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Like Father, Like Son: Danon Smash Takes Hong Kong Sprint For Japan

Danon Smash followed in the footsteps of his sire Lord Kanaloa with a thrilling victory for Japan on Sunday in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200 meters) at Sha Tin, their third in the HK$22 million contest's 21-year history.

“It is a very pleasing moment that Lord Kanaloa and Danon Smash, sire and son could achieve their Hong Kong wins – it's a happy moment,” said a representative for trainer Takayuki Yasuda.

Lord Kanaloa landed Sha Tin's premier dash twice in 2012 and 2013, and was also trained by Yasuda, and Danon Smash joined the honor roll with a gritty success under Ryan Moore, who one race prior, secured the G1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) aboard Mogul.

“We got lucky – he stepped very well and we managed to slot into a lovely spot, I was always happy and when the pace steadied around the bend, I was able to just move out and keep moving forward and he got there in plenty of time,” Moore said.

The Lord Kanaloa 5-year-old broke cleanly from the widest gate of 14 to sit midfield under Moore, who peeled out at the 300 meter mark to grind his way to a half-length victory in a time of 1:08.45, staving off the fast-finishing Jolly Banner in second, while Rattan rattled into third.

“He was very tough and very honest – he was a pleasure to ride and he'd shown very good form at times in Japan's best sprints and at seven furlongs as well he's won some of the best races at Group 2 level and he deserved to win his Group 1,” Moore said.

The speedy bay has finished third and second in the last two editions of the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama, and is a four-time G3 winner and two-time G2 victor.

“I'm delighted and just thankful for being asked to ride him and I also need to thank the owners Danox and Mr. Yasuda certainly knows how to prepare a sprinter for a Hong Kong Sprint,” the British ace said.

The 114-rater landed the 10th win of his career today, and followed last start's runner-up effort to Gran Alegria with a triumph today, his first at the top-level after eight attempts.

“I gave him a gentle breeze on Wednesday morning – it wasn't anything strenuous, there was no real comments to say, no one was worried by anything about the horse but no one was overly bullish about the horse,” Moore said.

Today's pair of wins are Moore's seventh at the Hong Kong International Races, the most any international-based rider in history.

“I think when he got the draw we were all possibly a bit worried and we needed to see what happens and thankfully everything worked his way and we just had a bit of luck and everything worked out nicely,” Moore said.

Classique Legend battled on for 11th, while favorite Hot King Prawn was overhauled and faded to finish seventh as the dominant 2.1 market elect.

While Hong Kong's current sprinting ranks were on show in the HK$22 million contest, the future was on show four races later as Winning Dreamer extended his unbeaten record to a perfect six with victory in the aptly named Class 2 Lord Kanaloa Handicap (1200m).

The speedster charged to a comfortable one-length victory, while Sky Field could only manage sixth.

“I'm thinking the first of January, there is a 1400 meter race at G3 level to see if we can know more whether he can step up to 1600 meters,” trainer Frankie Lor said.

The G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) on January 1, 2021, will see Winning Dreamer put his Hong Kong Classic Mile credentials on the line, or, if the son of Deep Field will keep to the sprint distances.

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Fifth In Breeders’ Cup Turf, Mogul Proves Best In Hong Kong Vase

Vindicating Aidan O'Brien's long-held faith, Mogul has emphatically underlined claims as heir apparent to Ballydoyle's throne after claiming victory in Sunday's HK$20 million Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin.

Providing Aidan O'Brien's third triumph in the race, adding to Highland Reel's 2015 and 2017 wins, Mogul downed Hong Kong champion Exultant and Columbus County to also give Ryan Moore his third Vase success.

Yet another son of Galileo, Mogul has long been touted as the next world-beater to emerge from O'Brien's yard and proved his class by overwhelming Exultant, a five-time G1 winner and Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year.

While elated at notching his sixth Hong Kong International Races victory, Moore was unsurprised by the quality of Mogul's performance.

“He's a horse that we always expected a lot from,” Moore said.

“He was a good 2-year-old, he won his G2 race (Champions Juvenile Stakes) at Leopardstown. I don't know, maybe just the way the season unfolded, he took a while to really pull himself together.

“Maybe he was just a bit behind Derby Day (when sixth to Serpentine) and we were always on the back foot. He was super impressive when he won in Paris (Grand Prix de Paris) and his Breeders' Cup run (fifth behind Tarnawa in the Breeders' Cup Turf) wasn't without merit.

“Today, the race worked out nicely for him, he's beaten a really solid yardstick in Exultant. He (Exultant) always seems to consistently perform to the same level and never seems to run a bad race around here.

“He's put them away very nicely.

“In reality, I was in front sooner than would have been ideal today but he took me there nicely.

“When he gets in front, he maybe lacks a bit of concentration still but he's a beautiful looking horse.

“He's got a fantastic mind and it doesn't stress him. He'll be a really nice three-year-old.”

Owned by Coolmore, Mogul's laidback mindset lends itself to another international campaign as a 4-year-old.

“He has a great mind, so traveling won't stress him. He loves decent ground,” Moore said.

“I think a few times the ground was made a little bit against him. Maybe even in America, the pace was wrong but the ground might have been loose enough.

“At York, the ground might have been deep enough for him that day.

“These fast, flat tracks suit him. They let him show what class he has.”

Moore first travelled to Hong Kong in 2001 as a teenager, never dreaming he would rise to acclaim as Longines World's Best Jockey among a host of other accolades.

“I've always loved coming to Hong Kong. I came here when I was 18 and they were doing the breeze up sale and I've always loved coming here,” he said.

“I hadn't even rode as an apprentice then and I remember coming here and watching Douglas (Whyte) ride all the winners.

“It was a different time but it was always a great atmosphere and you know how much it means to the punters here. They love their racing and it will be great to have them back here.

“It's fantastic racing and competitive racing. It's been a shame I wasn't able to get over here earlier this year but hopefully we can come again.

“The year for everyone has been a mess but we're very thankful to everyone at the Hong Kong Jockey Club for getting me over. It's been a big effort and I can't really stress enough the time they've put in.

“We're very thankful to get us over here.”

Representing O'Brien, Ballydoyle's John Manton praised Mogul's display.

“He was brilliant there today and he travelled well,” he said. “All week, he's been doing everything we've asked him to do and today worked out just perfectly.

“He picked up well and ran well out to the line. He was very good.

“He took a few runs at the start of the year and came on from it. He ran well in the Breeders' Cup but he was a small bit unlucky as well.

“He came here in very good form and Aidan was confident about him. Everything just went to plan.

“It worked out well, thank God.

“He likes a good pace, just held up and he runs home well off it. He's got a great stride and he's just a very good horse.

“Ryan was very happy with him and said he was just class. A push-button ride.

“Hopefully we'll be back here again next with him and we can do it again.”

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Sensible Cat Pounces On California-Bred Foes In Soviet Problem

Sensible Cat provided trainer Carla Gaines with her first stakes win at Los Alamitos with a come-from-behind victory in the $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes on Saturday.

A little more than five weeks after breaking her maiden at eight furlongs on the Del Mar turf course in her second career start, the 2-year-old daughter of Bluegrass Cat demonstrated Saturday she is equally adept on dirt at the Cypress, Calif., track.

Owned by Irvin Racing Stable and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Sensible Cat, the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of 10 California bred or sired fillies, was reserved off the early pace, rallied outside in the stretch, collared 5-2 favorite Dylans Wild Cat inside the eighth pole and went on to score by 1 ¾ lengths.

Out of the Street Sense mare Sensible Girl, Sensible Cat completed the mile in 1:37.94. She paid $11, $6.20 and $3.60 while increasing her earnings to $89,700.

“I thought it was tremendous,'' said Gaines. “We thought right away she was going to be a horse that wanted two turns. She had some mucus and was coughing this summer at Del Mar, so we missed getting her in a long race there, so we sprinted her once (a sixth-place finish Sept. 7) to get her some experience.

“We couldn't wait to get her going two turns and she responded (a turf victory Nov. 6 at Del Mar). It's nice to know we have the option of grass or dirt with her.''

The stakes success was the second in a span of six days for Hernandez, who used similar off-the-pace tactics to win the Grade 3 Bayakoa with Proud Emma Dec. 6.

“(Gaines) had me watch the replay of her last race and said to ride her that way,'' said Hernandez, the leading rider through the first six days of the meet with eight victories. “She broke well and I wanted to sit off the leaders.

“I wasn't sure if she was going to go by early in the stretch, but when I switched and hit her left-handed, she really responded.''

Governor Goteven, the second choice at 3-1, outfinished Dylans Wild Cat by a half-length for the place. She paid $5.00 and $3.60 while the show price on Dylans Wild Cat was $2.80.

I'm So Anna, Super Game, pacesetter Mucha Woman, Will Take a Kiss, Miss Glorious, Westward Breeze and Love Wins completed the order of finish.

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 12:30 p.m. Pacific.

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Largent Helps Pletcher Bag Fourth Win Of Day In Ft. Lauderdale

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent put an exclamation point on a four-win afternoon for trainer Todd Pletcher, punching his ticket to next month's $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) with a come-from-behind victory in Saturday's $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 64th running of the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up on the grass was the headliner on an 11-race program featuring five stakes, four graded, worth $575,000 in purses including the $100,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), a prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 23, won by Tax.

With Paco Lopez aboard for the first time, Largent ($35.80) swept to the lead on the far outside approaching the stretch and outran fellow longshots Breaking the Rules and Doswell late to win by two lengths in 1:46.16 over turf course rated good.

Since the Pegasus Turf was inaugurated in 2019, the Fort Lauderdale was moved from early January to mid-December to serve as the local stepping-stone to the Pegasus Day event. Eight of the 10 horses in Saturday's field were stakes winners, six of them in graded company led by millionaire favorite Factor This.

“Very salty field, indeed, and very fast fractions,” Pletcher said. “[Largent] is a horse that's generally laying up close. I just told Paco, 'It looks like there's a lot of pace, just try to sit in the pocket,' and he delivered a very good ride.”

“One thing is, he's always loved Gulfstream. He's always run very well here and we just felt like it was the right time to step up,” he added. “He'd been training great and it was the right time to see if he could step up into a big spot.”

It was the third career stakes win and first in graded company for Largent, who captured a pair of Virginia-bred stakes earlier this year at Colonial Downs and Laurel Park. The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding has now won four of his five starts at Gulfstream, with one second.

“He's always run well here and he's a horse that has shown some talent. This was definitely his toughest task to date but he showed that he likes it here and delivered a big performance,” Pletcher said. “I think he certainly ran well enough today to earn a spot into the Pegasus, which we'd love to do.”

Lopez settled Largent in mid-pack as his Pletcher-trained stablemate, Grade 1 winner Halladay, and Factor This battled dueled on the front end through fractions of 23.22 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.34 for the half, going six furlongs in 1:09.62. Lopez tipped outside after saving ground early and powered through the stretch to cruise past the tiring leaders.

“[Pletcher] said, 'Paco, there's a lot of speed, four or five horses. Just go behind them and relax. Figure out where you are and ride your race,'” Lopez said. “He broke well, he came back and he was very comfortable. We came around horses at the top of the stretch and went on.”

Doswell, a winner of his previous two races, came up the rail to edge Breaking the Rules for second. They were followed by graded winners Spooky Channel and Channel Cat, Tide of the Sea, Halladay, Factor This, multiple graded-stakes winner Somelikeithotbrown and French Group 3 winner Delaware.

“There was a little bit of cut [in the ground] and they were certainly going fast enough. The key was that [Largent] was able to settle and relax early on and that allowed him to deliver a big closing kick,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately for Halladay there was so much pace in today's race. We didn't want to take away his weapon, but at the same time he was probably doing a little too much early on.”

Pletcher was the trainer of Channel Cat when he ran 10th of 12 in the most recent edition of the Pegasus Turf, won in an upset by Zulu Alpha.

“With Largent, I think he certainly earned his way in and with Halladay, we'll assess how he comes out of it,” Pletcher said. “We'll get them home and evaluate both of them but we'll just kind of play it by ear with Halladay.”

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