters, so I think she has a pretty good chance to win her third Group 1 triple over 2000 meters.”

Never off the board in six previous starts, Stars On Earth broke her maiden at second asking last October and ran third in the Akamatsu Sho to Namur locally in November. She resumed with a runner-up performance to Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) (11th) in the G3 Fairy S. at Nakayama in January and filled the bridesmaid role again in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup here on Feb. 12. The Japanese 1000 Guineas, where she defeated Water Navillera (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}) (13th) was only her second victory on Apr. 10.

Pedigree Notes

Stars On Earth joins Titleholder (Jpn) as a dual Group 1 winner by Duramente, and the duo are half of the sire's tally of four stakes winners. The late Smart Strike was a highly successful sire Stateside and he is the grandsire of 144 black-type winners so far, 57 graded/group winners and an even dozen Grade/Group 1 winners. Since the start of the year, the former Lane's End stalwart has seven black-type winners, led by GI Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and GIII Robert B. Lewis S. and GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up Messier (Empire Maker). Also the damsire of 2009 Kentucky Derby scorer Mine That Bird (Birdstone), Smart Strike's Japanese triumphs span G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Strong Return (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S {Jpn}), Group 2 winner Epos (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) and G1 Oka Sho runner-up Red Oval (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) just to name a handful.

The second foal, runner and winner for her dam, who won once as a 3-year-old over 2000 metres in England, Stars On Earth is followed by a 2-year-old colt by Daiwa Major (Jpn). A homebred for Teruya Yoshida, Southern Stars, a half-sister to Lemaire's 2017 Japanese Oaks winner Soul Stirring and G3 Artemis S. victress Schon Glanz (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), was covered by Mikki Isle (Jpn) last spring.

Stars On Earth's second dam is the American champion grass mare Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), who gained a similar honour in France from 9 1/2-11 furlongs. A winner of the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), GI Beverly D. S., GI Flower Bow Invitational S., G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix Jean Romanet, Stacelita is out of German listed winner Soignee (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YUHUN HIMBA (JAPANESE OAKS)-G1, ¥306,220,000, Tokyo, 5-22, 3yo, f, 2400mT, 2:23.90, fm.
1–STARS ON EARTH (JPN), 121, f, 3, Duramente (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Southern Stars (GB), by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Stacelita (Fr), by Monsun (Ger)
                3rd Dam: Soignee (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB)
O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Mizuki
Takayanagi; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥168,154,000. Lifetime
Record: 7-3-3-1. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stunning Rose (Jpn), 121, f, 3, King Kamehameha (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rosa Blanca (Jpn), by Kurofune.
                2nd Dam: Rosebud (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
                3rd Dam: Rose Colour (Jpn), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥52,280,000.
3–Namur (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Harbinger (GB)
                1st Dam: Sambre et Meuse (Jpn), by Daiwa Major (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Vite Marcher (Jpn), by French Deputy
                3rd Dam: Kyoei March (Jpn), by Dancing Brave
1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥32,140,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 5.50, 27.20, 6.10.
Also Ran: Pin High (Jpn), Presage Lift (Jpn), Rouge Eveil (Jpn), Art House (Jpn), Nishino Love Wink (Jpn), Erika Vita (Jpn), Belle Cresta (Jpn), Lilac (Jpn), Circle of Life (Jpn), Water Navillera (Jpn), Sea Glass (Jpn), Love Pyro (Jpn), Personal High (Jpn), Ho O Vanilla (Jpn). SCR: Sound Vivace (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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The Back Ring: Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr.’s Unbreakable Link To Maryland’s Thoroughbred Industry

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE BACK RING

The latest issue of the Back Ring is now online, ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale.

The Back Ring is the Paulick Report's bloodstock newsletter, released ahead of, and during, every major North American Thoroughbred auction. Seeking to expand beyond the usual pdf presentation, the Back Ring offers a dynamic experience for bloodstock content, heavy on visual elements and statistics to appeal to readers on all platforms, especially mobile devices.

Here is what's inside this issue…

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE BACK RING

Lead Feature Presented By Gainesway: A look back at the life in racing of Alfred Vanderbilt Jr., the master of Maryland's Sagamore Farm and the catalyst for the famous match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral at Pimlico Race Course.

Stallion Spotlight Presented By New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.: Joe McMahon of New York's McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds discusses the multiple Grade 1-placed son of Curlin whose first foals are yearlings of 2022.

Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Dr. Jordan Kiviniemi-Moore of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital explains how to detect potential signs of pain from a horse that doesn't typically express them with their body language.

Shedrow Stroll Presented By Brick City Thoroughbreds: A rundown of the horses on offer from Brick City Thoroughbreds at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale, with breeze videos and commentary on each from J.R. and Katie Boyd.

Pennsylvania Leaderboard Presented By Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association: Through the first two months of the year, Empress Irene earned over $48,000 for her connections in Pennsylvania incentive earnings. See how she made that money, and how many different parties can benefit from having a successful Pennsylvania-bred.

Best Of The Breeders Presented By Muirfield Insurance: Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's operation is poised to repeat as the leading breeder of North American graded stakes winners, boasting a comfortable lead heading into Preakness Stakes weekend.

First-Crop Sire Watch: Charting the stallions whose first crops of 2-year-olds appear in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale catalog.

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ISSUE OF THE BACK RING

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Woody Stephens: Hall of Famer Won Remarkable Five Belmont Stakes in a Row

A list of Woodford Cefis Stephens’ accomplishments could pretty much fill a chapter of an encyclopedia. In a career that started in the 1930s and lasted into the 1990s, the Hall of Fame trainer known as “Woody” was revered as one the sport’s most respected and beloved figures. He won eight Triple Crown races, saddled nine champions and received enough trophies from his stakes wins to stock a three-story museum.

Rhizoma Peanut Hay For Horses

When horsemen think of legume hay, alfalfa invariably springs to mind with clover or lespedeza as possible runners-up. Few people probably think of rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth), a warm-season perennial legume. While rhizoma peanut gets high marks for productivity and persistence in varying management and environmental conditions, how does it stack up nutritionally against alfalfa, the long-revered gold standard of legumes for horses?

Researchers at the University of Florida intended to find out by comparing rhizoma peanut with alfalfa and bermudagrass in terms of nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, and nitrogen balance in mature horses at maintenance.*

Quarter Horse geldings were assigned randomly to one of the three hay treatments for three 21-day experimental periods. Each experimental period consisted of a 14-day adaptation period followed by three days of total fecal and urine collection, and then a four-day rest. During each period, horses were fed a particular hay at 2 percent of body weight per day in three meals. Researchers collected core samples of all hays to determine nutrient composition.

The researchers concluded that “rhizoma peanut is a high-quality legume hay for horses providing nutrient intake and digestibility intermediate between alfalfa and bermudagrass. The nutrients provided by rhizoma peanut hay meet the nutritional needs of horses at maintenance, while resulting in less nitrogen excretion than alfalfa.” In light of environmental concerns centering around nitrogen, horse owners may choose to feed rhizoma peanut hay when available and appropriate for the intended horses.

Key points concerning rhizoma peanut hay include:

Rhizoma peanut hay should not be confused with “peanut hay” or annual peanut hay, which is made from the plants that remain after peanut harvest. Hay made from annual peanuts is unsuitable for horses, as it is usually sandy, dusty, stemmy, and low in nutritional value.**
As a warm-season perennial, rhizoma peanut hay tends to grow well in areas in which alfalfa does not.
Horses find rhizoma peanut hay as palatable as alfalfa. In one study horses preferred rhizoma peanut hay to alfalfa hay, potentially because the horses favored the finer stems of the rhizoma peanut.+
Rhizoma peanut is often used like alfalfa, as a source of supplemental calories. Because of its palatability, overconsumption may result in excess body condition in easy keepers.
While all-forage diets are appropriate for many horses, forages do not provide a complete complement of nutrients needed for optimal health. Horses on all-forage diets should be supplemented with a high-quality vitamin and mineral product.

*Vasco, A.C.C.M., K.J. Brinkley-Bissinger, J.M. Bobel, J.C.B. Dubeaux Jr., L.K. Warren, and C.L. Wickens. 2021. Digestibility and nitrogen and water balance in horses fed rhizoma peanut hay. Journal of Animal Science 99(11):1-9.

**Hill, G.M. 2002. Peanut by-products fed to cattle. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 18:295-315.

+Lieb, S., E.A. Ott, and E.C. French. 1993. Digestible nutrients and voluntary intake of rhizomal peanut hay, alfalfa, bermudagrass, and bahiagrass hays by equine. In: Proc. 13th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society, Gainesville, p. 98.

Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Visit ker.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to Equinews to receive these articles directly.

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