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Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox Gallops For Sheema Classic

Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) galloped over the Meydan dirt track on Tuesday in advance of a start in the 2400-metre $6-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday.

“This is his first overseas trip and he's still getting used to his new surroundings, although I think he's getting better day by day and I am happy with how he moved this morning,” said trainer Tetsuya Kimura. “I know that this horse has plenty of talent and I hope that he can live up to the expectations of Japanese race fans by winning the Dubai Sheema Classic.”

The Silk Racing colourbearer will have Christophe Lemaire in the irons. Now a 4-year-old, Equinox raced to G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and G1 Arima Kinen glory in October and December, respectively, with Lemaire aboard.

“This is a tough race but Christophe knows Meydan and knows this horse so I am not concerned,” Kimura said. “There have been some very good winners of the Dubai Sheema Classic and so I respect how difficult it will be. It is an honour to be here with a horse like Equinox.”

Silk Racing's Masashi Yonemoto said of the colt's future targets, “There are quite attractive races at home, such as the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the [G1] Japan Cup,” he told local media. “However, I think the [GI] Breeders' Cup Turf is an attractive option. It is important for him to do well here if we are to travel again but I think the Breeders' Cup would be better than the [G1 Prix de l']Arc [de Triomphe], especially with the ground.

“I think this season is when we will see the best of him and I think this race is a good challenge for him. Hopefully, he can prove he is a great horse.”

Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), who defeated Equinox in the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas earlier last year, ran fourth in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. He is aiming to improve in the $12-million Dubai World Cup, Saturday's showpiece.

“I have been very happy with him since he arrived here,” Kimura said of the grandson of Gio Ponti. “He was fourth by a close margin and it was his first dirt race so I was satisfied with that performance. I think his experience in Saudi Arabia will help him here.

“He worked well this morning along with Equinox. I think this is a more suitable race, stepping up to 2000 metres, and I hope that he can run another good race on Saturday.”

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Heart’s Cry’s Salios Lands Mainichi Okan

Winless since taking the 2020 edition of the G2 Mainichi Okan, Silk Racing's Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) rebounded with a new course record of 1:44.10 in the 1800-metre Tokyo Group 2 on Sunday.

Favoured at 2-1 despite his lengthy winless drought, the 5-year-old entire was content to stalk in fourth as a rank Red Belle Aube (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) cut out the running while tossing his head. That foe eventually settled down to business while shaded by Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and covered the first 1000 metres in a sparkling :57.90.

Facing a wall of horses to traverse after dropping to sixth on the bend, Salios still had is work cut out for him, but a gap opened around the 300-metre mark and he bulled his way through. The story was much the same within the final furlong, and once again the chestnut found a path between foes, pinned his ears and surged to the lead. His winning margin was a half-length over Justin Café (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who'd made an encouraging run along the outside. The 2020 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Danon The Kid (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}), winner of that term's G1 Hopeful S., was another length back in third.

A winner of his first three starts, culminating in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. in 2019, Salios placed in the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown as a sophomore and was also a winner of the G2 Mainichi Okan that October. Winless in 2021, his best showing was a third in the G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin that December. Unplaced in the Mar. 27 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the 5-year-old was third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on Jun 5, before being shelved until the Mainichi Okan on Sunday.

Pedigree Notes

The second stakes winner out of G1 German Oaks victress Salomina (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), Salios's older half-sister Salacia (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) claimed the G2 Fuchu Himba S. and was second in both the G1 Arima Kinen Grand Prix and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. All six of Salomina's foals to race are winners, including the 3-year-old Deep Impact filly Saliera (Jpn), second in the G2 Rose S. Salomina's juvenile colt and yearling filly are both full-siblings to the winner, while her most recent foal is a filly by Duramente (Jpn).

Tracing to one of Germany's premiere families, Salios's second dam is Saldentigerin (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), a Group 3 winner in her native land and also placed in both the German Oaks and G1 Preis von Europa, who threw the stakes winner Salut (Ger) to the cover of Lomitas, as well as the group-placed Skyful Sea (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). His great granddam Salde (Ger) (Alkalde {Ger}) foaled a quartet of German stakes winners, of which Saldentigerin was her best, as well as the multiple Group 1-placed Saltas (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}). Another of Salde's black-type placed daughters, the Highest Honor (Fr) mare Saldenehre (Ger), is the dam of German Oaks winner Serienholde (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), who foaled, in turn, the G1 NHK Mile Cup hero Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), second in both the G1 Yasuda Kinen and G1 Mile Championship.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
MAINICHI OKAN-G2, ¥128,700,000, Tokyo, 10-9, 3yo/up, 1800mT, *1:44.10 (NCR), fm.
1–SALIOS (JPN), 123, h, 5, by Heart's Cry (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Salomina (Ger) (G1SW-Ger, $332,689),
                                by Lomitas (GB)
                2nd Dam: Saldentigerin (Ger), by Tiger Hill (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Salde (Ger), by Alkalde (Ger)
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Kohei
Matsuyama. ¥67,700,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn,
14-5-2-2. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Justin Café (Jpn), 123, c, 4, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Casino Boogie
(Jpn), by Workforce (GB). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK
   TYPE. O-Masahiro Miki; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥27,200,000.
3–Danon the Kid (Jpn), 123, c, 4, Just a Way (Jpn)–Epic Love
(Ire), by Dansili (GB). (¥100,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥17,100,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 1. Odds: 2.00, 4.90, 5.70.
Also Ran: Lei Papale (Jpn), North Bridge (Jpn), Potager (Jpn), Kingston Boy (Jpn), King Of Koji (Jpn), Happy Hour (Jpn), Red Belle Aube (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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Terzetto Claims Trophy at Nakayama

Deep Impact (Jpn)'s Terzetto (Jpn) closed from off the pace to win the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy at Nakayama on Saturday. The 4-year-old filly brought her record to five-for-six with the score.

Third choice at 5-1, Terzetto raced well off the pace set by My Style (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). The field was well strung out due to a demanding pace, with the first half-mile covered in :45.60. She began to edge closer nearing the far turn and swung out four deep to challenge with a quarter mile remaining. Rallying widest of all, Terzetto sped past My Style inside the final 100 metres to win by a length. Catedral (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was second, a neck to the good of Bom Servico (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). My Style held fourth another three-quarters of a length back.

A Nakayama debut winner in December of 2019, Terzetto was third there last March stepped up to 2000 metres, but returned to winning ways cut back to a mile at Niigata in August of 2020. Two more victories at that trip in Tokyo followed-on Nov. 1 and on Jan. 31. The Lord Derby Challenge Trophy was her first time trying black-type.

Pedigree Notes

After Terzetto's victory, the late Deep Impact is now the sire of 172 black-type winners, 138 at group level. The 4-year-old filly is the first instance of a stakes winner by the former Shadai resident out of a Danehill Dancer mare. That past Coolmore Stud sire is responsible for 73 group winners and 133 black-type winners overall.

A winner of an 1200-metre sloppy dirt affair as a 3-year-old, Raddolcendo has three winners from four to race, with the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy heroine her best to date. She has a 2-year-old colt by Orfevre (Jpn), a yearling colt by Daiwa Major (Jpn) and was bred to Duramente (Jpn) last spring.

Raddolcendo, purchased by Katsumi Yoshida in utero for $900,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, is a half-sister to UAE highweight and G1 Dubai Turf hero Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), as well as G1 Japanese Oaks victress Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the SW & MGSP Prodigal Son (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the SP Langley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Third dam Monevassia (Mr. Prospector) was a full-sister to French Classic hero and influential sire Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector), the duo just to of a bevy of top runners out of stellar racemare and blue hen producer Miesque (Nureyev).

Saturday, Nakayama, Japan
LORD DERBY CHALLENGE TROPHY-G3, ¥75,420,000, Nakayama, 4-3, 4yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.60, fm.
1–TERZETTO (JPN), 117, f, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Raddolcendo (Jpn), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Loves Only Me, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Monevassia, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥50,000,000 Ylg '18
JRHAJUL). O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Shoichiro
Wada; J-Mirco Demuro. ¥39,574,000. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-1.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: B.
2–Catedral (Jpn), 123, h, 5, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Abyla (GB), by
Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥16,164,000.
3–Bom Servico (Jpn), 121, h, 7, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Baimoyuri
(Jpn), by Sakura Laurel (Jpn). O-Nagoya Yuho; B-Shirai Farm
(Jpn); ¥9,882,000.
Margins: 1, NK, 3/4. Odds: 5.30, 6.80, 7.40.
Also Ran: My Style (Jpn), Atomic Force (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Black Moon (Jpn), Meisho Titan (Jpn), Shonan Rise (Jpn), Besten Dank (Jpn), Emeral Fight (Jpn), So Glittering (Jpn), Luftstrom (Jpn), Smile Kana (Jpn), Leyenda (Jpn). DNF: Win Carnelian (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Maurice Colts One-Two in Chukyo Contest

Pixie Knight (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) caused an upset in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. He led home an exacta for his sire, former Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn), 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Rooks Nest (Jpn), who was 3/4 to the good of Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). Favoured Kukuna (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) reported home fourth, another half-length back.

The 12-1 shot surged immediately to the head of affairs and raced with ears pricked through splits of :23.40 for the quarter and :46.30 for the half-mile. Still full of run 600 metres from home, he was soon pressured by Bathrat Leon to his outside, but shifted to another gear and quickened away again 200 metres out. Under mainly hands and heels, Pixie Knight had built up enough of a cushion that Rooks Nest’s late rally fell short and he scored a shade handily, appearing to have plenty more to give if asked.

Off the mark at first asking in a Chukyo newcomer race on Sept. 26, the Silk Racing colourbearer was wheeled back going the same 1400-metre trip at Hanshin on Nov. 23 and ran third in the Shumeigiku Sho.

Pedigree Notes
Part of the first Northern Hemisphere crop of his sire, Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice, Pixie Knight is his Shadai-based sire’s initial black-type winner. Maurice was named the champion sprinter/miler in 2015 and scored six times at the highest level in Japan and Hong Kong. Maurice’s Infinite (Jpn) has also filled the runner-up position in the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.

The third foal from his three-time winning dam, Pixie Knight has the older half-brother Salpa (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), the winning 4-year-old half-sister Vidia (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), a juvenile half-brother by Black Tide (Jpn) and a yearling half-sibling by Mikki Isle (Jpn). Pixie Hollow visited the court of Kizuna (Jpn) last spring.

His third dam produced Japanese MSW & MGSP Danon Come On (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), GSW Queen’s Barn (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), SW Wild Soldier (Jpn) (Brocco), SP Lebaiserdel’ange (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) and the dam of MGSW & G1 Sprinters S. third Ukiyono Kaze (Jpn) (On Fire {Jpn}). GI Vanity H. heroine A Kiss For Luck (Reflected Glory) is his fourth dam, while GI La Brea S. heroine Alphabet Kisses (Alphabet Soup) is also in the extended family.

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
NIKKAN SPORTS SHO SHINZAN KINEN-G3, ¥72,760,000 (US$700,043/£515,984/€572,589), Chukyo, 1-10, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:33.30, fm.
1–PIXIE KNIGHT (JPN), 123, c, 3, Maurice (Jpn)
1st Dam: Pixie Hollow (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Rhein Regina (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin O (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Shinko Angel, by Ogygian
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUp WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥38,532,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-1. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
*1st SW/GSW for sire (by Screen Hero {Jpn}).
2–Rooks Nest (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Maurice (Jpn)–Villa (Jpn), by
Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥15,152,000.
3–Bathrat Leon (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Bathrat Amal
(Jpn), by New Approach (Ire). O-Hiroo Race; B-Mishima Bokujo
(Jpn); ¥9,576,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 12.00, 19.40, 3.20.
Also Ran: Kukuna (Jpn), Seraphinite (Jpn), Blue Symphony (Jpn), Maria Elena (Jpn), Wazamono (Jpn), Luz (Jpn), Raison du Sourire (Jpn), Daddy’s Vivid (Jpn), Tokai King (Jpn), Fervore (Jpn), Castilla (Jpn), Lord Max (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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