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Japan Cup: Almond Eye Bows Out With Victory In Battle Of Triple Crown Winners

Almond Eye reprised her triumph in the Japan Cup from a 2018 Horse of the Year campaign by defeating the undefeated duo of Triple Crown winner Contrail and filly Triple Crown winner Daring Tact in Sunday's 40^th edition of the Grade 1 international classic at a mostly empty Tokyo Race Course in Tokyo, Japan.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, the 5-year-old mare by Lord Kanaloa (a grandson of the former Lane's End stallion Kingmambo) charged to the lead in the final furlong, overtaking front-runner Kiseki – who had opened up as much as a 20-length advantage – and easily holding off Contrail by 1 ¼ lengths. Daring Silk was a neck back in third in the field of 15 that included just one international competitor, Way to Paris, who finished 10^th after delaying the start by refusing to be loaded into the starting gate.

For Almond Eye, it was the perfect way to end a career that included a record eight Grade 1 victories in Japan (plus one in Dubai) and career earnings of 1,915,263,900 (approximately $18.4 million). She won 11 of 15 starts overall with two seconds and one third. Among her victories were the three filly Triple Crown races in 2018, making this the first race in Japan featuring three Triple Crown winners.

Almond Eye ran the 2,400 meters (1 ½ miles) on a firm but visibly chewed up turf course in 2:23.0, more than two seconds slower than the course record of 2:20.6 she established in 2018.

Bred in Japan by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Racing, Almond Eye races for the Silk Racing Co. Ltd. racing club and is trained by Sakae Kunieda. She was produced from the stakes-winning Sunday Silence mare Fusaichi Pandora, whose grandam, Sex Appeal (by Buckpasser), produced two European champions, El Gran Senor and Try My Best. Sex Appeal was produced from Best in Show (by Traffic Judge), a broodmare of the year whose other foals included Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride. The latter's foals included Better Than Honour, dam of two Belmont Stakes winners and a broodmare of the year herself.

Yoshida indicated Almond Eye will be bred in 2021, possibly to Epiphaneia, the 2014 Japan Cup winner standing at the Yoshida family's Shadai Stallion Station. Epiphaneia is a son of Symboli Kris S, a grandson of Roberto. He was produced from Cesario, a daughter of the Sunday Silence stallion Special Week who came to the U.S. to win the Grade 1 American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park in 2005.

“Since this was her final start, it was very special for me and I'm thrilled we were able to win,” said Lemaire. “After winning the Victoria Mile in the spring, we had three weeks to get her prepared for the Yasuda Kinen in which she was second. She had an extra week this time and was tuned up beautifully. She was relaxed in the gate, broke smoothly and was able to sit in a good position. The turf condition near the rails was much better than last week so I don't think the inner draw was a problem. The pace was just right for her and she responded well in the stretch. The others closing in on us didn't worry me at all. Almond Eye is a perfect mare and doesn't have any weak points. Her career as a race horse ended today but I look forward to riding her children.”

Trainer Kunieda added: “She looked good since arriving at the racecourse—she has definitely matured mentally. We were worried about the rough going near the rails, but Christophe did a good job in finding a good path. The pace was ideal for Almond Eye and her response was totally different from that in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Since expectations of an eighth G1 title were enormous in her last Tenno Sho start, we did feel pressure but today, all we wanted was for her to come back safe and sound. The victory is such a bonus, we couldn't be happier. She has given us so much excitement and joy and it has been fulfilling to be a part of her career. It would be great if I could be involved in training her colt or filly someday.”

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Japan Racing Association limited attendance to just over 4,500 in the cavernous racecourse that typically attracts over 100,000 fans for major Grade 1 races like the Japan Cup. Wagering on the Japan Cup was approximately $262 million, with $357 million bet on the day's program.

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Brown-Ortiz Juggernaut Continues With Domestic Spending’s Hollywood Derby Victory

For the third time this weekend at Del Mar, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown teamed up to snare a stakes race. This time it was the Grade 1, $303,000 Hollywood Derby with the colt Domestic Spending in a furious blanket finish at the conclusion of the nine-furlong grass test that was the headliner on a sparkling three-stakes card at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

Domestic Spending, owned by Klaravich Stables and a British-bred son of Kingman, was up in the final jump to score by a head over Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait, who had a neck on Otter Bend Stables' fast-closing Gufo. Another half-length back was Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Get Smokin, who had cut out all the pace in the race. Final time for the mile and one-eighth was 1:47.15 after fractions of :23.87, :48.23, 1:12.38 and 1:35.79.

“I thought I was going to be closer with him but he came out of there a little slow and we were in the back,” said Ortiz Jr. “I worked my way up on the backside and he was running perfect. When I asked him for his run at the three eighths (pole), he was ready. He really put in a nice kick. He's been a little green in his earlier races but he's getting better all the time.”

Domestic Spending, the third choice in the wagering, returned $10.40, $5.00 and $3.20 across the board. Smooth Like Strait, who went off as the $2.80-to-1 favorite, paid $4.20 and $3.00, while Gufo paid $3.40.

Earlier in the day Ortiz, Jr. and Brown captured the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes with Fluffy Socks. On Thanksgiving Day they teamed up to take down the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap. Brown had shipped in eight runners from the East Coast for the big weekend of turf stakes at Del Mar. He has three horses entered in Sunday's Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes for older fillies and mares.

“Three down, one more to go,” said assistant Jose Hernandez, deputized by Brown to handle the invading runners. “I talked to Chad coming over to the paddock and he just said stay with the plan. He broke a little slow but he was in good position and at about the half-mile point he started picking it up and by then I knew he was going to be there at the end. He's a really good horse.”

Domestic Spending picked up a check for $180,000 for his efforts and improved his bankroll to $520,900. He now has four wins in five starts, the last three in stakes.

The Saturday card also saw the 5-year-old gelding Count Again make his West Coast debut a winner as he captured the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap.

Del Mar had a husky handle of $15,855,052 on the day's nine races. Its wagering numbers for the Bing Crosby Season are currently up more than 25% over last season's marks.

The final day of the season unfolds Sunday with a 10-race card featuring the Matriarch and the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes for 2-year-olds. First post moves up a half hour to noon for the finale.

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Count Again Wallops Seabiscuit Handicap Rivals With Strong Stretch Punch

Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Count Again trailed early, but came roaring through the lane to take down honors in the $203,500 Seabiscuit Handicap Saturday at Del Mar. He ran the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.84 to establish a stakes record.

Juan Hernandez gave the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding a well-timed ride that saw him get home by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 feature for 3-year-olds and up. Phil D'Amato trains the bay who was making his California debut after racing in Canada for trainer Gail Cox earlier this year.

“He'd been running longer races (10 and 12 furlongs) and when he broke a little slow today I didn't rush him,” said Hernandez. “We were in a good spot on the backside and I could feel I had plenty of horse. When we hit the three-eighths (pole) I wheeled him outside and we started to pick them up. He ran hard through the stretch and we got it done.”

Finishing second in the Seabiscuit was Juddmonte Farms' favored Flavius and running third was Iavarone, McClanahan or Peskoff, et al's Next Shares.

Count Again returned $18.80, $8.40 and $5.80 across the board. Flavius paid $4.20 and $3.40, while longshot Next Shares returned $10.00 to show.

Co-owner Sam-Son Farm's of Ontario, Canada, is also the breeder of the winner.

“Gail Cox delivered this horse to me in excellent condition and I was really glad to have him,” said D'Amato. “She got him going really good and his confidence up as well and I just kind of trained on from that. I'm just fortunate to have him. Juan (jockey Hernandez) followed our plan. I just told him to save all the ground and come with one run. If the race sets up for us, great, if not we'll stretch him out next time. He followed those instructions to a 'T' and he came with a monstrous run. ”

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer D'Amato, but his third in the Seabiscuit. He now has 29 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Count Again registered his fourth win in his eighth career start and pick up $120,000 as the winner's share of the purse. He now has career earnings of $271,165.

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Fluffy Socks Overcomes Traffic, Survives Inquiry In Jimmy Durante

Head of Plains Partners' favored Fluffy Socks escaped tight quarters at the head of the stretch, then accelerated smartly to draw clear at the finish for a half-length tally in the $102,500 Jimmy Durante Stakes Saturday at Del Mar.

The daughter of the British stallion Slumber was handled by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for trainer Chad Brown and had to survive a claim of foul to earn her $60,000 first prize in the Grade 3 feature for 2-year-old fillies. Ortiz, Jr. and Brown had just teamed up with another eastern-based filly, Orglandes, at the shore oval Thursday to capture the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap for older distaff runners.

Fluffy Socks ran the mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 1:35.35 to establish a stakes record. The previous mark was 1:35.68 set by Elsa in 2018.

“No special instructions for me,” Ortiz Jr. said. “He (Brown) just said 'Ride her like you did before.' She felt like a winner all the way around. We had some traffic on the turn (for home), but I got through and got her to where I wanted to be. She's a nice filly. Big kick.”

Finishing second in the Durante was Godolphin's Javanica and running third was Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Quattroelle.

Fluffy Socks paid $5.40, $3.40 and $2.60 across the board. Javanica returned $5.20 and $3.80. Quattroelle paid $4.80.

The winner increased her bankroll to $226,880 for her third win in five starts.

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