Kaneko Makoto Holding Co Ltd's Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune–Buchiko {Jpn}, by King Kamehameha {Jpn}), whose snow-white colouring combined with considerable racetrack ability made her a fan favourite in every corner of the globe, has been retired, according to multiple reports.
The homebred, whose year-younger full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn) won Sunday's G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama, was an immediate hit while carrying the Deep Impact (Jpn) colours. Undefeated in four tries at two, including a victory in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to secure her first championship, Sodashi made the one-mile G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) her fifth straight success before finishing eighth in the G1 Yushun Himba over a stamina-stretching 2400 metres. Sodashi defeated the globetrotting Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G2 Sapporo Kinen en route to being named the tops of her generation in 2021.
Third in the G1 February S. on the dirt in February 2022, Sodashi returned to the grass and easily handled her peers in the G1 Victoria Mile last May before closing out her 4-year-old season with a third against the boys in the G1 Mile Championship S. In two starts this term, Sodashi missed by a head in defence of her title in the Victoria Mile and was a latest seventh in the G1 Yasuda Kinen. On both occasions, she was defeated by Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who is slated to travel to America for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 4.
Sodashi retires with a record of 7-2-1 from 14 starts and earnings of $5,346,186.
From an aesthetic perspective, the only similarity between Sodashi (Jpn), the world's most recognizable and talented white galloper, and her year-younger full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune) is the latter's broad blaze, but they now have something else in common, namely Group 1 winner, after Mama Cocha dove across the line to narrowly best Mad Cool (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Sunday's Sprinters S. at Nakayama Racecourse. Favoured Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) was a further length back in third.
“This filly is a completely different type of horse comparing to her famous sister, but she has good potential in her own right to become a good sprinter,” said winning jockey Yuga Kawada. “While still winless in grade-level race coming into this, I felt she had a good chance.”
The third betting choice at just under 4-1, Mama Cocha bounced away beautifully from gate six and raced fairly handy as the fleet-footed American-bred Jasper Krone (Frosted)–who defeated Mama Cocha in the Aug. 20 G3 Kitakyushu Kinen–showed the way early from T M Spada (Jpn) (Red Spada {Jpn}). Mad Cool was also forwardly placed, with Namura Clair off his flank and Mama Cocha in the three-wide line as they approached the turn. Kawada allowed his mount to roll up three wide leaving the 600-metre peg and was more or less on even terms at the top of the straight, but despite having gone the opening half-mile in :44.5, Jasper Krone was still battling hard at the fence. Mama Cocha finally got the better of that tussle, but Mad Cool emerged from between rivals and looked to perhaps nose in front in the dying strides, but was on the losing end of a tight photo. It was the second straight win in the race for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, who saddled Gendarme (Kitten's Joy) to an upset victory 12 months ago.
Whereas Sodashi was an instant hit, securing championship honours in her first two seasons at the races, Mama Cocha had been slower to come around. Group 3-placed at age two, the filly strung together three wins in the lower grades late last year, but was found out in a pair of group efforts over the 1600 metres. She recorded her first black-type success in a 1400-metre contest at Kyoto in May and ran on well to just miss behind all-the-way winner Jasper Krone last time out.
Kawada feels there is better still to come.
“She still has a lot of room for improvement and there were moments where I had to be careful in keeping her in good rhythm while she was forced out slightly by pressure from the horses in the inside between the last two corners,” the leading rider commented. “She did respond well though when challenged at the straight and I am glad that she was able to sustain her bid to the wire to claim the win.”
Pedigree Notes:
Mama Cocha is the 20th winner at group level for the French Deputy stallion Kurofune, who also counts 2008 Sprinters heroine Sleepless Night (Jpn) among his now seven elite-level scorers. The late King Kamehameha (Jpn) has now accounted for 30 individual group winners as a broodmare, including 10 G1SWs, among them Dubai World Cup hero and GI Breeders' Cup Classic-bound Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}).
Though she never earned black-type, Mama Cocha's dam Buchiko had a cult following of her own, based mostly on her physical appearance, but she was something other than an abject failure at the races, with four wins and three minor placings from 16 starts. Buchiko's half-sister Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune) was a three-time listed winner on the dirt, while her half-sister Marshmallow (Jpn) (Kurofune) produced dual Group 3 winner Hayayakko (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Shirayukihime is also the third dam of Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), fifth in Sunday's race.
Buchiko is the dam of the white 2-year-old colt Kalpa (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), third on Hakodate debut July 9, a yearling dark bay colt by the same sire and foaled a white Maurice filly Feb. 9.
After a break of just over 100 days, elite-level racing returns to the Japanese racing scene, as a full field of 18 is set to face the starter in Sunday's Sprinters' S. at Nakayama Racecourse.
Five of the entrants are making a repeat appearance in the 1200-metre test, including Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), who was a sound fifth in last year's running in what was her final appearance as a 3-year-old.
After besting First Force (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G3 Silk Road S. in January, the filly was runner-up to that rival in a soggy-turf renewal of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen Mar. 26. An even eighth to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-bound Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Victoria Mile in May, she most recently overcame a wide trip from a double-digit barrier to take out the G3 Keeneland Cup at Sapporo Aug. 27. She has drawn the inside stall for this return to Group 1 competition.
“She's filled out a lot more and is able to concentrate better on what's needed in a race, whether it's speed or closing well at the finish,” said jockey Suguru Hamanaka. “She's certainly in good condition, and she should run well if everything goes her way.”
Aguri (Jpn) (Caravaggio), a grandson of GISW Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), cost nearly $1 million at the 2020 JRHA Select Sale and is battle tested for a relatively lightly raced horse. Victorious in a Group 3 test over 1400 metres on seasonal debut Feb. 26, he weakened to seventh in the easy ground in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and was fifth behind Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong Apr. 30. Resuming as a 3-1 chance in the G2 Centaur S. Sept. 10, he fell far behind, but whooshed home to be second to front-running T M Spada (Jpn) (Red Spada {Jpn}) while covering his final 600m in a race-fastest :32.4.
Jasper Krone (Frosted) looks to become the second American-bred winner of the Sprinters' in succession after Gendarme (Kitten's Joy) pulled off a 19-1 surprise last fall. Possessed of blistering speed, he'll try to outfoot them from a high alley and go as far and as fast as he can. The 4-year-old has employed all-the-way tactics in consecutive Group 3 scores at this distance, including a half-length defeat of Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune)'s full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn) in the Kitakyushu Kinen at the end of August.
Pixie Knight (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) won this as a 3-year-old in 2021 and was a sneaky good eighth in the Centaur, and All at Once (Jpn) (Makfi {GB}) also has longshot claims, as he weaved his way through traffic under deft handling to upset the G3 Ibis Summer Dash down the 1000-metre straight at Niigata first off a year layoff July 30.
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. Sunday's horses of note will appear in Saturday's TDN:
Saturday, September 23, 2023 3rd-NKY, ¥13,720,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m ACE AND KING (JPN) (c, 2, Yoshida {Jpn}–Curlins B F F, by Curlin) was acquired in utero by Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International for $25,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale and is out of a daughter of the three-times graded stakes-placed Najecam (Trempolino), the dam of 2003 Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Action This Day (Kris S.); and of Eltimaas (Ghostzapper), whose champion son Drefong (Gio Ponti) has made a strong impression with his first few crops to race in Japan. B-Kinya Murakami
4th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m ROUGE CHOUETTE (JPN) (f, 2, Curlin–Dancing Rags, by Union Rags) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her dam, upset winner of the 2016 GI Darley Alcibiades S. and later sold to Nobutaka Tada for $1.1 million carrying this filly at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Dancing Rags is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Coup de Grace (Tapit) and to Kara's Match Point (Curlin), the dam of three winners from four to race since her export to Japan in 2016. Rouge Chouette's third dam is champion and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Jewel Princess (Key to the Mint). B-Mint Co.
5th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT AMERICAN CHIEF (c, 2, Into Mischief–Good Vibes, by Unbridled's Song) cost owner Katsumi Yoshizawa–who raced 2019 Triple Crown participant Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) and countless other 'American' horses–$475,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The bay is the final foal out from his dam, who was also responsible for Sweet Orange (ex Warning Flag) (War Front), a stakes winner and Group 3-placed in Ireland before continuing his career in Hong Kong, where he won the 2012 Hong Kong Classic Mile and was third in that year's Hong Kong Derby before finishing third in the G1 QE II Cup. The mare also produced Irish Group 3 winner Intelligence Cross (War Front). B-Orpendale/Wynatt/Chelston (KY)
11th-HSN, ¥35,040,000 ($238k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1400m GREAT SAND SEA (c, 3, Into Mischief–Game for More, by More Than Ready) is perfect in two starts outside of stakes competition and at 1400 meters, including an impressive victory at Chukyo back in March (video, SC 8). His two losses to date have come at the hooves of the classy Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), who defeated him 4 1/2 lengths into fifth when last seen in the G3 Unicorn S. going a mile at Tokyo June 18. A half-brother to GSW/GISP Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), MGSW/GISP Isotherm (More Than Ready) and GISP Gio Game (Gio Ponti), Great Sand Sea was a $385,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $825,000 OBS March breezer. Leading rider Yuga Kawada takes the call. B-H Allen Poindexter (KY)
12th-HSN, ¥21,740,000 ($147k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m AWESOME RESULT (f, 3, Justify–Blossomed, by Deputy Mininster) graduated in a single appearance at two over this track and trip last November and remained unbeaten with a three-length allowance success back here June 10 (video, SC 10). Awesome Result, the mount of Yutaka Take, is a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. upsetter Sippican Harbor (Orb) and to Grade III-placed Bodacious Babe (Mineshaft), herself the dam of three-time Japanese winner Ju Taro (Arrogate). The yearling full-sister to Awesome Result was RNAd on a bid of $520,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last month after selling for $350,000 at Keeneland November last fall. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY)
