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Buena Vista Avenges Last Year's Controversial Defeat

Japanese super mare Buena Vista partnered with Yasunari Iwata recaptured the spotlight by winning the 31st running of the Japan Cup, in revenge of her controversial demotion to second place last year. Posted second favorite for the first time—she had been race favorite in all her previous starts in Japan—Buena Vista marked her first win in over a year since her victory in the 2010 Tenno Sho (Autumn), and claimed her sixth G1 title overall. The 2010 Horse of the Year repeated the feat which her sire, Special Week, accomplished in his Japan Cup victory in 1999. The race broke off with U.S. raider Mission Approved immediately taking the front to set the pace. Sixth pick Tosen Jordan, followed by Trailblazer, chased the pace in second and third, respectively. Buena Vista settled in mid-division by the rail around 5-6th from the front, saving up her energy for the straight, while 2010 Tenno Sho (Spring) champion Jaguar Mail stalked right behind her, also along the rail. As the field entered the third corner, Win Variation was the first to make the move, drawing even with the frontrunner after racing second from the rear over the backstretch.

While Mission Approved and Win Variation dueled for the lead at the top of the homestretch, Tosen Jordan tenaciously closed in and nailed the front around the 200-meter pole, only to be challenged by Buena Vista who angled out and accelerated powerfully in the last furlong with her usual late charge. Last year's runner-up managed to conquer the fierce duel with this year's Tenno Sho (Autumn) champion by crossing the wire a neck in front. Jaguar Mail, who surged out behind the winner, also exerted an impressive turn of foot in the stretch to come in third, 1-3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

Arc winner Danedream ridden by Andrasch Starke was forced to travel wide around fifth from the rear, and although making a bid from the outside at the top of the homestretch, the race favorite was unable to display her powerful late charge, as she did in the Arc, and finished sixth, about 3-1/2 lengths behind the winner.

Arc runner-up and 10th choice Shareta mounted by Christophe Lemaire traveled wide in mid-pack, around 9-10th from the front, and surged out behind Danedream in the straight to finish seventh, 1-1/4 lengths behind the Arc winner.

13th choice Sarah Lynx boarded by Christophe Soumillon, unable to secure a good position, sat fourth from last, and although improving position at the stretch, tired out toward the end to finish 12th.

Jose Espinoza immediately took 15th pick Mission Approved to the front to set the pace. The son of With Approval held on under pressure from Win Variation until coming up empty before the uphill stretch and faded to 14th.

Other horses:
4th:(5) Trailblazer –chased leader in third along rails, overtook tired leader and held well
5th:(12) Win Variation –second from rear at start, rapidly made headway towards 3rd corner and alternated for the lead until outrun by rivals in the last furlong
8th:(15) Eishin Flash –two out, off the pace in mid-field, angled out but failed to reach contention
9th:(3) Rose Kingdom –outside winner most of the way, met traffic mid-stretch
10th:(4) Oken Bruce Lee –never nearer from racing well behind
11th:(6) To the Glory –prominent early, used up after uphill in stretch
13th:(8) Victoire Pisa –off slow, trailed in far rear, entered straight last, showed little
15th:(10) King Top Gun –lost ground traveling in upper mid-pack, faded in stretch
16th:(7) Pelusa – took wide trip in midfield, inched up in back stretch, came up empty

Danedream
"Breaking from a wide stall (13) took a lot out of her. It was difficult for her to find a comfortable position, and on a fast track—it showed in the outcome. This will be the last race for her this season. If there is no change in her form, she'll be put on a training schedule and might even come back to Japan next year."—Peter Schiergen, trainer

"She was bumped by another horse right after breaking and had to be held back a bit—we couldn't get in a good position. She wasn't the same as when she was in the Arc." —Andrasch Starke, jockey

Shareta
"She showed a good final drive but her preparation wasn't quite enough since coming to Japan . This will be her last start of the year. She will be raced next season but I can't say at this point whether she'll challenge the Japan Cup again." —Alain de Royer Dupre, trainer

Mission Approved
"I think he ran a great race considering that the pace was a bit fast and that the distance was a little too far for him. A mile race might suit him better. He has the heart and the ability, but to run a mile and a half at that pace was too fast. He'll go to the farm and we'll race him again next season. I'd love to come back to Japan with one of my horses again." —Naipaul Chatterpaul, trainer

"The track was very firm and solid, and the horse was bouncing on the surface. As soon as the number 12 horse glided up by my side from nowhere, our horse got very tough." —Jose Espinoza, jockey

Sarah Lynx
"She gave it her best. There's no excuse." —John Hammond, trainer
"We weren't able to sit in a good position. I tried to stay on the heels of Buena Vista, but she outran us in the end." —Christophe Soumillon, jockey

Post race interview of winning connections

Trainer: Hiroyoshi Matsuda
"I was never in doubt about her ability during this season, even in defeat—she has always maintained her form. She proved that she could keep up with the high pace in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and secure a fourth place while still not in her best form—it gave me even more confidence that she could beat every one of her foes (at least the Japanese runners, because I couldn't compare with the foreign opponents) in her next start, the Japan Cup. Her age has only been a plus for us in that she can settle better and be easier to handle. I felt sorry for Christophe Soumillon because of the unfortunate demotion despite their convincing performance last year, and it means a lot to me that we were able to get our revenge this time. The Arima Kinen (in December) will be the last start of her career in Japan—possible overseas challenge next spring will have to be decided after consulting the matter with the owners—so I will do whatever I can on my part to prepare her so that she will be able to give her best performance on the day."

Jockey: Yasunari Iwata
"It was heart aching for me not to be able to get the expected results (win) during the past three starts, in response to the efforts that the stable staff had put into this mare. So, I was determined to show that Buena Vista is really the very best in Japan, and I am really happy that I was able to win this time. I just kept believing her exceptional power while dueling with Tosen Jordan at the stretch and urged her on, to which she really responded well. It's a great feeling to have been able to give her the well-deserved Japan Cup title and I have the trainer and the stable staff to thank for, for preparing her so well."

1. Buena Vista (JPN), dark bay or brown, mare, 5-year-old
   Special Week / Biwa Heidi (Caerleon)

   Breeder: Northern Racing	Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
   Trainer: Hiroyoshi Matsuda	Jockey: Yasunari Iwata
   22 Starts, 9 Wins
   Added money: ¥253,444,000	Career earnings: ¥ 1,478,869,700
   Principal Race Performances:	'10 Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1)	1st
   	'10 Victoria Mile (G1)	1st
   	'09 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks)	1st
   	'09 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas)	1st
   	'08 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies	1st

   
   
2. Tosen Jordan (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Jungle Pocket / Every Whisper (Northern Taste)

   Breeder: Northern Farm	Owner: Takaya Shimakawa
   Trainer: Yasutoshi Ikee	Jockey: Craig Williams

   
   
3. Jaguar Mail (JPN), bay, horse, 7-year-old
   Jungle Pocket / Haya Beni Komachi (Sunday Silence)
   

   Breeder:Aioi Farm	Owner: Kazumi Yoshida
   Trainer: Noriyuki Hori	Jockey: Hirofumi Shii

* Japan Cup
The Japan Cup continues to attract some of the top turf horses from around the world and a number of runners have made Japan Cup their starting point towards further international success in following years.
Last year's Japan Cup included eight foreign contestants—Cirrus des Aigles, Marinous, Mores Wells and Timos from France; Dandino and Joshua Tree from the United Kingdom; Fifty Proof from Canada; and Voila Ici from Italy—with Cirrus des Aigles finishing the highest at ninth place. The race was won by forth pick Rose Kingdom who became the winner after a 24-minute inquiry, while overwhelming favorite Buena Vista was demoted to second place for interfering with Rose Kingdom before crossing the wire first.
This year, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) champion filly Daindream came to compete in the race in a bid to become the first German winner since Lando in 1995. Other foreign contestants included Shareta, runner-up to Danedream in the Arc and Canadian International (G1) champion Sarah Linx, both from France, and 7-year-old veteran Mission Approved from the United States who won the Manhattan Handicap (G1) in June.
The four foreign raiders contested against a strong field of Japanese horses that included seven G1 winners such as defending champion Rose Kingdom, runner-up and 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista, last year's third-place finisher Victoire Pisa who went on to win the 2010 Arima Kinen (G1) and this year's Dubai World Cup (G1), as well as Tosen Jordan who claimed the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) with record time just last month.
Cumani-trained Alkaased (USA), who won the race in 2005, is the record holder of this race at 2:22.1.