G1 Kikuka Sho | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Japanese Classics came to a close on Sunday at Hanshin with the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), and it was Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn})'s time to shine as he led at every call to win going away by five lengths as the 7-1 fourth choice. He is the first winner to lead from start to finish in the Kikuka Sho since Seiun Sky (Jpn) (Sheriff's Star {GB}) in 1998.

Allowed to bowl along as soon as the gates sprung, the Hiroshi Yamada colourbearer soon established an easy rhythm while several lengths in front of the chasing pack. Very relaxed throughout, he covered the first half-mile in :47.20 and the mile in 1:39.70. His pursuers closed the gap approaching the final bend through2000 metres in 2:05.40, but the dark bay skipped away again and had built up enough of a cushion to successfully hold off the closing trio of 4-1 third choice Orthoclase (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Divine Love (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), and 2-1 second pick Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}). At the line, only a head separated Orthoclase from Divine Love. It was a nose back to Japanese Derby third Stella Veloce in fourth. Favoured Red Genesis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) failed to land a blow and finished 13th after racing near the tail of the field throughout.

“We had a terrible race last time out so I was determined to win it this time and I'm glad it panned out,” said jockey Takeshi Yokoyama. “I personally thought that the distance was maybe too much to ask from this colt, but he showed otherwise and performed well above my expectations, so I'm ashamed for doubting him in anyway. As far as the race, I concentrated in keeping him comfortable in a long race like this—he's an honest horse, in a way too honest and always gives his full effort—so knowing that once in front he would settle, I let him go as he liked and didn't try to hold him back too much. He has a lot to look forward to in the future but it would require a little skill as a rider to conserve his energy depending on the situations.”

A winner at first asking over 1800 metres at Nakayama last October, Titleholder ran second in the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S. that November prior to a fourth upped to 2000 metres in the Dec. 26 G1 Hopeful S. He resumed with a win over that distance in the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen on Mar. 7 and was second to Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) on Apr. 18. Only sixth in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) on May 30, the colt was given a lengthy break and returned to run 13th in the 2200-metre G2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen on Sept. 20.

Pedigree Notes

A son of the late Duramente, who won the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown, Titleholder is one of two black-type winners for the 9-year-old and the first top-level winner. He is also the first Group 1 winner for Motivator (GB) as a broodmare sire and one of 10 black-type winners overall.

Although she never earned black-type, millionaire Mowen did run fifth in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup at three and fourth at listed level later that year. She also had the versatility to win over 1200 metres on the dirt that year and up to 2600 metres on the turf as a 4-year-old before being retired for broodmare duties. Her first foal is the winning Melody Lane (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and, after producing a dead foal in 2017, Titleholder is her last known offspring, as she has missed to the covers of Gold Ship (Jpn), Victoire Pisa (Jpn), and Duramente (Jpn) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Under the winner's fourth dam is G1 1000 Guineas heroine On The House (Fr) (Be My Guest), who also won the G1 Sussex S.

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER)-G1, ¥270,970,000, Hanshin, 10-24, 3yo, c/f, 3000mT, 3:04.60, fm.
1–TITLEHOLDER(JPN), 126, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Mowen (GB), by Motivator (GB)
                2nd Dam: Top Table (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
                3rd Dam: Lora's Guest (Ire), by Be My Guest
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥20,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Hiroshi
Yamada; B-Okada Stud (Jpn); T-Toru Kurita; J-Takeshi
Yokoyama. ¥150,079,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-0. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Orthoclase (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Marialite (Jpn),
by Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥56,594,000.
3–Divine Love (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Deep Love
(Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥34,297,000.
Margins: 5, HD, NO. Odds: 7.00, 4.40, 16.30.
Also Ran: Stella Veloce (Jpn), Deep Monster (Jpn), Veloce Oro (Jpn), Arrivo (Jpn), Air Sage, Asamano Itazura (Jpn), Victipharus (Jpn), Sefer Rasiel (Jpn), Road to Fame (Jpn), Red Genesis (Jpn), Monte Dio (Jpn), Gratias (Jpn), Weiss Meteor (Jpn), North the World (Jpn), World Revival (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Titleholder Takes Kikuka Sho in Wire-to-Wire Fashion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Kyoto played host to the 3000-metre G1 Kikuka Sho on Sunday, and Contrail (Jpn) put his name in the record books as the eighth Japanese Triple Crown Winner and only the third to take the Japanese equivalent of the St Leger while undefeated. Symboli Rudolf (Jpn) (Partholon {Ire}) first accomplished that feat in 1984 and Contrail’s sire, the late Deep Impact (Jpn), was the second in 2005.

In marked contrast to his earlier wins, Contrail was tested all the way to the line, with recent allowance winner, the SP Aristoteles (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), relishing the trip, but managed to fend off that foe and hold on by a neck. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Group 2 winner Satono Flag (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while GSW Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was fourth, another neck behind.

Only eventual seventh-place finisher and 9-1 shot Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) was also under 10-1 odds in the field of 18, and Contrail was 1-10 to complete the triple. Chimera Verite (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was hard sent from the bell, and Contrail perched in seventh with Aristoteles, under Christophe Lemaire, sitting directly to his outside a half-length back. Positions were largely unchanged throughout the early stages, but Contrail turned in well off the fence with 600 metres to travel, Aristoteles still closely shadowing him. Chimera Verite folded entering the straight and Babbitt (Jpn) (Nakayama Festa {Jpn}) picked up the baton, but Contrail was already within a few lengths of the leaders poised to pounce, still harried by Aristoteles.

That duo drew even with the vanguard 300 metres out and quickly distanced themselves. Although Aristoteles, under a brilliant ride by Lemaire, came within a short neck of Contrail a few strides from the wire, the dark bay repelled his challenge and refused to let his rival pass. The official margin was a neck. Satono Flag came from far back to take third, just in front of the stalking Deep Bond.

“I can’t say that I was successful in keeping him relaxed during the race with so much pressure from Aristoteles,” said winning jockey Yuichi Fukunaga. “It turned out to be a tough race for us with Aristoteles looking quite strong and persistent, and this race may not have been his best performance, but I kept my faith in Contrail and he certainly showed how strong he is to have maintained his position up to the end of the 3000-meter trip.”

Named the 2019 Japanese Champion Juvenile Colt after going three-for-three last term with wins in the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S.-in a record time of 1:44.50 for 1800 metres-and in that December’s G1 Hopeful S., Contrail was not seen in action until a bloodless victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) this April. He easily made it two Classics in a row with a three-length win in the 2400m G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May and rattled off a two-length victory in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, a prep for this race, on Sept. 27.
Pedigree Notes
One of 47 Group 1 winners for his sire, Contrail is also Deep Impact’s third Japanese St Leger hero after Fierement (Jpn) (2018), and Satono Diamond (Jpn) (2016). They are the first father-son pair to take the three Classics in Japan. Placed four times as a juvenile in Japan after selling to Koji Maeda for $385,000 at Keeneland September in 2011, Rhodochrosite foaled two winners from two runners prior to Contrail. Barren in 2018, the daughter of American champion juvenile filly and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile heroine Folklore (Tiznow) has a yearling colt from the second-to-last crop of Deep Impact and a Heart’s Cry (Jpn) colt foal born on Mar. 26. Folklore is a half-sister to SW & GSP Divided Attention (A.P. Indy), as well as the GSP Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality). Delightful Quality, in turn, is the dam of GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity hero Essential Quality (Tapit).

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER)-G1, ¥267,040,000 (US$2,550,789/£1,955,624/€2,150,288), Kyoto, 10-25, 3yo, c/f, 3000mT, 3:05.50, fm.
1–CONTRAIL (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rhodochrosite, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Folklore, by Tiznow
                3rd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
JAPANESE TRIPLE CROWN WINNER. O-Shinji Maeda; B-North
Hills (Jpn); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥147,328,000.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, 7-7-0-0. ¥675,186,000 Werk Nick Rating:
   A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Aristoteles (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Blue Diamond
(Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn) O-Hideko Kondo; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥55,808,000.
3–Satono Flag (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Balada Sale
(Arg), by Not For Sale (Arg). (¥165,000,000 Wlg ’17 JRHAJUL).
O-Satomi Horse Company; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥33,904,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, NK. Odds: 0.10, 22.00, 33.90.
Also Ran: Deep Bond (Jpn), Black Hole (Jpn), Robertson Quay (Jpn), Weltreisende (Jpn), Valcos (Jpn), Galore Creek (Jpn), Babbitt (Jpn), Man of Spirit (Jpn), Satono Impresa (Jpn), Diamant Minoru (Jpn), Turkish Palace (Ire), Danon Gloire (Jpn), L’Excellence (Jpn), Bitterender (Jpn), Chimera Verite (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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