Second favorite Sol Oriens claimed this year's first leg of the Japan's Triple Crown, the $3,298,000 Satsuki Sho (G1) (Japanese 2000 Guineas), Saturday at Nakayama Racecourse.
Entering undefeated in just two career starts since his November debut as a 2-year-old and coming off his latest victory in the Keisei Hai (G3) run over the Guineas 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) distance at Nakayama, the son of Kitasan Black became the first colt to land the Satsuki Sho in just his third career start, the shortest in Japan Racing Association history.
Sol Oriens was a fraction slow out of the gate under Takeshi Yokoyama, who thereafter guided further off the rails as the track on the inside was considerably roughed up from the heavy rain on Saturday.
Traveling near the rear and well off the brisk pace set by Granite, who covered the first 1,000 meters (about five furlongs) in :58.5 on the ground rated as yielding, Sol Oriens circled the whole field that had already spread wide turning for home then unleashed a terrific late charge that carried him instantly from second last to the lead soon after the 100-meter marker.
Sol Oriens, who won by 1 1/4 lenghts, completed the trip in 2:00.6.
“I'm thrilled to have been able to show the colt's strength and win this Group 1 title,” Yokoyama said. “He's still very green, especially at the turns, with only a short career coming into this race, but as he's already shown in his previous start, I know firsthand the power and speed which this colt possesses and so, while we had a lot of ground to cover from way behind, I knew that if I could keep him in good rhythm up to the straight, he would be able to show his full potential to win this race.”
Fifth pick Tastiera broke smoothly and was rated outside a rival in mid-division, switched a little further out into the stretch, unleashed a swift rally to assume command at the furlong pole and continued on willingly, holding off all but the winner to finish second.
Race favorite Phantom Thief was rated in midpack, further behind than expected, after the break as horses rushed to take a good position from both sides and traveled at a rapid pace. The Harbinger colt lost a shoe somewhere along the backstretch, lugged in after entering the stretch, and while showing effort thereafter, was unable to match the strides of the top two finishers, finishingthird, three lengths behind the winner.
Sol Oriens is trained by Takahisa Tezuka for owner Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd. He was bred in Japan by Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm from the Motivator mare Skia, a Group 3 winner in France. He is from the second crop of Shadai resident sire Kitasan Black.
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