American-Bred Mares Feature Prominently in Satsuki Sho

As has been well-documented, Japanese interests have–over the course of many years–accumulated some of the best bloodstock from all corners of the globe, and as evidenced in Riyadh and Dubai in the last couple of months, the Japanese are breeding horses that can compete anywhere at any level.

Classics season in the island nation kicked off last weekend with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), with the colts' equivalent–the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)–set for this weekend at Nakayama Racecourse. The 3-year-old offspring of some mares whose names will ring familiar dot the field of 18, with each of the four colts something of a winning chance.

Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is a son of MGSW Dust and Diamonds (Vindication), who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for an even $1 million in foal to the late Pioneerof the Nile at Keeneland November in 2016, having been sold to Borges Torrealba Holdings for $900,000 at the same venue just days after her runner-up effort to Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band) in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. A half-brother to MGSP Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile), Do Deuce capped an undefeated championship season in last years' G1 Asahi Hai Futurity and was the near-miss runner-up in the G2 Deep Impact Kinen on seasonal debut Mar. 6.

Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is the first foal from his dam Coasted (Tizway), winner of the P.G. Johnson S. and second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2016, who was knocked down to Yoshida for $1.3 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2017. Just five months after his foaling date of Feb. 7, 2019, Danon Beluga was sent through the ring at the JRHA Select Foal Sale, hammering for $1.472 million, and is perfect in two tries, including a win at Group 2 level Feb. 13. Yuga Kawada, who was aboard the victorious Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's GI Filly & Mare Turf, has the ride from gate one.

Yoshida was striking while the iron was hot at FTKNOV when acquiring then 8-year-old Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem) for $1.1 million in foal to Mineshaft a handful of months after the mare's produce of 2010, a Curlin colt named Palace Malice, took out the GI Belmont S. A half-brother to the MGSP stayer Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also starred at the JRHA Sales, fetching nearly $1.8 million as a yearling in 2020. The dark bay colt won each of his first two starts over 10 furlongs and was last seen finishing runner-up in the G1 Hopeful S. over Sunday's course and distance when last seen Dec. 28.

The winner of the latter event was Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a son of 2011 GI Hollywood Starlet S. heroine Killer Graces (Congaree), who realized $850,000 from Yoshida at FTKNOV back in 2012. The late January foal was capping a four-race preparation in the Hopeful, having won his maiden by seven lengths at second asking at the end of August before just missing in listed company in October. Killer Ability is the mount of the up-and-coming Takeshi Yokoyama, the regular rider of last year's Satsuki Sho winner, champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}).

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Efforia Euphoria in Japanese 2000 Guineas

Carrot Farm's undefeated Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) maintained his perfect record with an open-length score in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama on Sunday.

Second choice on the board at 27-10, the bay rated in fourth against the fence past the stands the first time as World Revival (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) cut out the first 1000 metres in 1:00.30. That rival ceded the lead to Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) as the field hit the far turn, and Efforia was keeping close tabs on the vanguard in an ideal stalking position.

Asked for his best a quarter-mile from home, he shifted off the fence, split horses and took command with 350 metres remaining. Flicking his ears in late stretch, Efforia coasted across the wire three lengths to the good of Titleholder, who was a neck in front of Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}). Admire Hadar (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) was another neck back in fourth. Favoured Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}), who was notably warm in the preliminaries, could only finish 15th racing just behind the pacesetters and tiring late.

“It's such a great feeling,” commented jockey Takeshi Yokoyama, whose father Norihiro had won the same race with Seiun Sky (Jpn) (Sheriff's Star {GB}) in 1998, the year the younger Yokoyama was born. “I was fortunate to have been able to ride this colt since his debut and although I knew the colt, coming here undefeated, would be heavily backed and the pressure would be great, I believed that if I put my concentration on using whatever skills I had as a rider and bring out the best performance from my horse, that we would have a great chance of winning. The pace wasn't that fast, so we were able to cruise along in a good position but we were a little tight going into the stretch and I couldn't be sure of my win until the end.”

Efforia captured his first two starts over this trip in August of his 2-year-old year and in November at Sapporo and Tokyo, respectively. He exited winter quarters in great style on Valentine's Day with a win in the G3 Kyodo News Hai Tokinominoru Kinen at Tokyo.

Pedigree Notes

The second Group 1 winner and Classic scorer for his sire after 2020 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown heroine Daring Tact (Jpn), Efforia is also among three group winners and four overall black-type winners. Of broodmare sire Heart's Cry's six black-type winners, five are by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) including G1 Blue Diamond S. hero Tagaloa (Aus), with just Efforia being by a different sire line so far.

Katies Heart, who won three times in Japan, first foaled the placed Rioja (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) in 2016 and, after no reported foal a year later after being bred to Dunkirk, produced Efforia. In 2019, she had a colt by Harbinger (GB) and her 2020 produces is a filly by Maurice (Jpn). She was covered by Satono Crown (Jpn) last term.

 

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥247,760,000, Nakayama, 4-18, 3yo, c/f, 2000mT, 2:00.60, gd.
1–EFFORIA (JPN), 126, c, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Katies Heart (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Katies First, by Kris (GB)
                3rd Dam: Katies (Ire), by Nonoalco
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Yuichi Shikato; J-Takeshi Yokoyama. ¥136,432,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-4-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
   for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Titleholder (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)–Mowen (GB), by
Motivator (GB). (¥20,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Hiroshi
Yamada; B-Okada Stud (Jpn); ¥51,552,000.
3–Stella Veloce (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Bago (Fr)–Oh My Baby (Jpn), by
Deep Impact (Jpn). (¥60,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Tsuyoshi
Ono; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥31,776,000.
Margins: 3, NK, NK. Odds: 2.70, 16.00, 13.30.
Also Ran: Admire Hadar (Jpn), Yoho Lake (Jpn), Gratias (Jpn), Deep Monster (Jpn), Red Belle Aube (Jpn), Victipharus (Jpn), Elusive Panther (Jpn), Chevalier Rose (Jpn), World Revival (Jpn), Lagom (Jpn), Lupus Tesoro (Jpn), Danon the Kid (Jpn), Asamano Itazura (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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