Tag: Mick Fire

Ushba Tesoro Plays Role of ‘Fire’ Extinguisher in Tokyo Daishoten

Friday's G1 Tokyo Daishoten marked a first and much-anticipated battle between reigning G1 Dubai World Cup hero Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and the upstart 3-year-old Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister), perfect in his seven starts and winner of the unofficial Japan Dirt Triple Crown this past season. The showdown never really materialized, however, as the latter never reached contention after playing up in the stalls, and the odds-on Ushba Tesoro ran down his commonly owner front-runner Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) to successfully defend his title in the 2000-metre contest. Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who won the G1 Hopeful S. on the turf 12 months ago, but has thrived on the dirt this term, stayed on well for third after chasing the pace.

As it was on World Cup night, Ushba Tesoro was not particularly quickly away and therefore settled last but one into the first corner, as Wilson Tesoro, who flashed home to finish second behind Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) and ahead of Dura Erede in the Dec. 8 G1 Champions Cup (1800m), galloped them along at a decent tempo over the notoriously deep surface at Oi. Racing three wide as Mick Fire provided some crucial cover down the back straight, Ushba Tesoro was pulled out and around his younger rival at the 600 metres, with Wilson Tesoro and Dura Erede a good eight to 10 lengths ahead. Steered out widest leaving the 400-metre peg behind, Ushba Tesoro leveled out and grabbed Wilson Tesoro in the dying strides, covering those final 600 metres in a race-fastest :37 flat. Mick Fire could produce no rally and beat just one home.

Given a lengthy spell to recover from his World Cup success, Ushba Tesoro was an easy winner of the Listed Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Sept. 27 as a single prep for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He put in a long, sustained rally over the Santa Anita mile and a quarter Nov. 4, but had too much to do and finished a creditable fifth to White Abarrio (Race Day) and compatriot Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits).

“He's a very tough horse, so I was hoping he could run well,” winning jockey Yuga Kawada told Netkeiba. “The horse will remain active next year, so we appreciate the support as he goes to challenge the world again.”

Trainer Noboru Takagi indicated that the early-season goals could include the G1 Saudi Cup in February in addition to a defence of his title at Meydan the following month.

Of the eighth-placed Mick Fire, trainer Kazuo Watanabe told Netkeiba: “The start for him was a pity. Even if he finished second or third and lost, I wanted to see him run his race. There is room for growth and we will be starting from scratch again.”

 

Ushba Tesoro | Horsephotos/Tomoya Moriuchi

 

Pedigree Notes:

Ushba Tesoro's second dam Sixieme Sens was ridden by Freddy Head to victory in the 1995 Listed Prix Bagatelle for trainer David Smaga and Mme Marc de Chambure and went on to continue her career in the US under the tutelage of the late Bobby Frankel for whom she won the GIII Athenia S. in New York and the GII Dahlia H. in 1996 and the GII San Gorgonio H. the following season. Dr Masatake Iida purchased Sixieme Sens for $750,000 when offered in foal to Gone West at the 1997 Keeneland November Sale and exported her to Japan. Her second foal for Iida's Chiyoda Farm Shizunai became the stakes-winning Bold Brian (Jpn) (Brian's Time), while Millefeui Attach, a three-time winner of better than $466,000, was Sixieme Sens's eighth produce and one of her nine winners from 12 to the races.

Ushba Tesoro races for the Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co., which has also campaigned the likes of US-bred Japanese listed winner Aurora Tesoro (Malibu Moon) and the multiple stakes winner and Group 1-placed Rieno Tesoro (Speightstown) to name but a few. Ushba Tesoro cost the operation ¥25 million ($219,250) as a foal when consigned by Chiyoda Farm to the 2017 JRHA Select Sales. The operation purchased the dam of Wilson Tesoro for $225,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale and sent her to Equinox's sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) in 2018 after winning a pair of minor races in Japan.

Millefeui Attach is also the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Asia Express (Henny Hughes) and a yearling filly from the first crop of 2019 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen hero Mr Melody (Scat Daddy). The mare foaled a filly by Group 1-winning turf sprinter Matera Sky (Speightstown) this past Apr. 29 and was reunited with Orfevre this year.

Friday, Oi, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥170,000,000, Oi, 12-29, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:07.30, std.
1–USHBA TESORO (JPN), 126, h, 6, Orfevre (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Millefeui Attach (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
      2nd Dam: Sixieme Sens, by Septieme Ciel
      3rd Dam: Samalex (GB), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
(¥25,000,000 Wlg '17 JRHAJUL). O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings;
B-Chiyoda Farm (Jpn); T-Noboru Takagi; J-Yuga Kawada;
¥100,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 32-11-1-5,
$10,427,845. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-
style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Chesutoke
Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken
Farm (Jpn); T-Hitoshi Kotegawa; J-Yusuke Hara; ¥35,000,000.
3–Dura Erede (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)–Marchesa (Jpn),
by Orfevre (Jpn) (¥100,000,000 Ylg '21 JRHAJUL). O-Three H
Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Manabu Ikezoe; J-Bauyrzhan
Murzabayev; ¥20,000,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 13.20, 10.90.
Also Ran: Notturno (Jpn), King's Sword (Jpn), Gloria Mundi (Jpn), Tenkaharu (Jpn), Mick Fire (Jpn), Mangan (Jpn).
Click for the goracing.jp chart.

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Ushba Tesoro No Sure Thing In Daishoten Defence

While the final of the roughly two dozen Group 1 races on the Japan Racing Association was scheduled for Thursday, the Tokyo Daishoten–the only recognized international Group 1 event and pattern race of any variety on the National Association of Racing circuit–takes place Friday afternoon at Ohi Racecourse in the Japanese capital.

Under normal circumstances, the discussion of the 2000-metre dirt affair would begin and end with Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), whose victory here 12 months ago catapulted him to future success on the world stage in the G1 Dubai World Cup. Set for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic almost before he even got his picture taken at Meydan, the 6-year-old impressed in his local prep prior to departing for America in late September. He certainly didn't run a poor race at Santa Anita, as he was left entirely too much to do and wound up fifth behind White Abarrio (Race Day). It's just 55 days since a trip to the States and back again, not to mention a race in between, and he could be vulnerable.

That theory might ring true no matter the competition, but Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) will present a stiff challenge in a race that could very well propel him to overseas targets. The 3-year-old colt is unbeaten and–really–unchallenged in seven career starts to date, all on the NAR. All but one of those starts have come at Ohi, including the Listed Japan Dirt Derby back in July, and he prepped for this with a defeat of 2023 GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby) in the Derby Grand Prix (allowance) over the course and distance Oct. 1.

While dual Group 1 winner Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) swerves this event in favour of potential appearances in the Middle East over the coming months, those that finished immediately behind him in the G1 Champions Cup three weekends ago take their chances. Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) flashed home strongly to finish runner-up at Chukyo, outfinishing Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who caused a major boilover in last year's Hopeful S., but seems to have found a home on the dirt. Bauyrzhan Murzabayev has the call.

The 4-year-old King's Sword (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) is another talented dirt runner for his sire and punched his ticket to the Daishoten with an easy victory over Notturno (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn})—second in this last year–in the Listed JBC Classic over the course and distance Nov. 3.

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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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