Yuga Kawada | Horse Racing Free Tips

Liberty Island Far Too Strong In Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

Sunday Racing's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) all but locked up champion 2-year-old filly honours in Japan with a thoroughly convincing defeat of 17 rivals in Sunday's G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.

Yuga Kawada, who was forced to miss this past Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship in Hong Kong after testing positive for COVID prior to his departure, was cleared to ride the Sunday feature and settled the 8-5 favourite right in midfield and a few paths off the inside for the opening half-mile. Traveling with cover as they raced around the turn, the homebred was produced wide into the stretch and was a bit late switching her legs, but raced away in the final 200 metres to score by daylight.

Liberty Island got her career off on a higly impressive note, covering her final 600 metres in a near-unfathomable :31.4 at Niigata in late July and had just one start since, a troubled runner-up effort to Ravel (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G3 Artemis S. at Toyko Oct. 29.

“I am happy that the filly was at her best today,” said Kawada. “She cruised along smoothly and her response when asked was just as I had imagined, so I was quite confident that she would make it to the finish line. She has given us a promising view on what to expect and aim for in her coming future.”

Pedigree Notes:

Liberty Island becomes the eighth stakes winner and third Group 1 winner for her sire, who was unfortunately lost to the Japanese breeding industry in August 2021.

Yankee Rose was purchased for a mere A$10,000 by Darby Racing at the 2015 Inglis and was runner-up to Capitalist (Aus) in the 2016 G1 Longines Golden Slipper S. before taking out the G1 Inglis Sires' S. She added the G1 Spring Champion S. at three and was third to Winx (Aus) in the 2016 G1 W. S. Cox Plate before being acquired by Northern Farm.

The second foal for her dam, Liberty Island is also a half-sister to a colt by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) that fetched ¥370 million (US$3.3 million) to rank as the second-priciest foal at the JRHA Select Sale in 2021. Yankee Rose foaled a filly by Kizuna (Jpn) this past February and was covered by Contrail (Jpn).

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES-G1, ¥125,200,000, Hanshin, 12-11, 2yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm.
1–LIBERTY ISLAND (JPN), 119, f, 2, by Duramente (Jpn)
1st Dam: Yankee Rose (Aus) Ch. 2yo Filly, Ch. 3yo Filly & MG1SW-Aus, $1,627,487), by All American (Aus)
2nd Dam: Condesaar (Aus), by Xaar (GB)
3rd Dam: Condescendance, by El Gran Senor
1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥66,330,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, ¥85,432,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shinryokuka (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Satono Diamond (Jpn)–Lei Carla (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Kentaro Yui; B-Shimokobe Farm; ¥26,380,000.
3–Doe Eyes (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Rulership (Jpn)–Roseman Bridge (Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). O-G1 Racing HD; B-Northern Farm; ¥16,190,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 1.60, 52.90, 43.50.
Also Ran: Aroma de Rosa (Jpn), Mississippi Tesoro (Jpn), Dura (Jpn), Santee Tesoro (Jpn), Aim in Life, Miss Yokohama (Jpn), Bouton d'Or (Jpn), Ravel (Jpn), Moryana (Jpn), Itinerator (Jpn), Kita Wing (Jpn), Umbrail (Jpn), Haupia (Jpn), Moon Probe (Jpn), Rivara (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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Expensive Into Mischief Breezer Kicks Off at HQ

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. With plenty of interest from an American-bred perspective this weekend, here are the runners for Saturday's programs at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. A pair of juveniles will be features in this space in Sunday's TDN:

4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m
GREAT SAND SEA (c, 2, Into Mischief–Game for More, by More Than Ready), purchased for $385,000 at Keeneland September with an eye on the juvenile sales, was the recipient of a nice pedigree update a short time thereafter when his year-younger half-brother Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) finished third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The Apr. 6 foal, also a half-brother to the versatile MGSW & GISP Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}) and to GISP Gio Game (Gio Ponti), did his part to enhance his value by working a furlong in :10 flat ahead of this year's OBS April Sale and was hammered down for $825,000. Yuga Kawada takes the ride. B-H Allen Poindexter (KY)

5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
SMOKIN' BILLY (c, 2, Free Drop Billy–Buy for Less, by Bodemeister) made just $8,500 as a weanling at Keeneland November in 2020, but improved into a $40,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling and fetched a strong $230,000 at OBS April after he breezed in :10 flat. That price ranks as the highest of 17 juveniles (19 ring) reported as sold from the first crop of his sire (by Union Rags). Smokin' Billy is the first foal from a winning daughter of SW Ayla Bella (Touch Gold). B-Mullikin Thoroughbreds (KY)

6th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m
JOVIAN (c, 2, Justify–Runway Doll, by Majestic Warrior) debuts in the yellow-and-red silks of Kazumi Yoshida, with the visiting Cristian Demuro set to take the reins aboard the $250,000 OBS March breezer (:9 4/5). A half-brother to an Uncle Mo colt that sold to Donegal Racing for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, the bay is out of a half-sister to SW Song Warrior (Songandaprayer), who was acquired by this breeder for $380,000 in foal to American Pharoh at KEENOV in 2018. B-DS Stable LLC (KY)

ESSENTIAL ONE (f, 2, Bernardini–Indelible, by Tiznow) was acquired in utero for $130,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale about 12 months before her dam's 'TDN Rising Star' half-brother Essential Quality (Tapit) closed a championship season with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. On the heels of that success, Indelible was put through the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, where she realized a final bid of $1.6 million from Japan's Nobutaka Tada. This is the family of champion Folklore (Tiznow), whose daughter Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) is the dam of Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). B-Ocala Stud, J Michael O'Farrell Jr & William J Terrill (FL)

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Doyle, Kah Among Headline Acts For Longines IJC

Nine of the finest jockeys representing six of the world's most important racing jurisdictions will take part in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) to be held at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Making her third appearance in the IJC, having finished second in last year's event, is England's Hollie Doyle, who set a new record for wins by a female jockey in a British calendar year in last term. The 26-year-old has put together another fine season in 2022 and earned her first victory in a European Classic when Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) won the G1 Prix de Diane Longines before adding the G1 Qatar Nassau S. for John and Thady Gosden. Doyle's husband, Tom Marquand, also jets in for the third time for the IJC.

Kah, also just 26, is the most successful female jockey in Australian history, with eight Group 1 wins to her credit and better than 1,100 victories overall. During the 2020/2021 season, Kah became the first to ride over 100 winners in a single Victorian metropolitan season, besting the record of Brett Prebble.

New Zealander James McDonald has gone close in the IJC previously, finishing second on two occasions and once third from six previous appearances. It's been another cracking season for McDonald in Australia, where his 14 Group 1 successes includes the G1 Cox Plate aboard Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss). McDonald currently sits first in the Longines World's Best Jockey Award standings.

Zac Purton, the tearaway leader on the Hong Kong jockeys' premiership, is already a three-time winner of the IJC and its two-time defending champion. Ryan Moore has a pair of IJC trophies to his name and takes part in the world's richest event of its kind for a 16th time.

Completing the foreign-based contingent are IJC debuter Jye McNeil, currently riding on a short-term contract in Hong Kong; France's Mickael Barzalona; and Japan's Yuga Kawada, who piloted Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to a memorable victory in last year's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup. The three remaining spots in the field of 12 will be filled by locally based jockeys, including the second and third on the jockeys's table and the leading 'homegrown' rider as of the conclusion of racing at Happy Valley Nov. 23.

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‘Stars’ Out in Oka Sho

Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn) closed from off the pace to get her nose down in front of Water Navillera (Jpn) (Silver State) in Sunday's G1 Oka Sho at Hanshin, the first leg in the Japanese Triple Crown for fillies. The victory marked the first black-type score for the Shadai homebred.

The filly settled in midpack as Kafuji Tetragon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) showed the way with Water Navillera in close pursuit. As the field constricted turning for home, Water Navillera gained control passing the furlong pole as Stars on Earth eagerly searched for racing room a few lengths behind. Finally finding a seam while brushing with rival the lates stages, Stars on Earth dug in late and made it up in time to edge Water Navillera at the wire. Race favorite and Tulip Sho victor Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) had a wide trip near the rear after breaking from the widest stall and improved her position slightly before hitting the straight but lacked a final kick, finishing 10th.

“I'm just so glad that she actually snatched the win at the end–I knew we had caught up but couldn't tell who'd won,” said winning jockey Yuga Kawada, who last won the race in 2014 with Harp Star (Jpn). “I'd been aware during workouts that she was a bit difficult to control but besides keeping that in mind, the plan today was to stay in mid-pack and let her run in a comfortable rhythm. It was definitely her strength and determination that shone and gave us the win today. I'm looking forward to how she develops from here.”

Stars on Earth, a winner in her second career start at Tokyo last October, entered the Oka Sho off a pair of runner-up finishes in 2022 in the Jan. 10 G3 Fairy S. and G3 Queen Cup S. Feb. 12.

Pedigree Notes:
The Shadai homebred is one of two foals out of Southern Stars (GB), a minor winner out of grass champion mare and French Highweight 3-year-old filly Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), a winner of a sextet of Group 1/Grade I races, including the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and GI Beverly D S. That earner of over $2.3 million has also proven prolific in the breeding shed, foaling Japanese champion 2 and 3-year-old filly Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) and G3 Schon Glanz (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). With Sunday's Classic victory, Stars on Earth becomes the second Group 1 winner for Duramente and the third group score for the Japanese champion.

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥287,420,000, Hanshin, 4-10, 3yo fillies, 1600mT, 1:32.90, fm.
1–STARS ON EARTH (JPN), 121, f, 3, Duramente (Jpn)
1st Dam: Southern Stars (GB), by Smart Strike (CAN)
2nd Dam: Stacelita (Fr), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Soignee (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WINNER, 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1
WIN. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm; T-Mizuki
Takayanagi; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥157,594,000. Lifetime Record:
6-2-3-1. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: F.
2–Water Navillera (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Silver State (Jpn)–Shining
Sayaka (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn). O-Masato Yamaoka;
B-Fushikida Farm; ¥59,884,000.
3–Namura Clair (Jpn), 121, f, 3, by Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Sun Queen,
by Storm Cat. O-Mutsuhiro Namura; B-Tanikawa Farm;
¥36,942,000.
Margins: NO, HF, NK; Odds: 13.50, 5.20, 13.50.
Also Ran: Circle of Life (Jpn), Pin High (Jpn), Personal High (Jpn), Belle Cresta (Jpn), Alluring Way (Jpn), Sublime Anthem (Jpn), Namur (Jpn), Presage Lift (Jpn), Kafuji Tetragon (Jpn), Cross Majesty (Jpn), Voller Blute (Jpn), Anegohada (Jpn), Lilac (Jpn), Raspberry Mousse (Jpn), Lovely Your Eyes (Jpn).
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for the JRA chart and video.

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