Pink Kamehameha Gives Japan Back-To-Back Wins In Saudi Derby

by Alan Carasso

Making his first afternoon appearance on the dirt at career start number seven, Pink Kamehameha (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) provided his home country and trainer Hideyuki Mori with a second victory in as many runnings in the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Saturday. Cowan (Kantharos) made up a stack of ground after blowing the break to just miss and won a photo for second from New Treasure (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). Full Flat (Speightstown) won for Japan last year.

When entries were taken Saturday, Umberto Rispoli was named aboard Cowan, but when the Italian was pulled from his flight to Riyadh via Qatar Thursday, Joel Rosario was released from his call aboard Pink Kamehameha in order to ride for Steve Asmussen. Top Japanese rider Keita Tosaki, who was booked to ride Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the Saudi Cup, picked up the ride and settled the colt about four off the inside as Godolphin's UAE 1000 Guineas heroine Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) set the pace from UAE 2000 Guineas runner-up Meshakel (Ire) (Shamardal). Always traveling well for Tosaki, Pink Kamehameha claimed Soft Whisper with about 400 metres to race, but soon had New Treasure and Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to deal with. But he managed to find a bit extra in the waning stages and got home first, as Cowan, last but one into the straight, closed with a rush.

“It was my first ride on him today but he produced a fantastic run even on his first time race over the dirt surface,” said Tosaki, who suffered serious injury and was sidelined for six months following a spill at Urawa in November 2019. “As he has no issues with the starting gate, he jumped quickly from the gate today. He responded to me well and had a comfortable trip all the way.”

Pink Kamehameha is one of 22 winners for his sire, a son of the aforementioned King Kamehameha (by Kingmambo) and Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence), winner at home of the 2005 G1 Oka Sho and G1 Yushun Himba before winning the GI American Oaks at Hollywood Park. Cesario is also the dam of leading young Japanese sire Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) and 2019 champion 3-year-old colt Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Pink Kamehameha is the last listed produce for his now 27-year-old dam.

 

WATCH: Pink Kamehameha makes a successful dirt debut in the Saudi Derby

 

Saturday, King Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia
AL RAJHI BANK SAUDI DERBY (Cond.), $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-20, 3yo, 1600m, 1:38.57, ft.
1–PINK KAMEHAMEHA (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Leontes (Jpn)
1st Dam: Tabatha Tosho (Jpn), by Dancing Brave
2nd Dam: Samantha Tosho (Jpn), by Tosho Boy (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Marble Tosho (Jpn), by Dandy Lute (Fr)
O-Hisako Kimura; B-Hatakeyama Stud Farm; T-Hideyuki Mori; J-Keita Tosaki; $900,000. Lifetime Record: 7-2-0-0, $1,104,876. *1/2 to Sweep Tosho (Jpn) (End Sweep), Ch. Older Mare & G1SW-Jpn, $6,631,021; and Tosho Freak (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), SW & MGSP-Jpn, $2,349,927.
2–Cowan, 126, c, 3, Kantharos–Tempers Flair, by Smart Strike ($185,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $385,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-William L & Corinne Heilgbrodt; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc (KY); T-Steve Asmusen; J-Joel Rosario; $300,000.
3–New Treasure (Ire), 126, g, 3, New Approach (Ire)–Maolneach, by Congaree. (90,000gns HRA '20 TATAUT). O-Prince Faisal Bin Khaled; B-J S Bolger; T-John Gosden; J-Frankie Dettori; $150,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 3 1/4.
Also Ran: Rebel's Romance (Ire), Soft Whisper (Ire), Shibl Lat'taam (KSA), Hatm (KSA), Magbootah (KSA), Albadri (Ire), Meshakel (Ire), Homeryan (Fr), Round Six (Ire). Click for the Racing Post chart.

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Perseverance Pays Off For Noor Al Hawa In Amir Trophy

Making a remarkable fifth straight appearance in the marquee race on the Qatar racing calendar, the US$1-million H.H. The Amir Trophy, Al Wasmiyah Farm's Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) took advantage of a soft trip attending a modest pace and raced away to a convincing victory Saturday in Doha. Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}), who nearly took out the 2020 G1 St Leger S., came home second ahead of last year's Qatar Derby hero Hellenistique (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in third. The Amir Trophy is one of three races contested locally that is eligible for full black-type per international cataloging standards.

Noor Al Hawa bounced well from gate one, but was content to allow the slightly longer-winded Off He Goes (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}) a very easy time of things up front. With Alberto Sanna hard against him entering the final 800 metres, Noor Al Hawa always traveled like a winner, wresting command with a bit less than a quarter-mile to race before lengthening clear. Berkshire Rocco raced prominently throughout and was narrowly runner-up ahead of Hellenistique, who rallied from last to collect third money. Top-rated Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) would have been inconvenienced by the lack of pace and ran on gamely to be fourth after sitting an inside trip behind midfield.

The champion of his generation in Germany in 2016, Noor Al Hawa won that year's Qatar Derby in his local debut before finishing runner-up to Chopin (Ger) (Santiago {Ger}) in the 2017 Amir Trophy. Third, but placed second behind local legend The Blue Eye (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) the following February, he was unplaced in the last two renewals, but was in career form for 2021, having won four on the bounce with Sanna at the controls.

Noor Al Hawa is out of Majestic Roi, upset winner of the 2007 G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. for Jaber Abdullah and Mick Channon. The half-sister to 2012 G3 Newbury Arc Trial hero Black Spirit (Black Minnaloushe) is the dam of a 2-year-old Mastercraftsman (Ire) filly and a yearling colt by Kodiac (GB).

 

WATCH: Noor Al Hawa breaks through in the Amir Trophy in Qatar

 

Saturday, Al Rayyan, Qatar
H.H. THE AMIR TROPHY (Black-Type), $1,000,000, Al Rayyan, 2-20, 4yo/up, 2400mT, 2:30.65, gd.
1–NOOR AL HAWA (FR), 128, h, 8, Makfi (GB)–Majestic Roi (G1SW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $346,585), by Street Cry (Ire). O-Al Wasmiyah Farm; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-George Mikhalides; J-Alberto Sanna; $570,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 7-9.5f, Hwt. Older Horse-Qat at 9.5-11f & 11-14f, MGSW-Ger, GSW-Fr, 33-15-6-5, $2,595,878. *1/2 to Majestic Jasmine (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), SW-Ger.
2–Berkshire Rocco (Fr), 126, c, 4, Sir Percy (GB)–Sunny Again (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (€35,000 Wlg '17 ARQDEC; €50,000 Ylg '18 GOFORB). O-Berkshire Parts & Panels; B-SAGL Seserve; T-Andrew Balding; J-Jason Watson; $220,000.
3–Hellenistique (Fr), 126, c, 4, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Hasturianita (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). (€130,000 Ylg '18 ARQAUG; €56,000 HRA '20 ARQNOV). O-Injaaz Stud; B-Haras d'Etreham; T-Zuhair Mohsen; J-Ronan Thomas; $110,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, NK, HF.
Also Ran: Aspetar (Fr), Standard Deviation, Off He Goes (Aus), Pedro Cara (Fr), Otwo, Masterpiece (Fr), Quelindo (Ger).

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Forest Music, Dam Of Maclean’s Music, Dies At Age 20

Forest Music, a cornerstone of the Stonestreet Farm racing and breeding program, has died at age 20, the operation announced Friday on social media.

The Unbridled's Song mare was a vanguard for Stonestreet, as the first graded stakes winner for an operation that is now a regular producer of graded success on the racetrack and the breeding shed.

Forest Music initially raced for owner Michael Gill, who campaigned her to a victory in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes, a pair of non-graded stakes scores, and third-place efforts in the G1 Prioress Stakes and G1 Test Stakes.

She was purchased privately by Stonestreet in the summer of her 4-year-old season and placed in the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen. Her first start under her new ownership came in the G2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga, and her two-length victory marked the first graded stakes win for Stonestreet Stables as an owner.

Forest Music raced two more times for Stonestreet Stables before retiring with six wins in 18 starts for earnings of $370,566.

The mare's impact was just as immediate for the Stonestreet operation once she entered the breeding shed. Her first foal was the Distorted Humor colt Maclean's Music, whose lone start was such an eye-popping triumph, it earned him a spot in the stallion barn at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Kentucky. Maclean's Music sired Preakness Stakes winner Cloud Computing from his first crop at stud.

Other runners of note produced by Forest Music include Grade 3 winners Kentuckian (by Tiznow), Electric Forest (by Curlin), and Uncle Chuck (by Uncle Mo).

After the early success of Maclean's Music, Forest Music's foals became sought after in the auction ring. Sonoma County (by Street Cry) brought $1.2 million as a yearling in the months following Maclean's Music's maiden score. In 2015, Senor Jobim, a full-brother to Maclean's Music, brought $1,525,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Between those seven-figure horses, Kentuckian brought $610,000 as a yearling.

Forest Music had two surviving fillies. Electric Forest is currently a member of the Stonestreet broodmare band. Equineline reports show that Forest Music had her final foal, a filly by Bernardini, on Jan. 25 of this year.

 

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‘They All Have A Place In My Heart’: Flavien Prat Celebrates 1,000th Career Victory

A budding superstar, French-born Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's reigning Winter/Spring Champion Jockey and current meet leader, registered his 1,000th North American victory in Friday's second race, a 6 ½ furlong starter allowance for fillies and mares, aboard the Jonathan Wong-trained Clockstrikestwelve. Santa Anita's leading Winter/Spring jockey in both 2019-20 and 2016-17, Prat, 28, in an amazing span of roughly six years, has amassed 11 Southern California riding titles and is currently tied for 13th with retired Hall of Famer Donald Pierce on Santa Anita's all-time Winter/Spring stakes-won list with 99 added money victories through this past Monday.

With a three-win day on Monday and 11 wins that included two stakes over the four-day Presidents' Day holiday, Prat entered Friday's festivities with 998 career wins. Victorious in today's opener aboard Bob Baffert's 2-5 favorite Du Jour, Prat wasted little time in reaching number 1,000 as he guided Wong's 3-5 favorite Clockstrikestwelve to a last to first triumph in race two, winning by 2 ¼ lengths.

Born Aug. 4, 1992 in Melun, France, Prat, the son of a trainer, won the 2019 Kentucky Derby via disqualification aboard the William Mott-trained Country House and is currently atop the Santa Anita rider standings with 32 wins, three more than Juan Hernandez, with 25 full days of racing completed. Also in 2019, Prat also became only the third jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby and Canada's championship race for 3-year-olds, the Queen's Plate, in the same year, joining Bill Hartack (1964) and Kent Desormeaux (1998).

“It means a lot, it's a big achievement,” said Prat following today's second race. “I wasn't dreaming of that when I came here (from France) to be honest with you and I didn't think it would happen so quickly. It felt like yesterday that I got here and started riding…

“(Looking to the future) I hope to do as good as I have done. I don't want to be satisfied with what I've done, I want to try to improve. I think there's room for improvement…It's nice, it's been a lot of support from my family and the trainers and owners, all the connections. It's something I share with everybody. I've been lucky to have been on a lot of good horses…They all have a place in my heart.”

Clockstrikestwelve, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by New Year's Day who had won her last four starts, three of them at Golden Gate Fields, was saddled by trainer Kristin Mulhall and paid $3.20 to win.

Prat, who as a teenager, worked full-time during the winter mornings for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and split riding time between Santa Anita and his native France, registered his first Santa Anita win at age 17 on Jan. 15, 2010 aboard the Suzanne Rodriguez-trained Heavenly n' Free, who paid $103.40 to win.

In a move that surprised many in the racing industry, Prat announced last week that he was parting company with his longtime agent Derek Lawson and that he had hired veteran agent Brad Pegram, who will now represent both Prat and Mike Smith.

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