Tag: new course record

Equinox Obliterates Tokyo Course Record In Tenno Sho

There had been hints that reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was not your average champion, most especially with his geared-down tour-de-force in the desert in March, but the Silk Racing Company's colourbearer was in a zip code all his own with his course-record breaking performance in defence of his G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) title at Tokyo on Sunday. He covered the 2000-metre trip over a firm Tokyo course in 1:55.20, 0.9 seconds faster than the previous record.

Carrying a rating of 129 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings making him the world's highest-rated racehorse since demolishing a classy international field in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, the blaze-faced dark bay became only the third horse to win back-to-back Tenno Shos. Notable sire Symboli Kris S. (Jpn) (Kris S.) first accomplished that feat in 2002 and 2003, and he was followed by fellow Silk Racing representative and Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2019 and 2020.

He defeated the closing Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a half-brother to GI Belmont winner and Grade I sire Palace Malice (Curlin) and a winner of the 3200-metre G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), by 2 1/2 lengths. It was another quarter-length back to Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in third. The latter, a winner of the G2 Sapporo Kinen in the lead up to this contest, was second to Saturday's G1 Cox Plate victor and Hong Kong's leading middle-distance horse Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in April.

Bet down to 30 cents on the dollar, Equinox jumped well and secured an ideal tracking position in third, as Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) set out hard on the steel while tracked by Gaia Force (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). The field was well spread out, with the frontrunner covering the first 800 metres in :46.30, 1000 metres in :57.70, and the 1200-metres in 1:09.10. It was, however, an unsustainable tempo, and Jack d'Or abruptly threw in the towel with a quarter mile to run after covering the 1600 metres in 1:32.10. Gaia Force briefly seized the advantage with a looming Equinox making his run three deep, but the grey had attended too closely to the hot pace and folded 100 metres later. Equinox steamed home with a pair of sub-12 second 200 metre splits, getting his final 400 metres in :23.10 to win as he pleased. Justin Palace made a brave run from well off the pace, but it was too little too late to catch the champ.

“First of all, I am relieved to have been able to show the world, which I know was watching how the race favorite would run, that he is indeed a deserving colt to be named the highest rated colt,” said regular rider Christophe Lemaire. “He's not exactly

what you call a horse with incredible speed but he was able to keep up with today's rapid pace and get into another gear at the end–but I was actually surprised when I realized that we had won in a record.

“He is a versatile horse that can run from any position, stay calm during the race and make use of his speed at the finish. He can also run at longer distances such as when he won the Arima Kinen, so although there was much pressure coming into such a prestigious race as race favorite, I was confident knowing what he is capable of.”

A crowd of 77,870 attended the Tenno Sho, including the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and the Empress Masako.

Never worse than second in his nine lifetime starts, Equinox was unbeaten at two with his season-ending victory in the G2 Hai Nisai S. Second in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in his first two outings at three, he has yet to taste defeat since October of 2022. All five of his victories beginning with last October's Tenno Sho (Autumn) have occurred at Group 1 level. After taking the 2400-metre Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) in December, the Dubai Sheema Classic went his way this March. The Takarazuka Kinen was secured narrowly in June, his final start until Sunday's stirring effort.

Pedigree Notes

The Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Colt of 2022, Equinox is one of seven stakes winners for his Shadai Stallion Station-based sire. Kitasan Black, who was a dual Japanese Horse of the Year in 2016/2017 with seven career Group 1 wins including the 2017 Tenno Sho (Autumn), also has the G1 Satsuki Sho hero Sol Oriens (Jpn) to his credit and three other group winners.

Equinox, a half-brother to G3 Radio Nikkei Sho winner Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), is the third foal of his dam, the G3 Mermaid S. heroine Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), who also raced for Silk Racing. She has a 3-year-old filly by Just A Way (Jpn), a juvenile filly named Garza Blanca (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and a full-sister to the winner born this year.

Out of the winning Blancherie (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}), his dam is from the extended family of sires G3 Prix de la Jonchere winner Bellypha (Ire) (Lyphard), G1 Premio Ernesto Ayulo Pardo victor Run And Deliver (Danzig), and G2 Prix Eugene Adam hero Bellman (Fr) (Riverman).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥421,420,000, Tokyo, 10-29, 3yo/up, 2000mT, *1:55.20 (NCR), fm.
1–EQUINOX (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (GSW-Jpn,
                                $1,096,970), by King Halo (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Blancherie (Jpn), by Tony Bin (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Maison Blanche (Jpn), by Alleged
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥222,394,000. Lifetime Record: HotY-
Jpn, Ch. 3yo Colt-Jpn, G1SW-UAE, 9-7-2-0, $12,558,118. *1/2
to Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn,
$820,531. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Justin Palace (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Palace
Rumor, by Royal Anthem. (¥190,000,000 Ylg '20 JRHAJUL).
O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥88,684,000.
3–Prognosis (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Velda (GB), by
Observatory. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn);
¥55,342,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1/4, HD. Odds: 0.30, 34.10, 10.40.
Also Ran: Danon Beluga (Jpn), Gaia Force (Jpn), Admire Hadar (Jpn), Do Deuce (Jpn), Echt (Jpn), Hishi Iguazu (Jpn), North Bridge (Jpn), Jack d'Or (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

 

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Hronis and Sadler Team Up for Course Record with Bran in Turf Sprint

It turns out Flightline (Tapit) isn't only fast horse Hronis Racing has in the John Sadler barn, as Bran (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) set a new course record of 1:07.41 for the six furlongs of the GII FanDuel Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. A “Win and You're In” event for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the $1 million race was being contested for the 24th time and was Sadler's first win at the Franklin, Ky. track after just a handful of starts.

At 11-1, Bran broke uneventfully and sat mid-pack between rivals in the 11-horse field as a first quarter unfurled in :21.51 with Artemus Citylimits (Temple City) steering the ship. Moving well off the turn after a half in :43.97, Bran split horses while wide with his sights on the leader as he drove to the wire. He swapped to his wrong lead down the impossibly long stretch, caught Artemus Citylimits late, and hit the wire a neck in front.

“My horse was beautiful before the race,” said winning rider Vincent Cheminaud. “I was a little bit relaxed from the start. I followed the horse that was in front of me, my horse was very good at the finish, and he finished strong.

“The trainer told me he was very good to win today, and now we won it. I'm very happy. This was only the second time that I've ridden for John Sadler, and the other time was on this horse. I won a very good race for him. This track is like Europe for me, it's not the same track, but to ride a good horse, it's more easy.”

Bran had a respectable career in France, getting four wins under the tutelage of M. Delcher-Sanchez before shipping stateside after bloodstock agent Shawn Dugan purchased him for €80,000 at the Arqana October sale last fall. He debuted for Sadler Jan. 1 of this year with a third in the GII Joe Hernandez S., then added wins in the GIII Daytona S. and the Siren Lure S., both at Santa Anita, as well as placings in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. at Churchill Downs and the Wickerr S. at Del Mar.

“I think people maybe underestimated him a little bit [in the Turf Sprint], but they forget how good his race was at Churchill,” said Sadler from Lexington, where he was preparing for the upcoming Keeneland September sale. “That was a really good second at Churchill. I thought he was a good fit for this. Remember, when we're talking about Santa Anita, he's run six on the flat and he's run 6 1/2 down the hill. So he's had good experience, then you throw in what they do in Europe, where the courses are different. So all those little things made a good vibe for the horse going there.”

Pedigree Notes:

English and French highweighted, as well as a winner of four Group 1 races, Muhaarar (GB) is the sire of 15 black-type winners from his four crops to date. Seven of those are group/graded winners for the son of Oasis Dream (GB), who stands at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud in England. Bran is out of the King's Best (70 stakes winners out of his daughters) mare Best Intent (GB), who has a 2-year-old filly named Atakama (Fr) and a yearling colt, both by Le Havre (Ire). Best Intent's dam, herself a GSW & G1SP in France, is a half to four Group winners, including French champions Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector) and Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector), as well as additional French G1 winner Exit to Nowhere (Irish River {Fr}).

Saturday, Kentucky Downs
FANDUEL TURF SPRINT S.-GII, $648,640, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:07.41 (NCR), fm.
1–BRAN (FR), 125, g, 4, by Muhaarar (GB)
               1st Dam: Best Intent (GB), by King's Best
               2nd Dam: Hydro Calido, by Nureyev
               3rd Dam: Coup de Folie, by Halo
(€36,000 Ylg '19 AROYRG; €80,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Hronis
Racing LLC; B-Lordship Stud (FR); T-John W. Sadler; J-Vincent
Cheminaud. $320,540. Lifetime Record: 21-7-4-4, $678,932.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Artemus Citylimits, 121, g, 5, Temple City–Dene Court, by
City Zip. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 RNA Wlg '17
KEENOV; $34,000 Ylg '18 FTKFEB; $60,000 RNA 4yo '21
FTKHRA; $85,000 4yo '21 EASDEC). O-Paradise Farms Corp.,
David Staudacher & Michael Dubb; B-Gunpowder Farms LLC
(ON); T-Michael J. Maker. $103,400.
3–Arrest Me Red, 125, c, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Maraschino
Red, by Medaglia d'Oro. O-Lael Stables; B-M. Roy Jackson (KY);
T-Wesley A. Ward. $94,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 11.78, 10.56, 1.05.
Also Ran: Front Run the Fed, Charcoal, Arzak, Totally Boss, Chewing Gum, Chasing Artie, Johnny Unleashed, Bob's Edge. Scratched: A C Expressway, Gregorian Chant (GB), Necker Island, Torontotoro. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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