Japan’s Loves Only You is 2021’s Top Female Turf Horse

Globetrotting Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) became the first-ever Japanese-trained Breeders' Cup winner when she took the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November, and snagged the Eclipse Award for champion turf female Thursday. The Yoshito Yahagi trainee finished off her 5-year-old season with a win in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December. 

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Appleby Adds Three On Wild Weekend

Del Mar, CA–Racing is a sport of great drama, but it is a fair bet that Charlie Appleby wouldn't have minded a bit less of it this weekend. The trainer enjoyed a banner meeting, recording his fourth, fifth AND sixth wins at the Breeders' Cup with the Dubawi (Ire) colts Modern Games (Ire), Space Blues (Ire) and Yibir (GB), all under William Buick in the Juvenile Turf, Mile and Turf, respectively. Appleby also saw two of his runners scratched at the gates-well, three, technically, with Modern Games sensationally re-instated before going on to win Friday evening's GI Juvenile Turf. “I can take a couple of them home fresh,” an always optimistic Appleby reasoned after winning his third race of the weekend.

After Albahr (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had flipped in the gate on Friday evening and been withdrawn, it was a case of very unwelcome deja-vu on Saturday afternoon for Appleby and Team Godolphin when Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) reared violently in the stalls, hooking his legs over the side of the gate. And just as had happened the evening before, when the Godolphin second string was withdrawn, the first stepped up to the plate, with Space Blues (Ire) justifying favouritism-this time as a genuine betting interesting-to end his illustrious career on a high in the GI Breeder's Cup Mile.

As the racecourse chapter of Space Blues's story comes to a close, Yibir's is, hopefully, just beginning. Considered among the leading Classic prospects among the Appleby ranks this spring, Yibir never quite hit the heights hoped despite picking up placings in the G3 Classic Trial and the Listed Cocked Hat S., and was gelded. Stepped up to a mile and a half and beyond thereafter, Yibir at last began to hit his best stride, picking off the G2 Great Voltigeur S. and Jockey Club Derby Invitational. As a gelding, with options open all over the globe not least at Meydan in the backyard of his owner, it is likely the racing public will see plenty more of Yibir in seasons to come.

Godolphin undoubtedly welcomed an uneventful starting gate process for its Turf runners Yibir and Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) following the theatrics of Master Of The Seas two races earlier, but the race wasn't without its drama, with Buick admitting afterwards that the 3-year-old had been tough to settle before he at last got into a rhythm in a joint last with the defending champ Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal). When the field swung into the short Del Mar straight, it was Ballydoyle representative Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) who hit the front with an explosive kick as Roger Varian's Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) rallied down the middle of the track, but Yibir soon came storming past her on the outside and, in a well-timed ride under Buick, led home Broome and Teona for a decisive victory.

Breeders' Cup weekend was another monumental one for Dubawi, whose only previous winner at the world championships was Appleby's Wuheida (GB) when the event was last at Del Mar in 2017. The spread of races won by his progeny this weekend is yet another advertisement for the versatility and toughness of his stock.

 

Mares Mark Japanese Milestone

The Niarchos Family has been a staunch supporter of the Breeders' Cup since its inception, and on Friday evening was honoured with IFHA's International Award of Merit in Del Mar. While the Niarchos Family didn't have a runner for this year's championships, its legacy at the meeting was keenly felt through Japan's GI Filly & Mare Turf scorer Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The 5-year-old mare, a Classic winner in her home country, is a descendant of Flaxman Holdings' first Breeders' Cup winner and its best-known horse, the champion racemare and producer Miesque.

Flaxman parted with Monevassia, a daughter of Mr. Prospector and Miesque, for $1.75 million as a 4-year-old at the 1998 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Monevassia is now best known as the dam of the dual Group 1-winning juvenile Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill), but she has in fact shone even brighter through her producing daughters. Rumplestiltskin herself left behind the high-class Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and John F Kennedy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Another daughter produced the multiple black-type winner Wild Wind (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), but the most prolific of Monevassia's daughters has been Loves Only Me (Storm Cat), who made her way to the Northern Farm broodmare band. The Deep Impact over Galileo cross has proven a highly prolific one, and from it Loves Only Me alone has produced Loves Only You, the G1 Dubai Turf victor Real Steel (Jpn) and the stakes horses Prodigal Son (Jpn) and Langley (Jpn). The victory of Loves Only You at the Breeders' Cup provides further pomp to the pedigree of Flaxman's own G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man (Jpn), whose first foals arrived this spring. Not only is he also a son of Deep Impact; he is very similarly bred to Loves Only You, being out of another granddaughter of Miesque, Second Happiness (Storm Cat).

Not only was Miesque the first Flaxman Breeders' Cup winner; she was also the first dual winner of a Breeders' Cup race when taking back-to-back GI Miles in 1987 and 1988. Loves Only You was herself providing a first Breeders' Cup winner for Japan, which has so enthusiastically pitched its runners at the world's best races in recent years. Just three races later, Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) sprang the upset of the weekend and provided Japan a day to remember when taking the GI Distaff in a thrilling finish from Dunbar Road (Quality Road). Like Loves Only You, the 5-year-old mare Marche Lorraine was bred by Northern Farm and is trained by Yoshito Yahagi, and she was partnered by Oisin Murphy. Murphy, fresh off his riding championship in Britain, has become synonymous with Japanese runners-in addition to spending time riding in the island nation himself, he was the regular partner of the beloved globetrotting Group 1 winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). With three Breeders' Cup races-the Filly & Mare Turf, Mile and Turf-being beamed to Japan for betting for the first time since 2016, it is doubtless that the celebration in the country was supercharged, and it is a sure bet that the Breeders' Cup will see continued participation, and success, from Japanese runners in the future.

And so another Breeders' Cup is in the books, with the meeting once again advertising why it has been dubbed the world championships. The meeting rewarded some of its strongest supporters and saw new champions crowned, and certainly ensured that the world's best will continue to make the pilgrimage to America on the first weekend in November.

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Loves Only You Gets Japan Its Breeders’ Cup Win

Over the last quarter-century, horses based in Japan have increasingly made their presence felt on the international stage, winning top races on the European continent, the Middle East, Hong Kong and places as far afield as Australia. Though clearly possessed of the horseflesh to make an impression–no matter the port of call–the Breeders' Cup had eluded the island nation, but history was made Saturday at Del Mar when the well-traveled Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) sliced her way between rivals in the dying strides to salute in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar. My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), the half-sister to 2018 Filly & Mare Turf victress Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), overcame some trouble to be second ahead of favored War Like Goddess (English Channel) in third.

The Breeders' Cup had always been the objective for the 5-year-old mare, who had acquitted herself with flying colors in her overseas travels this year. The 2019 G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) victress was winless in five starts on the rough-and-tumble JRA circuit last season, but kicked off 2021 on a high, with a 1 1/4-length victory as the heavy favorite in the G2 Kyoto Kinen at Hanshin over this trip in mid-February. That race served as the ideal prep for the 12-furlong G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 27, where she battled her way to the lead at the furlong grounds, only to be outfinished by the world-class duo of Mishriff (GB) (Make Believe {GB}) and her compatriot Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}). From there, it was off to Hong Kong, where Loves Only You led home a Japanese 1-2-3 in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup going a mile and a quarter Apr. 25. Freshened up with an eye on Del Mar, the immaculately bred bay could not quite reel in reigning G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) and settled for a close second in the G2 Sapporo Kinen Aug. 22. Loves Only You was cross-entered for the Turf, but took her chances in this sex-restricted event.

Alertly into stride for Yuga Kawada, Loves Only You secured a nice forward position while settling into a nice rhythm, as the supplemented Going to Vegas (Goldencents) sped to the front from her rail draw. With some pace pressure to her outside, Going to Vegas set legitimate fractions for the distance, covering the opening quarter in :24.10 and a half in :47.83 while prompted by Dogtag (War Front). Loves Only You lobbed along from fourth, racing just to the inside of Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as they reached the second of three turns, while War Like Goddess was content to trail while unhurried.

Kawada took a bit of a tug to regain cover turning up the backstretch. Well within striking distance, Loves Only You was given every conceivable chance, but Julien Leparoux, who had allowed the chalk to improve by a few spots passing the half-mile marker, cut the ribbons really and truly at the three-eighths and circled up four wide outside of Love into the lane. Loves Only You, checked momentarily off heels and a bit unbalanced at the quarter pole, raced on her incorrect lead into the final eighth of a mile, quickened impressively between War Like Goddess and the rallying My Sister Nat in deep stretch and was punched out to score narrowly.

Trainer Yoshito Yahagi is one of the more charismatic trainers on the JRA circuit and has shown himself more than willing to roll the dice on foreign soil. In 2016, he traveled Loves Only You's full-brother Real Steel (Jpn) to Dubai for a half-length success in the G1 Dubai Turf and also conditioned Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Japan's Horse of the Year for 2019, whose victories that year included a stunning success in the G1 Cox Plate in Melbourne, Australia. Others to have benefitted from his training program include dual-surface Group 1 winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

“When we finished second at Sapporo, I picked [this] race because the turf track is similar to Del Mar,” he said post-race. “First time she went overseas, she actually wasn't that good at traveling, but she's getting better and better and she gets stronger mentally.”

Yahagi indicated that Loves Only You is set to return to Hong Kong for the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting Dec. 12, where connections have accepted an invitation for the $3.85-million G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup.

Pedigree Notes:

Loves Only You is the first Breeders' Cup winner for the late, great Deep Impact (second starter) and hails from a female family that has been no stranger to success at this meeting. The unraced Loves Only Me was acquired by Katsumi Yoshida for $900,000 in foal to Danehill Dancer (Ire) at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale and came with plenty of pedigree appeal, as her dam Monevassia was a full-sister to dual GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Miesque (Nureyev)'s son Kingmambo and had produced champion and future Broodmare of the Year Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill)–subsequently the dam of G1SW Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and GSW John F Kennedy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). In addition to Kingmambo, Miesque was also responsible for G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane heroine East of the Moon (Private Account); GSW Mingun (A.P. Indy); GSW/MG1SP Miesque's Son (Mr. Prospector), sire of 2006 Mile hero Miesque's Approval.

Loves Only Me is the dam of seven winners from eight to race, all bar the in-utero foal, by Deep Impact. The cross of the late Shadai inmate over Storm Cat and Storm Cat-line dams has been sensationally productive, accounting for nearly 20% of the stallion's 53 worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winners, including recent G1 Yasuda Kinen hero Danon Kingly (Jpn), Hong Kong Group 1-winning sire A Shin Hikari (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn) and French 1000 Guineas heroine Beauty Parlour (Jpn), among others.

Loves Only Me has also been a commercial success at the JRHA Select Sales. Loves Only You fetched ¥160 million ($1,404,800) as a yearling at the 2017 sale, while a Heart's Cry (Jpn) half-brother to Loves Only You made ¥280 million ($2,537,293) as a foal at this year's Sale. Loves Only Me is also represented by a yearling colt by Duramente (Jpn), who passed away this past September.

Saturday, Del Mar
MAKER'S MARK BREEDERS' CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF-GI, $1,840,000, Del Mar, 11-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 3/8mT, 2:13.87, fm.
1–LOVES ONLY YOU (JPN), 124, m, 5, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Loves Only Me, by Storm Cat
                2nd Dam: Monevassia, by Mr. Prospector
                3rd Dam: Miesque, by Nureyev
(¥160,000,000 Ylg '17 JRASAL). O-DMM Dream Club Co.;
B-Northern Farm (JPN); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yuga Kawada.
$1,040,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn & HK, G1SP-UAE,
15-7-2-3, $6,493,602. *Full to Langley (Jpn), SP-Jpn,
$1,173,360; Real Steel (Jpn), Hwt. Older Horse-UAE at 7-9.5f,
G1SW-UAE, MGSW & MG1SP-Jpn, $7,508,769; and Prodigal
Son (Jpn), SW & MGSP-Jpn, $1,564,219. Werk Nick Rating: B+.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Sister Nat (Fr), 124, m, 6, by Acclamation (GB)
                1st Dam: Starlet's Sister (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Premiere Creation (Fr), by Green Tune
                3rd Dam: Allwaki, by Miswaki
(€20,000 Ylg '16 ARQFEB). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Ecurie Des
Monceaux (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $340,000.
3–War Like Goddess, 124, f, 4, by English Channel
                1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
                3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000
2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $180,000.
Margins: HF, HD, 1HF. Odds: 4.30, 29.90, 2.30.
Also Ran: Love (Ire), Audarya (Fr), Ocean Road (Ire), Rougir (Fr), Pocket Square (GB), Acanella (GB), Dogtag, Going to Vegas, Queen Supreme (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
 

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Loves Only You Strikes in Kyoto Kinen

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) conquered all her rivals in the G2 Kyoto Kinen on Valentine's Day at Hanshin.

Wearing a full hood, the 4-5 crowd's pick found a good spot in a tracking fourth one off the fence as Happy Grin (Jpn) (Lohengrin {Jpn}) threw down splits of :23.10 for the quarter and :47.20 for the half-mile. The field was well strung out due to the demanding pace, but pilot Yuga Kawada was calm aboard the 2019 G1 Japanese Oaks winner. After seven panels in 1:23.20, Happy Grin relinquished the lead to the stalking Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) and Loves Only You was poised three deep to pounce. Asked at the head of the lane, she rallied in tandem with Danburite (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) to her inside before making her own way to the front and winning by 1 1/4 lengths with ears pricked. Stay Foolish was a half-length to the good of Danburite at the line.

Loves Only You was undefeated in her first four starts culminating in her Oaks tally, and was third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in November of 2019.Winless in 2020 from five appearances, she was third two back in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup again last fall and was 10th in the G1 Arima Kinen on Dec. 27. Her next intended start is the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Mar. 27.

Pedigree Notes
The much missed Deep Impact has 47 Group 1 winners, Loves Only You among them. In addition, his total number of group winners is 135 and his mark of overall black-type winners stands at 169 worldwide. Storm Cat has sired the dams of 291 black-type winners, 143 at group level, with 43 Group 1 winners. Loves Only Me is one of eight top-level winners by Deep Impact out of a Storm Cat mare.

Loves Only You is one of three black-type winners and the second Group 1 winner after UAE highweight and G1 Dubai Turf hero Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) from her unraced dam. She is also a full-sister to SW & MGSP Prodigal Son (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the SP Langley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Since foaling the winner, Loves Only Me has the winning 4-year-old filly Love You Live (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a 2-year-old colt by Deep Impact (Jpn) and a yearling colt by Duramente (Jpn). She was covered by Heart's Cry (Jpn) last spring.

Loves Only Me, a half-sister to European highweighted juvenile filly Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill) and Group 3 winner I Am Beautiful (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), was covered by Heart's Cry (Jpn) last spring. Loves Only You's third dam is the outstanding runner and blue hen Miesque (Nureyev).

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
KYOTO KINEN-G2, ¥119,620,000 (US$1,139,690/£823,274/€940,306), Hanshin, 2-14, 4yo/up, 2200mT, 2:10.40, fm.
1–LOVES ONLY YOU (JPN), 119, m, 5, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Loves Only Me, by Storm Cat
                2nd Dam: Monevassia, by Mr. Prospector
                3rd Dam: Miesque, by Nureyev
(¥160,000,000 Ylg '17 JRHAJUL). O-DMM Dream Club;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yuga Kawada.
¥62,784,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn, 11-5-1-2. *Full to
Langley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), SP-Jpn, $1,173,360; Real
Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Hwt. Older Horse-UAE at 7-9
1/2f, G1SW-UAE, MGSW & MG1SP-Jpn, $7,508,769; and
Prodigal Son (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), SW & MGSP-Jpn,
$1,564,219. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
   Werk Nick Rating: B+.
2–Stay Foolish (Jpn), 123, h, 6, Stay Gold (Jpn)–Kauai Lane
(Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Shadai Race Horse;
B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn); ¥25,224,000.
3–Danburite (Jpn), 123, g, 7, Rulership (Jpn)–Tanzanite (Jpn), by
Sunday Silence. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥16,112,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.80, 6.00, 10.10.
Also Ran: Jinambo (Jpn), Wagnerian (Jpn), Dance Delight (Jpn), Satono Lux (Jpn), Mozu Bello (Jpn), Leyenda (Jpn), Best Approach (GB), Happy Grin (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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