Tag: japan dirt derby

JRA Raiders Take On NAR Star Mick Fire In Japan Dirt Derby

Both the the Japan Racing Association and National Association for Racing circuits were well represented on the international stage this winter and spring, with JRA representative Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) winning the G2 UAE Derby ahead of a meritorious sixth in the GI Kentucky Derby, while the NAR-based Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby) covered himself in glory by nearly winning the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby before gaining a run at Churchill Downs. While those two continue to rest up, Wednesday's $721,752 Japan Dirt Derby at Ohi Racecourse about 10 miles south of Tokyo's Imperial Palace is very much an us-versus-them contest, as seven horses from the JRA take on a quartet from the NAR.

The 'senior circuit' has provided four of the last five winners of the Derby and 10 out of the last 12, and the progressive Yuttitham (Jpn) (Justify) stands ready to add to those stats under the Wednesday night lights. The striking chestnut son of US Grade I winner Zipessa (City Zip) was purchased by Makoto Kaneko for the equivalent of $1.8 million at the 2021 JHRA Select Yearling Sale and has won three of his four starts to date, including a 2 1/2-length allowance success going Tokyo's one-turn mile first off a five-month absence May 14 (see below, SC 6). His lone loss to date came at the hooves of UAE Derby fourth Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), who bounced back to take out the G3 Unicorn S. last month. Leading JRA rider Yuga Kawada retains the call.

 

 

 

Like Yuttitham, Mitono O (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}) has tasted defeat just one time to date and rides a three-race winning streak into the Derby. The chestnut won the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series with a victory in the Fukuryu S. (conditions) Mar. 25, but connections elected to bypass the trip to the States, and the colt exits a romping six-length success from Kirinji (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in listed company over an extended nine furlongs at Sonoda May 3 (see below, SC 6).

 

 

The locally based Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) is undefeated and untested in five career appearances, all at Oi Racecourse. Three-from-three least term, he most recently defeated Hero Call (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}) by a half-dozen lengths in the Tokyo Derby over this course and distance June 7 (video, SC 12). The latter had beaten Mandarin Hero in a February allowance at Oi.

 

 

Following this year's renewal, the Japan Dirt Derby will be the final leg of the NAR Dirt Triple Crown and will be similarly structured to the JRA Triple Crown on turf. The Haneda Hai will take place in April or May followed by the Tokyo Derby in June. The Dirt Derby will conclude the series in October. Mick Fire won this year's Haneda Hai prior to his Tokyo Derby score. Any horse to sweep the series will receive an ¥80 million bonus.

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Japan’s Best To Face Test From Mick Fire in Japan Dirt Derby

While the likes of Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong) and Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby) were off representing Japan in age-restricted races from Saudi Arabia to Dubai to the U.S. this winter and spring, Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) remained at home, where the bay colt, a perfect three from three at Ohi Racecourse in 2022, was being patiently brought along towards his 3-year-old debut.

The bay colt, acquired for ¥5.5 million at the 2021 Hokkaido Summer Yearling Sale, had earned back his purchase price in easily running the table in three appearances as a juvenile and made a splashy return to the races in the Haneda Hai allowance May 10. In that 1800-meter affair, Mick Fire defeated heavily favoured Hero Call (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}), who had previously accounted for future GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero in a similar test back in February.

Wednesday's ¥85 million ($606,730) Tokyo Derby over the metric mile and a quarter served as a course-and-distance allowance prep for the July 12 Listed Japan Dirt Derby, a race that could well attract those Japanese horses that plied their trade overseas earlier in the season, in addition to the highly progressive Yuttitham (Jpn) (Justify).

Sent off the 1-2 favorite in a 15-runner field that also included 5-2 second choice Hero Call, Mick Fire bounced well from the 12 hole and sat a stalking trip from the two path. Hero Call rolled up three deep outside of Mick Fire passing the three-furlong pole, but the latter was always going the better of the two, hit the front with a bit less than a quarter-mile to race and glided home a six-length winner in race-record time.

A son of the 20-year-old Sinister Minister, conditioned by Bob Baffert to a 12 3/4-length victory in the 2006 GI Toyota Blue Grass S., Mick Fire counts 1983 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine and U.S. Horse of the Year, three-time Grade I winner and inaugural GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up All Along (Fr) (Targowice) as his third dam.

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Justify Colt Yuttitham On The Rise in Japan

10th-Tokyo, Seiryu S. (Allowance), ¥34,530,000 ($253,726), 5-14, 3yo, 1600m, 1:35.8, gd.
YUTTITHAM (JPN) (c, 3, Justify–Zipessa {GISW, $783,550}, by City Zip), dropped his career debut to future SW Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) last August and was a warm item in his 3-year-old debut off victories in his final two starts of 2022 last December. The 9-10 favorite was forwardly placed after an uneventful beginning and sat a handy fourth into the turn. Traveling very nicely in the hands of Yuga Kawada, the athletic chestnut was pulled out into the long Tokyo straight, was asked for his best about 300 meters from home and never felt a crack of the crop en route to a 2 1/2-length victory over pace-pressing Copano Pasadena (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}). Fellow U.S.-bred Wayward Act (Maclean's Music), a runaway debut winner over course and distance just two weeks ago, ran extremely well to be third. Yuttitham is out of the Michael Stidham-trained Zipessa, winner of Keeneland's GI First Lady S. in 2017 who was acquired by Shadai for $1.25 million in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at Keeneland November in 2018. The mare is represented by a 2-year-old colt by Isla Bonita (Jpn) and a yearling filly by Kizuna (Jpn), sire of Sunday's G1 Victoria Mile heroine Songline (Jpn). Zipessa was most recently bred to Lord Kanaloa (Jpn). The next start for Yuttitham is rumored to be the $750,000 Listed Japan Dirt Derby July 12, where he could square off with the likes of Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby) and Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong). Sales history: ¥200,000,000 Ylg '21 JRHAJUL. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $249,544.
O-Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd; B-Shadai Farm; T-Naosuke Sugai.

 

 

 

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Danon Pharaoh Too Strong in Japan Dirt Derby

The bettors had it right–well, in a sense.

They pounded the previously undefeated Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) into 1-10 favoritism for Wednesday’s Japan Dirt Derby, but Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) had other ideas, as he put away pacesetting Daimei Corrida (Jpn) (Eskendereya) in the final 150 meters en route to a 1 3/4-length success. Kitano Octopus (Jpn) (Fenomeno {Jpn}) rounded out a longshot trifecta that returned better than 7,700-1. The victory was worth 40 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Daimei Corrida jumped alertly from his high draw and crossed the field to lead through the stretch the first time as Danon Pharaoh and Cafe Pharoah raced in close attendance. The favorite, who took an awkward step entering the first turn, and began showing signs of distress 500 meters out, leaving Daimei Corrida and Danon Pharaoh to fight it out to the finish. The front-runner held firm into the final eighth of a mile, but Danon Pharaoh had all the answers, edging clear in the final stages. Cafe Pharoah split the field in seventh.

A maiden winner at second asking last November, Danon Pharaoh added a Kyoto allowance in February. A strong second to Barnard Loop (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the Listed Hyogo Championship S. at Sonoda May 6, the striking dark bay was well-beaten behind Miyaji Kokuo (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}) when last seen in the Listed Hosu S. at Kyoto May 24.

With victories in the Listed Hyacinth S. and in the G3 Unicorn S. last time, Cafe Pharoah has amassed 70 Kentucky Derby points and can claim the berth in the Run for the Roses if connections so choose. Should they decline the invitation, it will be extended to the connections of Danon Pharaoh.

Danon Pharaoh’s yearling half-brother by Screen Hero (Jpn) (walking video) and his Jan. 23-foaled half-brother by Lord Kanaloa (walking video) each go under the hammer at the JRHA Select Sale on Hokkaido July 13 and 14.

Danon Pharaoh becomes the eighth stakes winner for American Pharoah and his third on the dirt, joining Cafe Pharoah and Harvey’s Lil Goil, who recently added the GIII Regret S. on turf.

 

WATCH: Danon Pharaoh causes the upset in the Japan Dirt Derby

 

Wednesday, Ohi, Japan
JAPAN DIRT DERBY-Listed (Final Leg–Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby), ¥76,500,000, Ohi, 7-8, 3yo, 2000m, 2:05.9, my.
1–DANON PHARAOH (JPN), 123, c, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Crisp (GISW, $286,431), by El Corredor
2nd Dam: Cat’s Fair, by Sir Cat
3rd Dam: Very Fair, by Honest Pleasure
1ST STAKES WIN. ($350,000 in utero ’16 KEENOV; ¥180,000,000 Ylg ’18 JPNJUL). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥45,000,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-0, $644,903.
2–Daimei Corrida (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Eskendereya–Miracle Flag (Jpn), by Spicule (Jpn). (¥30,240,000 2yo ’19 JRA2YO). O-Noboru Miyamoto; B-Deguchi Bokujo; T-Naoyuki Morita; J-Kenichi Ikezoe; ¥15,750,000.
3–Kitano Octopus (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Fenomeno (Jpn)–Hiro Angelo (Jpn), by Grass Wonder. O-Naoto Kitasho; B-Mikami Bokujo; T-Noboru Takagi; J-Hironobu Tanabe; ¥9,000,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 5, 1 3/4. Odds: 39.60, 19.50, 49.70.
Also Ran: Bravoure (Jpn), Miyaji Kokuo (Jpn), Aime Limite (Jpn), Cafe Pharoah, Barnard Loop (Jpn), Causey Son Rad (Jpn), Riko Seawolf (Jpn), Gamila’s Jackson (Jpn), Full Flat, Gold Bomber (Jpn).

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