Masahiro Miki's Justin Palace, coming off a victory in the Hanshin Daishoten (G2)) in March, captured his first victory at the highest level Sunday in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1), held for the first time in three years at the newly renovated Kyoto Racecourse in Japan.
Four-year-old Justin Palace, a Deep Impact half brother to U.S. classic winner and Central Kentucky sire Palace Malice, made a clean start from the innermost post. He eased back to settle eighth then ninth from the front along the rails and shifted slightly to the outside turning the second corner. The colt gradually made headway turning the last corner two-wide, surged out behind Deep Bond entering the lane, overtook the eventual runner-up 300 meters out, and pulled away for a 2 1/2-length victory with the fastest closing speed.
Second choice in the field of 17, Justin Palace covered 3,200 meters (about two miles) in 3:16.1.
“The horse was calm throughout the race and I was sure that he was going to win when we moved up behind Dee p Bond and entered the straight,” said winning rider Christophe Lemaire. “He has become a super horse over long distances, so I think he will do well in races like Arima Kinen (G1) in the future.”
Deep Bond settled wide in seventh in front of the eventual winner early, gradually made headway to take command turning the final corner and, while surrendering the lead passing the 300-meter marker, held fast-closing Silver Sonic by a length to mark his third consecutive runner-up effort in this race.
Unhurried around 13th, Silver Sonic advanced on the outer route after the third corner to close in on the front rivals and, while unable to threaten the top two finishers, showed the second-fastest late drive for a third.
Race favorite and defending winner Titleholder, settling in second after rallying with African Gold for the lead, assumed command at the first corner but pulled up before the final corner due to lameness in his right foreleg. He was scheduled to undergo an examination after the race.
Marking two wins and a runner-up effort in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at about 1 1/4 miles as a 2-year-old, Justin Palace was ninth last year in a pair of Japanese classics: the Satsuki Sho (G1) (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Tokyo Yushun (G1) (Japanese Derby). He landed his first graded victory in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2) in September, followed by a third in the Kikuka Sho (G1) (Japanese St. Leger), and capped off the season with a seventh in the Arima Kinen.
Justin Palace, who is trained by Haruki Sugiyama, was bred in Japan by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Racing. His dam is the stakes-winning Royal Anthem mare Palace Royal, who sold to Yoshida for $1.1 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale in the Hill 'n' Dales Sales Agency consignment. Her most notable foal is Palace Malice, a son of Curlin. Palace Malice won the 2013 Belmont (G1) and 2014 Metropolitan (G1). He stands at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky.
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