Maurice Colt Scales Falcon Stakes Heights

Danox, Inc.'s Danon McKinley (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) rallied to win the G3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon S. at Chukyo on Saturday. It was the first stakes victory for the son of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

Fourth last through the early going as Orchid Romance (Jpn) (Roger Barows {Jpn}) led, the 12-1 shot was able to relax behind a rapid pace, with the first 1000 metres reached in :57 flat. He gathered himself on the turn and fanned out into the centre of the course at the 400-metre mark. Making up ground with every stride, Danon McKinley ground past the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. third and won by a half-length. It was two lengths back to Sonshi (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who had enjoyed a stalking trip for much of this contest.

First in both a newcomer affair at Hanshin in September and in a Kyoto allowance in November, Danon McKinley was eighth to Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. a month later. Wheeled back in the Jan. 27 Listed Crocus S., he improved to fifth over this trip in Tokyo.

Pedigree Notes

Danon McKinley is the 26th stakes winner worldwide (18th group) for Shadai Stallion Station's Maurice, who also shuttles to Arrowfield Stud in Australia. The 13-year-old son of Screen Hero (Jpn) was Japanese Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter and Champion Miler in Japan in 2015. His quintet of top-level winners include Australian three-time Group 1 winner Hitotsu (Aus), while Jack D'Or (Jpn) won the G1 Osaka Hai, Mazu claimed the G1 Doomben 10,000 back in Oz, Geraldina (Jpn) struck in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Pixie Knight (Jpn) prevailed in the G1 Sprinters S.

2012 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen left five Galileo (Ire) foals in Ireland with a record of four winners from four runners and three stakes horses. The best of these was Shale (Ire), who won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and Berkeley Square (Ire), who was third in the G2 Futurity S. Acquired privately by Japanese interests, Homecoming Queen foaled the 4-year-old winner Irish Pearl (Jpn) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). Next is the ¥220,000,000 JRHA Select yearling and Falcon S. hero, who has a juvenile half-sister by Kizuna (Jpn) and a yearling half-brother by Epiphaneia (Jpn). In 2023, Homecoming Queen–a half-sister to Group 1 winners Dylan Thomas (Ire) (Danehill) and Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge)–visited Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn).

 

Saturday, Chukyo, Japan
CHUNICHI SPORTS SHO FALCON S.-G3, ¥78,150,000, Chukyo, 3-16, 3yo, 1400mT, 1:20.20, fm.
1–DANON MCKINLEY (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Maurice (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Homecoming Queen(Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng
                                at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Eng, GSW-Ire, $458,335),
                                by Holy Roman Emperor(Ire)
                2nd Dam: Lagrion, by Diesis (GB)
                3rd Dam: Wrap It Up (Ire), by Mount Hagen (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥220,000,000 Ylg '22
JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Hideaki
Fujiwara; J-Yuichi Kitamura; ¥41,595,000. Lifetime Record:
5-3-0-0, ¥61,684,000. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Orchid Romance (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Roger Barows (Jpn)–
Echinacea (Jpn), by Snitzel (Aus). O/B-Mill Farm (Jpn);
¥16,170,000.
3–Sonshi (Ire), 126, c, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Afdhaad (GB),
by Nayef. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
(€125,000 Ylg '22 GOFFEB; 200,000gns RNA Ylg '22 TATOCT;
$300,000 2yo '23 OBSSPR). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Shadwell
Estate Company Limited (Ire); ¥10,085,000.
Margins: HF, 2, 1. Odds: 12.60, 11.30, 1.30.
Also Ran: Namura Atom (Jpn), Logi Leon (Jpn), Uncle Cross (Jpn), Fender (Jpn), Enya Love Faith (Jpn), Strauss (Jpn), Taiki Vainqueur (Jpn), Satomino Kirari (Jpn), Captain Neki (Jpn), Hakusan Eagle (Jpn), Aim For Ace (Jpn), Val d'Orcia (Jpn), Kris Arthur (Jpn), Miltenberg (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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Deep Impact’s Danon Kingly Salutes in Yasuda Kinen

Danox Inc.'s Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) dethroned MG1SW Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in her bid to win back-to-back G1 Yasuda Kinens, with a narrow victory at Tokyo on Sunday. It was the 5-year-old entire's first win at the highest level after he had been placed in a pair of Classics in 2019 and the race is a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile this fall.

Sent off at 47-1, Danon Kingly perched three deep in midfield as Daiwa Cagney (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) rattled off fractions of :23.30 for the opening quarter and :46.40 for the half-mile over the firm turf. Winding up for his bid on the far turn, the bay fanned widest of all bar two at the 400-metre mark. He was soon in touch with the leaders, but inside the final furlong, anyone of four were in with a shot.

Favoured at 50 cents on the dollar, Gran Alegria, who had arrived on the scene from farther back than Danon Kingly, thrust her head in front in the shadow of the wire towards the inside, but the winner was flashing home even more strongly and got his head down first at the line. It was only a half-length back to Group 1 winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in third to the inside of Danon Kingly, while only a neck separated him from fourth-place Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who'd won this affair in 2019, and was sandwiched between the second and third home.

“He felt a bit tense first entering the track but he had good rhythm during the trip and had plenty of horse left,” said jockey Yuga Kawada. “He responded just as I hoped turning the last corner and ran well after that. Although he hasn't been

able to put in the best results in the past, he has definitely demonstrated his true strength today and I'm happy to have been a part of it in my first time in the saddle.”

Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile and in his 3-year-old bow, the 2019 G3 Kyodo News Hai, Danon Kingly ran third in the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas and went one better in the G1 Japanese Derby in May of that year. Given some time off, he returned with a win in the G2 Mainichi Okan that October and, after an unplaced run in the G1 Mile Championship, returned at four to take the G2 Nakayama Kinen first up over 1800 metres last March. Third in the G1 Osaka Hai last April, he ran unplaced in both the 2020 Yasuda Kinen and in the Nov. 1 G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn). This was his first start at five.

Pedigree Notes

Danon Kingly is the 51st Group 1 winner for his late sire, who celebrated another Classic winner in the past few days with record 16-length G1 Cazoo Oaks heroine Snowfall (Jpn). Of the former Shadai stallion's 175 black-type winners and 142 group winners, 16 are out of Storm Cat mares. Group 1 winners A Shin Hikari (Jpn), Loves Only You (Jpn), Kizuna (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Real Steel (Jpn), Study Of Man (Ire), Lachesis (Jpn) and Ayusan (Jpn) are bred on this cross. Of these nine, four won Classics in Japan and France.

A winner at three, My Goodness's first foal is G3 Capella S. victor Danon Legend (Macho Uno), who was purchased for $385,000 out of the Barretts March sale in 2012 and sent to Japan. Her 2012 produce was the Japanese listed winner Danon Good (Jpn) (Elusive Quality). Danon Kingly is the most decorated of her nine offspring, while he is also a half-brother to the 3-year-old colt Danon Velocity (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), a 2-year-old full-brother to Danon Velocity and a yearling filly by Heart's Cry (Jpn) yet to come. My Goodness, a half-sister to American Champion 3-Year-Old Colt West Coast (Flatter), a winner of the GI Travers S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby, visited the court of Epiphaneia (Jpn) last spring.

The duo are out of U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caressing (Honour and Glory), whose biggest claim to fame was a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but who also struck twice at Grade III level Stateside. She, in turn, was a half-sister to Listed Natalma S. heroine Platinum Blonde (Silver Hawk). This is the extended family of GI Donn H., GI Meadowlands Cup H. and GI Gulfstream Park H. hero Sea Cadet (Bolger), as well as GII Del Mar Futurity victor and GI Champagne S. third On Target (Forty Niner), both later sires.

 

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥252,260,000, Tokyo, 6-6, 3yo & up, 1600mT, 1:31.70, firm
1–DANON KINGLY (JPN), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: My Goodness, by Storm Cat
                2nd Dam: Caressing, by Honour and Glory
                3rd Dam: Lovin Touch, by Majestic Prince
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Danox Inc.; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn);
T-Kiyoshi Hagiwara; J-Yuga Kawada. ¥132,982,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-6-1-2. *1/2 to Danon Legend (Macho Uno), GSW
-Jpn, $3,324,208; and Danon Good (Jpn) (Elusive Quality), SW-J
pn, $1,161,123. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gran Alegria (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Tapitsfly, by
Tapit. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥52,876,000.
3–Schnell Meister (Ger), 119, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Serienholde
(Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Ger); ¥33,438,000.
Margins: HD, HF, NK. Odds: 46.60, 0.50, 9.20.
Also Ran: Indy Champ (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Danon Premium (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Gibeon (Jpn), Cadens Call (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), Catedral (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Lauda Sion (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Like Father, Like Son for Danon Smash in Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Danon Smash (Jpn) finally broke through at the highest level with a neck defeat of boom mare Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in Chukyo's G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen on Sunday.  The Danox Inc. colourbearer followed in his sire's hoofprints, who captured the 1200-metre grass feature in 2013.

Sent off at 5-1, the Takayuki Yasuda trainee assumed position off the fence near the back of the field as the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) rocketed straight to the front. That rival remained glued to the fence and set sharp fractions of :22.90 and :45.60 despite the yielding going while on an uncontested lead. Winding up for his run, Danon Smash began to make encouraging progress, cut between Resistencia and a rival at the 200-metre mark and found his way to the line a neck on top.

Group 1 winner Resistencia, favoured at 9-5, spun fairly wide into the stretch, appeared to briefly struggle with the deep ground as the rain continued, before gamely picking up and holding for second. Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who had taken over from Mozu Superflare briefly nearer the fence was a neck back in third. Mozu Superflare hung on for fifth.

“I knew that the ground condition was going to be the key factor but I decided not to make any plan and let the horse race where he wants to,” said pilot Yuga Kawada. “We were able to race while eyeing Resistencia in the front. He responded really well at the fourth corner and, although there was a long duel (with the race favorite) at the stretch, he showed his strength at the end. Last year's result (10th) was very disappointing so I'm

really glad he was able to register his first Group 1 title in Japan.”

A potential return to Hong Kong for a start in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on Apr. 25 is a possibility for Danon Smash. Resistencia also holds an entry for that Sha Tin feature.

As a juvenile, Danon Smash won two of four starts including the Momiji S., but saved his first group win for the G3 Keihan Hai S. in November of his 3-year-old season. Among his starts as a 4-year-old, the entire ran fourth in the 2019 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and later that season was third in the G1 Sprinters S. in September of 2019. Last term, he saluted the judge four times in seven starts, with a first in the G2 Sankei Sho Centaur S. followed by a runner-up performance in the Sprinters S. and he broke through on foreign soil with a Group 1 win in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 13. Sunday's victory was his 6-year-old bow.

Pedigree Notes

Danon Smash is one of five Group 1 winners and 17 group winners for rising sire star Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who is in the process of assuming the Shadai Stallion Station kingpin mantle after the passing of star sires Deep Impact (Jpn) and King Kamehameha (Jpn). In addition to each winning the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the father-son duo also share a win apiece in the aforementioned Hong Kong Sprint.

Although GI King Bishop S. hero Hard Spun's broodmare career is not yet well advanced, the son of Danzig already has 23 black-type winners to his credit, with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Haskell Invitational S. victor Good Magic (Curlin) and G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) representing him at the highest level in addition to the Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner.

His dam, Spinning Wildcat, was plucked for $600,000 by KI Farm out of the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2013 in foal to Tapit. That foal was the subsequent winning filly Menuett (Jpn), who saluted over 1600 metres on dirt as a 4-year-old and delivered a filly by Lord Kanaloa as her first foal this spring. Danon Smash is Spinning Wildcat's second foal and one of five winners from five to race. Danon Smash has full-siblings–a juvenile filly and yearling colt who have yet to race, while Spinning Wildcat was covered by Heart's Cry (Jpn) last spring.

Second dam Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S.) was named a champion 3-year-old filly in America and her race record includes three wins out of the top drawer among them the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. At stud, she threw her best runners when crossed with Danzig and his sons, with her star offspring being GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner and sire War Chant (Danzig). Two more of her sons were given places at stud–G2 July S. & MG1SP Ivan Denisovich (Ire) (Danehill) and SW & MGSP Ministers Wild Cat (Deputy Minister). Her best daughter was SW & GSP Double Cat (Storm Cat), while another daughter produced Canadian Classic scorer Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer).

 

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥253,460,000, Chukyo, 3-28, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.20, sf.
1–DANON SMASH (JPN), 126, h, 6, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Spinning Wildcat, by Hard Spun
                2nd Dam: Hollywood Wildcat, by Kris S.
                3rd Dam: Miss Wildcatter, by Mr.Prospector
O-Danox Inc.; B-K. I. Farm (Jpn); T-Takayuki Yasuda; J-Yuga
Kawada. ¥133,822,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-HK, 23-11-3-1.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: F.
2–Resistencia (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–
Malacostumbrada (Arg), by Lizard Island. O-Carrot Farm;
B- Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥53,092,000.
3–Indy Champ (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Stay Gold (Jpn)–Will Power (Jpn),
by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥33,546,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 3/4. Odds: 5.00, 1.90, 5.30.
Also Ran: Travesura (Jpn), Mozu Superflare, Sound Ciara (Jpn), Eighteen Girl (Jpn), Maltese Diosa (Jpn), Seiun Kosei (Jpn), Miki Brillante (Jpn), Daimei Fuji (Jpn), Danon Fantasy (Jpn), Astra Emblem (Jpn), Lauda Sion (Jpn), Katsuji (Jpn), A Will a Way (Jpn), Right on Cue (Jpn), Red en Ciel (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

 

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