Sodashi Sis Spectacular In Sprinters

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.

 

 

 

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
SPRINTERS S.-G1, ¥328,860,000, Nakayama, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08, gd/fm.
1–MAMA COCHA (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Kurofune
1st Dam: Buchiko (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Shirayukihime (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Wave Wind, by Topsider
1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd; B-Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc; T-Yasutoshi Ikee; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥173,402,000. Lifetime Record: 13-6-2-2, ¥284,449,000. *Full to Sodashi (Jpn), Ch. 2yo & 3yo Filly, MG1SW-Jpn, $5,346,186. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Mad Cool (Ire), 128, c, 4, Dark Angel (Ire)–Mad About You (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK-TYPE. (€225,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV). O-Sunday Racing; B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd; ¥68,972,000.
3–Namura Clair (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Sun Queen, by Storm Cat. O/B-Mutsuhiro Namura; ¥43,486,000.
Margins: NO, 1, 1. Odds : 3.90, 13.00, 1.90.
Also Ran: Jasper Krone, Meikei Yell (Jpn), Win Marvel (Jpn), Aguri (Jpn), Pixie Knight (Jpn), Naran Huleg (Jpn), Kimiwa Queen (Jpn), A Shin Spotter (Jpn), Dolce More (Jpn), All at Once (Jpn), T M Spada (Jpn), Jubilee Head (Jpn), Mozu Meimei (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart.

 

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Namura Clair Drawn Cosily For Sprinters’ As Group 1 Racing Returns to Japan

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.

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First Force Scores Upset First Group 1 in Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Coming into this G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen off a seasonal bow back in January in the G3 Silk Road S., where he finished second behind Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), First Force (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) found his redemption after a ninth place effort in this contest last season with a grinding, determined victory to pick up his career-first Group 1 black-type on Sunday.

Breaking in good order from barrier 13 over a rain-drenched course, First Force was pushed along by Taisei Danno to hold an outside spot from mid-pack and contentedly tracked pacesetters from that position. Taking closer order with 600 metres to the wire, he unfurled his closing kick from between rivals the length of the stretch and collared Travesura (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) in the last 100 to pull away for a length score. Namura Clair followed the winner into the straight and showed good acceleration to reach contention to claim runner-up honors in the final strides before the line.

“I thought our gate number turned out for the better as the track today seemed to work better for those on the outside. The trip went smoothly for us, much better than I had expected. I was able to give him a short breather before the fourth corner and he responded well at the homestretch,” commented jockey Taisei Danno, who also picked up his first Group 1 victory here and his fourth Group win. Conditioner Masayuki Nishimura would also make personal history claiming his career-first Group 1 victory since opening his yard in 2015, here.

First Force is out of MSP Rush Life, who claims five winners from eight to race including his accomplished half-brother A Day In The Life (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Their dam is herself a half-sister to millionaire SW Tagano Dangerous (Jpn) (End Sweep) as well as to the dam of SP Single Up (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}). This is the extended female family of Japanese champion older mare Louisiana Pit (Jpn), MGSW Meisho Naruto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), and MGSP Epicharis (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}). Rush Life's more recent offspring on course include 5-year-old Alcione (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who went undefeated in six starts last season. The dam also has a 3-year-old filly Sterilize (Jpn) (Mikki Rocket {Jpn}) as well as a 2-year-old colt by Black Tide (Jpn). She is last reported due to Shuji (Jpn) for 2023.

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥329,400,000, Chukyo, 3-26, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.20, sf.
1–FIRST FORCE (JPN), 128, h, 7, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
           1st Dam: Rush Life (Jpn) (MSW-Jpn, $733,670), by Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Jpn)
           2nd Dam: Friend Lei (Jpn), by Danehill
           3rd Dam: Martin Miyuki (Jpn), by Maruzensky (Jpn)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Koji Yasuhara; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn); T-Masayuki Nishimura; J-Taisei Danno; ¥173,780,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Jpn, 25-4-5-1, ¥313,847,000. *Half to A Day In The Life (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $1,222,321. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com pedigree.
2–Namura Clair (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Sun Queen, by Storm Cat. O-Mutsuhiro Namur; B-Tanikawa Farm (Jpn); ¥69,080,000.
3–Travesura (Jpn), 128, h, 8, Dream Journey (Jpn)–Jaja Machan (Jpn), by Admire Cozzene (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥43,540,000.
Margins: 1, HF, HF. Odds: 31.30, 4.40, 41.10
Also ran: Naran Huleg (Jpn), Grenadier Guards (Jpn), Lotus Land, Aguri (Jpn), Vento Voce (Jpn), Kir Lord (Jpn), Win Marvel (Jpn), Daddy's Vivid (Jpn), Meikei Yell (Jpn), Pixie Knight (Jpn), Divination (Jpn), Toshin Macau (Jpn), Water Navillera (Jpn), Opal Charme (Jpn), Buon Voyage (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and Video.

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