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Race Favorite Big Arthur Captures First Grade-race Title in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Odds-on-favorite Big Arthur, who has been posted race favorite in ten out of 11 career starts, measured up to the expectation of the fans by claiming his first grade-race title in his first G1 challenge with record time. He has marked seven wins and two runner-up efforts in ten starts over 1,200 meters so far. Debuting in April of his three-year-old season, Big Arthur immediately marked a five-race winning streak then finished second in his first grade-race challenge, the Kitakyushu Kinen (G3, 1,200m) in August last year. He claimed another win then a second and a third in the following Keihan Hai (G3, 1,200m) and Hanshin Cup (G2, 1,400m), respectively, before concluding his four-year-old season. He was fifth in the Silk Road Stakes (G3, 1,200m), his only race this year coming into this race. Trainer Kenichi Fujioka claimed his first JRA-G1 title and ninth grade-race win since opening his stable in 2002. Yuichi Fukunaga, who partnered with Big Arthur for the first time, marked his 19th JRA-G1 win following his Tenno Sho (Autumn) victory with Just a Way in 2013 and his second Takamatsunomiya Kinen title, which he won with Sunningdale in 2004.

Five-year-old Big Arthur broke smoothly from stall four and settled fourth behind the fast pace set by Laurel Veloce with Hakusan Moon and Mikki Isle in close pursuit. Turning wide through the corners, the son of Sakura Bakushin O burst out behind Mikki Isle who nailed the front around the 200-meter pole, and continued to unleash a strong burst of speed to overtake the lead 100 meters out then further accelerated to cross the wire 3/4 length in front.

“With the fast-pace track condition, we were able to break well and travel smoothly in perfect position. The frontrunners were persistent but my mount managed to fend them off. The horse has the form of a great sprinter and can also maintain speed. He will definitely be leading the sprinters going forward,” commented Yuichi Fukunaga.

Second pick Mikki Isle settled in good position behind the two frontrunners and slipped out at the top of the homestretch to nail the front in revenge of his third-place finish last year, but weakened in the last 100 meters to finish second.

Third favorite Albiano traveled wide in mid-division and, although crowded in at the top of the stretch, Christophe Lemaire skillfully guided his mount through a narrow gap, under which the four-year-old filly exerted a powerful kick in the last furlong, chasing the two leaders and holding off the strong challenge by Active Minoru before the wire to finish third.

Other Horses:
4th: (10) Active Minoru—chased winner in 7th, switched to outside for clear path at early stretch, quickened
5th: (13) A Shin Bullseye—sat toward rear, responded well after 200m pole, finished strongly
6th: (9) Teehaff—saved ground in 2nd from rear, quickened along rails in last 200m
7th: (5) Snow Dragon—raced in mid-group, showed effort until 100m out
8th: (11) Let’s Go Donki—positioned toward rear, met traffic at furlong pole, then accelerated
9th: (12) Uliuli—traveled in mid-pack, quickened until 100m out, lacked needed kick
10th: (14) Earth Sonic—ran wide in mid division, improved position at straight
11th: (18) Hakusan Moon—pressed pace in 2nd, sustained bid until 200m out, weakened
12th: (17) Hiruno Devaro—traveled wide in mid-pack, passed tired rivals at straight
13th: (2) Ukiyono Kaze—trailed in rear, timed fastest over last 3 furlongs, was too late
14th: (1) Bravissimo—hugged rail in mid-division, found little room 200m out, lost momentum
15th: (16) Sugino Endeavour—ran 3rd from last, even paced at stretch
16th: (15) Laurel Veloce—set fast pace, sustained bid until 200m out, used up
17th: (3) Sakura Gospel—raced inside winner in 5th, met traffic 300m out, then outrun
18th: (7) Satono Lupin—stalked winner in 6th, dropped back after passing 200m marker

THE 46TH TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN (G1) —the 3rd leg of Global Sprint Challenge—
4-year-old & up, 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, March 27, 2016    Chukyo Racecourse      11th Race        Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 212,280,000 (about US$ 1,769,000 <US$1=¥ 120>)
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

FP=Final Position / BK=Bracket Number / PP=Post Position / B=Blinker / Wgt=Weight / L3F=Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m)

1. Big Arthur (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Sakura Bakushin O / Siyabona (Kingmambo)

   Owner: Akira Nakatsuji	Breeder: Bamboo Stud
   Trainer: Kenichi Fujioka	Jockey: Yuichi Fukunaga
   11 Starts, 7 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 101,822,000	Career earnings: ¥ 239,887,000

   
   
2. Mikki Isle (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Deep Impact / Star Isle (Rock of Gibraltar)

   Owner :Mizuki Noda	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi	Jockey: Kohei Matsuyama

   
   
3. Albiano (USA), bay, filly, 4-year-old
   Harlan's Holiday / Antics (Unbridled)

   Owner: Kazumi Yoshida	Breeder: Helen Alexander & Helen Groves Rev Trust
   Trainer: Tetsuya Kimura	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

* Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1)
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen, one of two G1 championship events for sprinters held by the JRA, was formerly named Takamatsunomiya Cup in honor of Prince Takamatsunomiya who presented the trophy to the winner in 1971. In 1996, the race was shortened from 2,000 meters to 1,200 meters and granted a Japanese Grade 1 status, thus becoming one of JRA’s two prominent short-distance races together with the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m), which became an international event in 1994.
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen, which received its current name in 1998, was designated an international race in 2001, welcomed its first two foreign participants—Disturbingthepeace (13th) and Echo Eddie (17th)—from the U.S. in 2003 and became part of the Global Sprint Challenge, the international championship series for sprinters, in 2011. The first of 20 flat turf G1 events held annually, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen was temporarily shifted to Hanshin Racecourse in 2011 and was contested over the newly renovated track back at Chukyo in the following year with added challenges of an uphill stretch and a longer homestretch exceeding 400 meters.
Aerovelocity (NZ, by Pins), who had claimed last year’s race as the first foreign participant in 12 years, returned this year to defend his title but, unfortunately, withdrew from the race six days ago due to colic.
This year’s contestants coming off the Hankyu Hai (G3, 1,400m) in Feb. 28 were: winner Mikki Isle who was third in last year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen; and sixth-place finisher and the 2015 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) champion Let’s Go Donki. Those coming from the Ocean Stakes (G3, 1,200m) in Mar. 5 were: A Shin Bullseye who claimed his first grade-race title in the race; runner-up Hakusan Moon who was also second in last year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen; third-place finisher and 2014 Best Sprinter or Miler Snow Dragon; and fifth-place Albiano who had claimed last year’s Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m). Other participants were: last year’s Keihan Hai (G3, 1,200m) winner Satono Lupin; last year’s Sprinters Stakes runner-up Sakura Gospel; and Big Arthur with six wins and two runner-up efforts in nine starts over 1,200m under his belt.