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Maurice Claims This Year's Mile Championship to Capture Consecutive G1 Mile Titles

Fourth pick Maurice, coming off his first G1 victory in the Yasuda Kinen in early June, won this year’s Mile Championship to achieve two consecutive G1 victories and a five-race winning streak. The son of Screen Hero became the 10th horse to win both the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship, the sixth to do so in the same year following Daiwa Major in 2007. Trainer Noriyuki Hori claimed his ninth JRA-G1 victory following the colt’s Yasuda Kinen title and Ryan Moore, who is racing in Japan under a short-term license, marked his fifth JRA-G1 win following the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes title he achieved with Asia Express in 2013.

Four-year-old Maurice broke smoothly from stall 16 and was eased back to mid-division while traveling wide behind second-pick Fiero on the outside. Turning wide around the corners and entering the stretch still in mid-division, the bay colt accelerated from around 300 meters out and passed tiring rivals to take command with 100 meters to go and draw away for his second G1 victory.

“I knew that he was probably going to be the best miler in the race and it was just a question of getting a clean trip and hopefully if we kept things straight forward, he would be able to show that he’s the best horse, and he did. He showed a really good turn of foot in the last 400 meters. I rode him when he was a two-year-old but he’s developed into a fast strong horse,” commented Ryan Moore.

Last year’s runner-up Fiero, rated around eighth from frontrunner Let’s Go Donki, slipped out from between horses around the 200-meter pole and chased Maurice to the wire but finished again in second, 1-1/4 lengths behind the winner.

Other Horses:
4th: (8) Satono Aladdin—hugged rail inside winner, switched to outer route for clear path, accelerated
5th: (7) Albiano—traveled in 5th, quickened along rail at stretch, led briefly 100m out but outrun
6th: (3) Let’s Go Donki—set moderate pace, sustained bid and led until 100m out, weakened
7th: (14) Tosen Stardom—prominent in 3rd to 4th early, ran gamely until 100m out, outrun thereafter
8th: (13) Real Impact—sat in mid-group, showed good effort but was too late
9th: (17) Logotype—raced in front of winner, checked 200m out, lacked needed kick
10th: (15) Danon Shark—ran in rear pack, angled wide, showed belated charge at straight
11th: (6) Arma Waioli—traveled back in mid-division, even paced at stretch
12th: (18) Clarity Sky—pressed pace in 2nd from widest draw, ran out of steam in last 200m
13th: (11) Curren Black Hill—raced behind winner, unable to reach contention
14th: (1) Vincennes—sat 2nd from last, turned wide, passed tired rivals
15th: (12) Red Reveur—positioned wide toward rear, failed to respond at straight
16th: (2) Keiai Elegant—chased leaders in 3rd to 4th, showed little after final turn
17th: (4) Daiwa Maggiore—saved ground in 6th, met traffic 300m out, lost momentum
18th: (9) Red Arion—trailed in rear, no factor

THE 32ND MILE CHAMPIONSHIP (G1) – Japan Autumn International -
3-year-old & up, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), right-handed, turf
Sunday, November 22, 2015  Kyoto Racecourse    11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 208,000,000 (about US$ 1,733,000 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57kg (about 126 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares,
1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2012
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Maurice (JPN), bay, colt, 4-year-old
   Screen Hero / Mejiro Frances (Carnegie)

   Owner: Kazumi Yoshida	Breeder: Togawa Bokujo
   Trainer: Noriyuki Hori	Jockey: Ryan Moore
   12 Starts, 7 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 103,822,000	Career earnings: ¥ 313,008,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’15 Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’15 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy (G3, 1,600m)	1st

   
   
2. Fiero (JPN), dark bay or brown, horse, 6-year-old
   Deep Impact / Ruby (Danehill)

   Owner: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Hideaki Fujiwara	Jockey: Mirco Demuro

   
   
3. Isla Bonita (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 4-year-old
   Fuji Kiseki / Isla Cozzene (Cozzene)

   Owner: Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Shadai Corporation Inc.
   Trainer: Hironori Kurita	Jockey: Masayoshi Ebina

*Mile Championship (G1)

The Mile Championship is one of the most prestigious autumn grade-one events for milers together with the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) in spring. Horse racing in Japan had been focusing on long distance racing for a long time, regarding stamina and strength as the most important quality of horses. However, with modern racing having increased its attention to speed horses suited to a mile or shorter distance races, the Mile Championship was established in 1984 in conjunction with Japanese races adopting the grading system. The current racing program now provides races for short, middle and long distance racehorses.
The race welcomed several foreign contestants; Special Kaldoun (IRE, by Alzao;9th), Tout Seul (IRE, by Ali-Royal;16th) in 2003—first since being designated an international race in 1998—, Rakti (GB, by Polish Precedent;14th) in 2004, Court Masterpiece (GB, by Polish Precedent;7th) in 2006, Becrux (ITY, by Glen Jordan; 8th) in 2007, Rahy's Attorney (CAN, by Crown Attorney;9th) in 2008, Eva's Request (IRE, by Soviet Star;10th) in 2009, Immortal Verse (IRE, by Pivotal; 7th) in 2011 and Sahpresa (USA, by Sahm) in 2009 (3rd), 2010 (4th) and 2011 (3rd). However, the race has been contested without any participation from abroad since 2012.
This year’s race was contested by a strong field that included: defending champion Danon Shark who had claimed his first G1 title in last year’s race with a race record of 1.31.5 seconds and was coming off a fourth in the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) held on October 11; last year’s runner-up Fiero who was runner-up in the Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m) on October 31; Swan Stakes victor Albiano; Satono Aladdin who came off a neck second in the Fuji Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on Oct. 24; 2013 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) winner Logotype, 2012 NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) champion Curren Black Hill and this year’s NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) victor Clarity Sky who were third, eighth and 15th, respectively, in the Fuji Stakes; Maurice who came off his first G1 title in this year’s Yasuda Kinen in June; Yasuda Kinen runner-up Vincennes who was 18th in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on November 1; last year’s Satsuki Sho champion Isla Bonita who was third in the Tenno Sho (Autumn); Red Arion and Smart Orion who shared this year’s Summer Mile Series victory; and this year’s Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) winner Let’s Go Donki who finished 17th in the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) on October 18.