Tag: Kizuna (Jpn)

Justin Milano Remains Unbeaten With Satsuki Sho Victory

Justin Milano (Jpn) lowered the track record as he came out on top in a stirring finish to Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse, adding the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown to a record which now sees him unbeaten in three starts.

Keita Tosaki settled Justin Milano in fifth place in the early stages as Meisho Tabaru (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) took the field along at a fierce gallop, racing a few lengths clear of the chasing pack. Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice), who was crowned champion Japanese two-year-old colt in 2023, raced in third for much of the race and was the first to make his bid for glory when surging past Meisho Tabaru early in the straight.

However, Jantar Mantar was unable to sustain his run and lost two places close home as both Justin Milano and Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) went by him, with Tosaki's mount digging deep to get the verdict by a neck. Jantar Mantar was half a length further back in third, while the disappointment of the race was G1 Hopeful S. winner Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), who could finish only sixth having been sent off favourite in her bid to become the first filly to win the race for 76 years.

It was a second victory in the Satsuki Sho for Justin Milano's trainer Yasuo Tomomichi after that of Unrivaled (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) in 2009, while Tosaki had also tasted success in the race just once before with 2018 winner Epoca d'Oro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}).

“Given the condition of the track, I thought that it would be better to race toward the front,” said Tosaki. “He broke well and we were able to settle in that position naturally. The pace was fast but Justin Milano ran in his own rhythm. His response weakened a bit at the third corner, but he regained his focus after the fourth corner and stretched well to win the race. He's a smart horse with a lot of potential. He's easy to ride and I think he can handle the longer distance.”

The next leg of the Japanese Triple Crown is the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which is run over 2400 metres and was won by Justin Milano's sire, Kizuna (Jpn), back in 2013. The 2024 edition of the Tokyo Yushun will be run at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, May 26.

Justin Milano is already a dual winner at Tokyo having won both his previous starts at that track. He made a winning debut as a two-year-old there in November before returning in February with victory in the G3 Kyodo News Hai (Tokinominoru Kinen), beating Jantar Mantar by a length and a half.

 

 

Pedigree Notes

Justin Milano is a third Group 1 winner for Shadai Stallion Station resident Kizuna, who won only once at the top level himself when landing the 2013 Tokyo Yushun, though he did perform with credit when travelling to Europe later in his three-year-old campaign, winning the G2 Prix Niel before finishing a creditable fourth behind Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. His standout performer before Justin Milano was Songline (Jpn), who notably won back-to-back renewals of the G1 Yasuda Kinen in 2022 and 2023, while another daughter, Akai Ito (Jpn), won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2021.

Justin Milano's dam, Margot Did (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), showed her best form at up to seven furlongs in Britain, with her biggest success coming over five in the 2011 G1 Nunthorpe S. at York. Justin Milano is the second Group 1 winner and third black-type performer she has produced at stud. Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) became her dam's first top-level winner in the 2020 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., while her first foal was the G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who also filled the runner-up spot in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. as a three-year-old.

Margot Did's own dam, Special Dancer (GB) (Shareef Dancer), was a winner in Italy at up to a mile and a half, as well as being a half-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup runner-up Floral Dynamite (Aus) (Danehill) and the G3 Meld S. winner Cajarian (Shahrastani).

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥417,520,000, Nakayama, 4-14, 3yo, c/f, 2000mT, 1:57.10 (NTR), fm.
1–JUSTIN MILANO (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Kizuna (Jpn)
        1st Dam: Margot Did (Ire) (Hwt. Filly-Eng at 5-7f, G1SW-Eng, $425,664), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
        2nd Dam: Special Dancer (GB), by Shareef Dancer
        3rd Dam: Caraniya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥226,264,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥274,821,000. *Half to Mission Impassible
(Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, GISP-NA, $311,814; Magic
Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, GISW-NA,
$439,402. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style
pedigree. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Al Ain (Jpn)–Southern
Speed (Aus), by Southern Image. O-Big Red Farm; B-Big Red
Farm (Jpn); ¥87,504,000.
3–Jantar Mantar (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Palace Malice–India
Mantuana, by Wilburn. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm
(Jpn); ¥53,752,000.
Margins: Neck, HF, 1 HF. Odds: 3.80, 14.80, 5.10.
Also ran: Urban Chic (Jpn), Shin Emperor (Fr), Regaleira (Jpn), Ecoro Waltz (Jpn), Lucullan Feast (Jpn), Sunrize Zipangu (Jpn), Mr G T (Jpn), Ho O Prosangue (Jpn), Sunrise Earth (Jpn), Byzantine Dream (Jpn), Sirius Colt (Jpn), Allegro Brillante (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Meisho Tabaru (Jpn). Scratch: Danon Decile (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

The post Justin Milano Remains Unbeaten With Satsuki Sho Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sixpence Dominates Satsuki Sho Trial

In an electrifying display through the late stages, Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) overwhelmed nine other rivals and proclaimed himself as one to watch for the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), dominating the G2 Fuji TV Sho Spring S. on Sunday at Nakayama.

Jumping well and close to the pacesetters, Sixpence tucked in neatly behind Allegro Brillante (Jpn) (Deep Brillante {Jpn}) and that one's closest pursuer Cosmo Buddleja (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) as the pair showed the way. The placings remained consistent until the field passed the 800 metre mark with closers beginning their march from the rear and Sixpence was launching his own rally coming off the bend.

Looming the danger with 400 metres left, Christophe Lemaire asked and his charge responded, leaving long-time leader Allegro Brillante in his wake under the mildest of hand rides. The advantage extended with 200 metres left in the running and the gap back to the game pacesetter was 3 1/2 lengths on the wire. Lucullan Feast (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}) came out best of the scramble for the minors, nosing out Channel Tunnel (Jpn) (Greater London {Jpn}) for the last trifecta spot.

 

Pedigree Note
The lone offspring to race for American Grade I-winner Finley'sluckycharm (Twirling Candy) thus far, Sixpence is the newest Classic contender for sire Kizuna (Jpn), who himself was the Japanese champion 3-year-old colt as well as a Classic winner in France and Japan. Among the stallion's best runners are dual champion Songline (Jpn), who twice claimed the G1 Yasuda Kinen, and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup victrex Akai Ito (Jpn).

On his female line side, the busiest activity is found deep in the pedigree via the dam Gather the Clan (Ire), who is responsible for GISW Pure Clan (Pure Prize). That mare would later go on to produce SW & GISP Princesa Carolina (Tapit), who set a course-record en route to her victory in the Fifth Third Insurance Dueling Grounds Oaks. She is not the only runner with a wicked turn of foot as Pure Clan's half-brother MGSW Greater Good set a new track-record beneath the fabled twin spires of Churchill Downs.

Since changing hands to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.5-million in 2018 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale, Finley'sluckycharm has produced two of racing age, but Sixpence is the first to make it to the races. She does have a 2-year-old colt by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) named Field Note (Jpn). Her 2023 Orfevre (Jpn) foal was stillborn.

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
FUJI TV SHO SPRING STAKES-G2, ¥104,580,000, Nakayama, 3-17, 3yo, 1800mT, 1:49.40, fm.
1–SIXPENCE (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Kizuna (Jpn)
           1st Dam: Finley'sluckycharm (GISW, $928,068), by Twirling Candy
           2nd Dam: Day of Victory, by Victory Gallop
           3rd Dam: Gather the Day, by Dayjur
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; T-Sakae Kunieda; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥54,756,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥72,873,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Allegro Brillante (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Deep Brillante (Jpn)–Centenary (Jpn), by French Deputy. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥22,216,000.
3–Lucullan Feast (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Isla Bonita (Jpn)–Gorgeous Lunch (Jpn), by Manhattan Cafe (Jpn). 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Shadai Race Horse; B- Shadai Farm; ¥14,108,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1, NO; Odds: 1.90, 24.30, 6.30.
Also Ran: Channel Tunnel (Jpn), Cosmo Buddleja (Jpn), Stinger Glass (Jpn), Pellegrini (Jpn), Lograr (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Jun Gold (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

The post Sixpence Dominates Satsuki Sho Trial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kizuna’s Queen’s Walk Rallies To Victory At Tokyo

Sunday Racing's Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) rallied to victory in the 1600-metre G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup in Tokyo on Saturday. She was just a neck to the good of Epiphaneia (Jpn)'s Arsenaal (Jpn).

Stranded widest of all when breaking from gate 13, the filly soon perched well off the inside third from the rear as Morino Red Star (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) set a solid pace on the front end through an opening quarter in :23.80 and a half-mile in :47.10. Sweeping out into the centre of the course for the stretch drive, Queen's Walk unleashed a sustained closing move to reel in Morino Red Star. Rouge Suerte (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), located dead last for the majority of the contest, also produced a strong closing kick even wider on the course, and, at one point, appeared to be the eventual winner's main danger. Arsenaal, much nearer the front end with a stalking trip, also had plenty left in the lane and her finishing burst carried her just a neck short of Queen's Walk at the line. Rouge Suerte's bid flattened out in the final 50 metres and she made do with third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind the top pair.

Second on debut versus Kyoto newcombers over 1800 metres in November, the dark bay won going that trip at Hanshin on Dec. 23. Saturday was her 3-year-old bow.

Pedigree Notes

The Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Colt when he won the G1 Japanese Derby in 2013, Kizuna has now sired 26 stakes winners. His best runners to date have been the dual champion Songline (Jpn) and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Akai Ito (Jpn). His total group winners have increased to 14 with Queen's Walk's victory.

Queen's Walk is a half-sister to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. hero Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) (click here for Emma Berry's piece on Frankel's growing influence in Japan), who won the G2 Hanshin Cup and was also third in the G1 NHK Mile Cup. Their dam, the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Wavell Avenue (Harlington), is also the dam of the winning Astrophyllite (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), 3-year-old filly Sopers Lane (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), and a juvenile filly by the late Duramente (Jpn). She was bred to Lord Kanaloa's champion 3-year-old colt and G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Saturnalia (Jpn) last spring.

 

Saturday, Tokyo, Japan
DAILY HAI QUEEN CUP-G3, ¥72,660,000, Tokyo, 2-10, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm.
1–QUEEN'S WALK (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Kizuna (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Wavell Avenue (GISW-US, $1,190,008),
                                by Harlington
                2nd Dam: Lucas Street, by Silver Deputy
                3rd Dam: Ruby Park, by Bold Ruckus
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Sunday Racing;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga
Kawada; ¥38,462,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, ¥46,862,000.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Arsenaal (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Sambre et Meuse
(Jpn), by Daiwa Major (Jpn). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP
   BLACK TYPE. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥15,132,000.
3–Rouge Suerte (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Ryzhkina (Ire),
by Storm Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
O-Tokyo Horse Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥9,566,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.10, 3.30, 4.20.
Also Ran: Success Calla (Jpn), Morino Red Star (Jpn), Sunset View (Jpn), Teleos Sarah (Jpn), Cosmo Dinner (Jpn), Safira (Jpn), Karenna Otome (Jpn), Rouge Salinas (Jpn), Bright Again, Gabby's Sister (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

The post Kizuna’s Queen’s Walk Rallies To Victory At Tokyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Songline And Geoglyph Hold Strong Chances In Saudi Starts

Defending G3 1351 Turf Sprint heroine Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) is primed for a big effort in the 2023 edition, according to regular rider Christophe Lemaire.

“I rode her this morning and she looks in great condition,” he said on Wednesday. “I am very happy with her and so is her trainer. She will be the one to beat again this year, I think.”

Fifth in the G1 Victoria Mile after her Riyadh heroics in 2022, the Sunday Racing colourbearer claimed the G1 Yasuda Kinen by a neck over Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in June. She was last seen running fifth in the G2 Centaur S. at Chukyo over six furlongs on Sept. 11.

“Songline has shown some good form and some bad since winning here last year,” he added. Coming back from Saudi, she produced some very good results. In the autumn she had an issue and could not perform well. It looks like she is all fine from what I have seen and I hope she will race as well as last year.”

Lemaire's other mount on Saturday is Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), who is set to contest the day's feature race, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup.

“He has a lot of potential,” said Lemaire. “It is hard to predict how he will react on this new surface, but in terms of quality, he has a good chance.

“I have not ridden him on dirt yet and will not until Saturday. I give all my trust to the trainer and the staff. He is by Drefong, an American horse, so we expect him to run good and to adapt to the surface.

“It is always a big change for the horses. He is a Grade 1 winner in Japan and he beat Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), which is the new superstar in Japan, so it shows how good Geoglyph is and if he likes the ground, the surface, I think he will cause a big surprise.”

A winner of the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. as a juvenile, the colt won the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama last April, defeating the aforementioned Equinox. Unplaced behind Equinox two starts later in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) in October, he was sixth in the G1 Hong Kong Cup over 2000 metres on Dec. 11.

He added, “He travelled to Hong Kong, so it is always a good experience for horses to travel. It will be his second travel in a couple of months, but he is an easy horse and can adapt.

“In Hong Kong he was a bit unlucky in the race and he did not show his best, but hopefully on Saturday he will show people what he is able to do.”

The jockey, who won four races on the card last year, was also very complementary of the dirt surface in Riyadh, and said, “I agree that this is the best dirt track in the world. There was a little change between the first edition of the Saudi Cup three years ago.

“It looks like the ground is now a little bit deeper than it was before, but the quality of the sand is still good. It is a little bit different. It looks a little bit tougher for the horses to finish quick. The Saudi Cup winner came from behind last year. I think it looks like more of a front-runners' track now.

“It is a little between the very quick American dirt and the deeper dirt track in Japan for example. We are somewhere in the middle. Both American horses and Japanese horses can adapt to this track.”

The post Songline And Geoglyph Hold Strong Chances In Saudi Starts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights