Tag: Ohi Racecourse

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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Runhappy’s First Japanese Winner Makes Huge Impression

Run This City (Runhappy) became the first Japanese winner for his progressive young sire Wednesday, taking a 1400-meter maiden on the dirt at Ohi Racecourse by an imposing margin.

First to break the line from gate six, the March-foaled bay raced under a nice hold, stalking the pace from the outside for the opening half-mile. Given his head with about 500 meters left to travel, Run This City cornered in front, swapped his leads professionally, his rider sitting hard against him, and was pushed out through the final sixteenth of a mile to score by the better part of 22 lengths. He returned money back (i.e. zero profit) as the prohibitive betting favorite.

Bred in Kentucky by Betz/Magers/CoCo Equine/Kidder/J Betz/Davidson, Run This Time was bought back on a bid of $70,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. He is a half-brother to Godolphin's Man of Promise (Into Mischief), winner of the Listed Jafza Dubai Sprint S. sprinting a straight six furlongs over the Meydan turf course this past February and his yearling half-brother by Mendelssohn fetched $310,000 from Mike Ryan on day one of this year's Keeneland September sale.

Run This City is out Involved (Speightstown), a winning half-sister to MGSW Skip To the Stone (Skip Trial) and SW My Heavenly Sign (Forest Camp), the dam of the SP Avasaraia (Point of Entry). Involved was not bred in 2020 and was purchased by Dunthreath Farm for $8,000 at Keeneland January earlier this year. She was most recently covered by Audible.

Run This City is the ninth 2-year-old winner from the second crop of Runhappy, whose son Run To Daylight became his fourth black-type winner in the Henry Mercer Memorial S. Sept. 18.

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Danon Pharaoh Too Strong in Japan Dirt Derby

The bettors had it right–well, in a sense.

They pounded the previously undefeated Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) into 1-10 favoritism for Wednesday’s Japan Dirt Derby, but Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) had other ideas, as he put away pacesetting Daimei Corrida (Jpn) (Eskendereya) in the final 150 meters en route to a 1 3/4-length success. Kitano Octopus (Jpn) (Fenomeno {Jpn}) rounded out a longshot trifecta that returned better than 7,700-1. The victory was worth 40 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Daimei Corrida jumped alertly from his high draw and crossed the field to lead through the stretch the first time as Danon Pharaoh and Cafe Pharoah raced in close attendance. The favorite, who took an awkward step entering the first turn, and began showing signs of distress 500 meters out, leaving Daimei Corrida and Danon Pharaoh to fight it out to the finish. The front-runner held firm into the final eighth of a mile, but Danon Pharaoh had all the answers, edging clear in the final stages. Cafe Pharoah split the field in seventh.

A maiden winner at second asking last November, Danon Pharaoh added a Kyoto allowance in February. A strong second to Barnard Loop (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the Listed Hyogo Championship S. at Sonoda May 6, the striking dark bay was well-beaten behind Miyaji Kokuo (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}) when last seen in the Listed Hosu S. at Kyoto May 24.

With victories in the Listed Hyacinth S. and in the G3 Unicorn S. last time, Cafe Pharoah has amassed 70 Kentucky Derby points and can claim the berth in the Run for the Roses if connections so choose. Should they decline the invitation, it will be extended to the connections of Danon Pharaoh.

Danon Pharaoh’s yearling half-brother by Screen Hero (Jpn) (walking video) and his Jan. 23-foaled half-brother by Lord Kanaloa (walking video) each go under the hammer at the JRHA Select Sale on Hokkaido July 13 and 14.

Danon Pharaoh becomes the eighth stakes winner for American Pharoah and his third on the dirt, joining Cafe Pharoah and Harvey’s Lil Goil, who recently added the GIII Regret S. on turf.

 

WATCH: Danon Pharaoh causes the upset in the Japan Dirt Derby

 

Wednesday, Ohi, Japan
JAPAN DIRT DERBY-Listed (Final Leg–Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby), ¥76,500,000, Ohi, 7-8, 3yo, 2000m, 2:05.9, my.
1–DANON PHARAOH (JPN), 123, c, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Crisp (GISW, $286,431), by El Corredor
2nd Dam: Cat’s Fair, by Sir Cat
3rd Dam: Very Fair, by Honest Pleasure
1ST STAKES WIN. ($350,000 in utero ’16 KEENOV; ¥180,000,000 Ylg ’18 JPNJUL). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥45,000,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-0, $644,903.
2–Daimei Corrida (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Eskendereya–Miracle Flag (Jpn), by Spicule (Jpn). (¥30,240,000 2yo ’19 JRA2YO). O-Noboru Miyamoto; B-Deguchi Bokujo; T-Naoyuki Morita; J-Kenichi Ikezoe; ¥15,750,000.
3–Kitano Octopus (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Fenomeno (Jpn)–Hiro Angelo (Jpn), by Grass Wonder. O-Naoto Kitasho; B-Mikami Bokujo; T-Noboru Takagi; J-Hironobu Tanabe; ¥9,000,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 5, 1 3/4. Odds: 39.60, 19.50, 49.70.
Also Ran: Bravoure (Jpn), Miyaji Kokuo (Jpn), Aime Limite (Jpn), Cafe Pharoah, Barnard Loop (Jpn), Causey Son Rad (Jpn), Riko Seawolf (Jpn), Gamila’s Jackson (Jpn), Full Flat, Gold Bomber (Jpn).

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