Overwhelming favorite Equinox, currently the top-rated horse in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, won this year's $3,628,000 Takarazuka Kinen (G1) Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan to extend his top-level winning streak to four, which includes the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Arima Kinen last year, and the Dubai Sheema Classic in March this year.
With the Takarazuka Kinen victory, Equinox earned an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $4-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) in November at Santa Anita through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
The Takarazuka Kinen, like the Arima Kinen, is a “Grand Prix” event, in which the runners are selected by an online fan poll–Equinox garnered the most votes and emphatically delivered on expectations. The 2022 Horse of the Year, Equinox also became the 16th horse to complete the Grand Prix double.
Breaking smoothly from stall five under Christophe Lemaire on Sunday, Equinox was eased back to second from last and continued to travel near the rear in the backstretch, saving his strength for the right time. The Kitasan Black colt gradually advanced turning the last two corners the widest, displayed a powerful turn of foot in the lane, passing his rivals one by one, and sustained his speed after taking the lead passing the 200-meter pole to hold off the strong challenge by Through Seven Seas and win by a neck.
Time for the 2,200 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) was 2:11.2 on turf rated as good to firm.
“Though we were unable get a good position toward the front due to the fast pace at the beginning, the horse was relaxed in the rear and I wasn't worried at all,” Lemaire said. “As the inner track condition was not so good, we made bid from the outside early and turned wide to the straight where he stretched really well. Hanshin's inner course is tricky, and Takarazuka Kinen is a difficult race to win even for champion horses, so I'm very happy that I was able to win the race with the No. 1 horse in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. I realized again how strong he is. I hope to win more big races with him in autumn.”
Bred by Northern Farm, campaigned by Silk Racing Co. Ltd., and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox is out of the King Halo mare Chateau Blanche.
Through Seven Seas, 1oth choice at 55-1 odds in the 17-horse field, settled in the very rear with Kenichi Ikezoe in the saddle and steadily advanced position behind Equinox rounding the last corners. Though meeting traffic entering the lane, the 5-year-old Dream Journey mare weaved her way through the horses and closed in on Equinox with the fastest closing speed but was second-best.
Second choice at 8-1, Justin Palace, unhurried around 12th and traveling in front of the winner, closed in on the front-runners from the outer route after the third corner, dueled with Equinox at the top of the stretch and, although failing to keep up with the winner, sustained his late charge to secure third place just before the wire by a head.
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