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Cafe Pharoah Takes ‘Win And You’re In’ February Stakes In Japan

In 2015, American Pharoah took the racing world by storm when he captured the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). On Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan, Koichi Nishikawa's Cafe Pharoah, a Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah, earned the first automatic berth into this year's $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series with a three-quarter length victory over Air Spinel (JPN) in the one-mile $1.84 million February Stakes (G1) on dirt.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Cafe Pharoah to start in the 1 ¼-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Breeders' Cup also will provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Trained by Noriyuki Hori and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, the 4-year-old Cafe Pharoah, the 3-1 favorite, completed the mile in 1:34.40. In defeating 15 rivals for his first career Group 1 victory, Cafe Pharoah improved his overall mark to five wins in seven starts. Out of the More Than Ready mare, Mary's Follies, Cafe Pharoah was bred by the late Paul Pompa Jr.

Absent of fans and cheers, the 38th running of the February Stakes, the first Group 1 event of the Japanese racing season, was on its way on the backstretch with Air Almas (JPN), Helios (JPN) and Wide Pharaoh (JPN) fighting for the lead. As Helios slipped back in the early stages, Cafe Pharoah, breaking from stall three, stalked the two frontrunners while saving ground before smoothly angling out right beside them to enter the lane in third. From there on, Cafe Pharoah unleashed a powerful stretch drive, securing the lead by the furlong marker and held off the fast-closing 35-1 Air Spinel.

“His condition was super, and I had confidence already at the paddock,” said Lemaire, who also won last year's February Stakes on Mozu Ascot (JPN). “We decided to use cheek pieces [headgear strips similar to blinkers] hoping for a more aggressive performance. His start was good, we were positioned well and he responded beautifully. The colt has such high potential. I had no doubt that he could land a G1 win if he gave his best. I'm happy that it all worked out today.”

Air Spinel was settled on the rail in mid-division and struggled to find room in early stretch. Once he angled out, finding a clear path 300 meters out, he finished fast, overtaking the tiring pacesetter in the final sixteenth and threatening the winner. Wonder Lider (JPN), sent off at 19-1, took an economic route behind the winner up to the last turn and displayed a powerful stretch drive furiously chasing the runner-up to the line while holding off a strong challenge by 6-1 third choice Red le Zele (JPN) for third. Air Almas finished fifth, followed by Inti (JPN), the 2019 February Stakes winner, in sixth.

In 2020, Cafe Pharoah won twice at the race distance over the Tokyo track, taking the two Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying races, the listed Hyacinth Stakes and the Unicorn Stakes (G3). He suffered his first defeat as the favorite in the Japan Dirt Derby on July 8 at Ohi, finishing seventh. He rebounded on Oct. 3 to win the 1 3/16-mile Sirius Stakes (G3) at Chukyo. In his final start last year, Cafe Pharoah stepped into Group 1 company for the first time, in the 1 1/8-mile Champions Cup at Chukyo on Dec. 6, finishing sixth.

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Charmaine’s Mia Takes Buena Vista On The Stretch-Out For D’Amato

Relegated to sprinting in her last 21 starts, trainer Phil D'Amato's Charmaine's Mia handled a stretch-out to one mile on turf with aplomb on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she pressed the early pace en route to a one-length score in the Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, she got the distance in 1:33.93.

With longshot Bohemian Bourbon fully committed to a front-running trip, Charmaine's Mia, who was an impressive 2 ½-length winner of the G3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on turf Jan. 9, sat a close second to the quarter pole, where she took command and then held multiple graded stakes winning Mucho Unusual safe in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She broke sharp,” said Prat, who collected his third win on the afternoon. “She's really fast out of the gate and I wanted to be on the lead, but the inside horse (Bohemian Bourbon) was pulling very hard, so we were second, which was as good place to be. When we made the lead at the quarter pole, she got a good breather and from there, she finished really well.”

Formerly based in Toronto at Woodbine, Charmaine's Mia was off at 16-1 in the Las Cienegas, which was her Southern California debut and first start for D'Amato. Heavily backed today at 6-5 in a field of nine older fillies and mares, she paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.40.

“It's huge, Flavien said there's more in the tank,” said D'Amato. “She rated nice. If she needed to go a little further, it wasn't a problem. So that definitely broadens her horizons and maybe has us starting to look at Grade I's.”

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, Charmaine's Mia, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by The Factor out of the Bernstein mare Charming Vixen, notched her second graded stakes victory and improved her overall mark to 27-6-4-2. With the winner's take of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $352,976.

Trainer Tim Yakteen's Mucho Unusual, who was mid-pack early, put in a solid late run but ran out of real estate while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Warren's Showtime. A winner of two consecutive graded stakes at the current meeting, she was the second choice at 7-2 and paid $4.20 and $3.00 with Abel Cedillo up.

Consistent Warren's Showtime, who had three horses beat heading into the far turn, put in a solid late bid as well, but was third best on the day under Juan Hernandez. Off at 5-1, she paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.65, 45.93, 1:09.75 and 1:21.75.

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One-Time $25,000 Claim Queen Nekia Earns Graded Status With Royal Delta Win

Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia benefited from a hotly contested early pace to earn graded-stakes credentials with a rallying victory in Saturday's $100,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 6-year-old Harlington mare, who finished a close third in last year's edition of the 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares after being claimed for $25,000 two starts earlier, also benefited from a ground-saving ride by Corey Lanerie to pull off a 29-1 upset.

Queen Nekia rated well off a strong pace contested by 3-2 favorite Mrs. Danvers and the Joseph-trained Gibberish, who set fractions of 23.31 and 46.48 seconds for the first half mile. Gibberish continued to turn back Mrs. Danvers's outside challenge into to the homestretch turn, but Eres Tu, the 2-1 second betting choice made a sweeping move around them entering the stretch and appeared on her way to her fourth straight win. The new leader seemed to stall upon getting a clear lead at the top of the stretch and suddenly came under attack from Queen Nekia, who kicked strongly along the rail and drew away by 1 ¾ lengths.

“It set up good. I saw a little pace on paper, and she broke really good. I was trying to get over to the rail, and then finally I just kind of let all the speed go and got back a little bit, probably a little bit further than I wanted to,” said Lanerie following his third victory of the day. “When I called on her, I had a lot of horse.”

Eres Tu finished second under Irad Ortiz Jr., 4 ¾ lengths ahead of Bajan Girl. Gibberish finished fourth and Mrs. Danvers checked in fifth.

Queen Nekia, who ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43,62, had most recently finished fourth behind stablemate Gibberish in the $100,000 Treasure Coast at Delta Downs Nov. 27.

“[For] both horses, since they ran together at Delta Downs, this has been the intended target – give them a freshening and train them together. Gibberish, I don't think she was at her best, plus I think the pace didn't help her,” Joseph said. “Queen Nekia finished third last year. She's a deserving winner. She's a filly that deserved a Grade 3. She's a filly we claimed for $25,000, and this makes her so much more valuable.

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Share The Ride Takes Inside Route To Victory In General George

Silvino Ramirez's Share the Ride soared through an opening along the rail entering the stretch and pulled away to earn his second career graded-stakes victory and give journeyman rider Victor Carrasco his first in Saturday's $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park.

The 45th running of the General George for 4-year-olds and up and the 69th edition of the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and older, both sprinting seven furlongs, co-headlined a Winter Sprintfest program of six stakes worth $900,000 in purses.

Originally scheduled for Feb. 13, Winter Sprintfest was pushed back a week after winter storms passed through the Mid-Atlantic region. Parx-based Share the Ride ($10.80) hit the wire in 1:22.85 over a fast main track.

Winner of the 2013 Eclipse Award as North America's champion apprentice, the 28-year-old Carrasco has battled through assorted injuries over his career, picking up his 1,000^th lifetime winner last January at Laurel.

“First of all I want to say thanks to the trainer and the owner. I can't even explain,” Carrasco said. “I've been through so much in my career [that] when I passed the wire, I could not believe it. But thank God we're here and thanks to Share the Ride, we got it done.”

Share the Ride, a gelded son of Candy Ride, won the six-furlong Fall Highweight (G3) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct to cap his 2020 campaign. He made his 6-year-old debut Jan. 16 at Laurel, leading into deep stretch before being caught at the wire and finishing second by a neck behind Wendell Fong.

Last time out, Share the Ride chased the pace on the outside and settled four third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths as the favorite, in the seven-furlong Toboggan (G3) Jan. 30 at Aqueduct.

“Everything came out like the plan we made. We're really happy,” Ramirez said. “He's a fast horse. He likes to run in front. He was a little behind last time. He didn't like it so much, so this time we were in front. That's the way he likes it.”

Arthur's Hope and jockey Alcibiades Cortez were eager for the lead and held it through a brisk pace of 23.20 seconds for a quarter-mile and 46.13 for the half, with Share the Ride in close pursuit. Arthur's Hope drifted out as the field approached the stretch and Share the Ride had plenty of room to roll once straightened for home.

Tattooed, upset winner of the one-mile Jennings Jan. 16 at Laurel in his previous start, split horses in mid-stretch to get up for second, two lengths ahead of 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki. It was another half-length back to multiple stakes winner Lebda in fourth.

Arthur's Hope, Informative, Chilly in Charge, Grade 3 winner Majestic Dunhill and 2-1 favorite Funny Guy completed the order of finish. Fortunate Friends was scratched.

“The instructions were to not go to the lead, to make sure that I sit second or third, and I tried my best to do that. When I saw Cortez on my outside, I just sat patient and waited and when we got near to the quarter pole and said, 'Go,' he responded well and we got the 'W,'” Carrasco said.

“To be honest I felt like he was never slowing down,” he added. “I was a little concerned by the sixteenth pole because I've been in that position before where you feel like to you them and then you get nailed at the wire. But I felt like I had enough from the sixteenth pole to the wire.”

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