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Race Favorite Kiseki Bests Three-Year-Olds in This Year's Kikuka Sho in Heavy Rain

Race favorite Kiseki captured this year’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), the last leg of the Triple Crown, with powerful strides over soft going under the heavy rain and wind from the approaching typhoon, to register his first grade-race title. Winning his first and only start as a two-year-old, the Rulership colt kicked off this season with a fifth and two thirds, which included the G3 Mainichi Hai, and won two allowance races before coming in second, two lengths behind Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner Rey de Oro in the previous Kobe Shimbun Hai. This win marked trainer Katsuhiko Sumii’s 24th JRA-G1 win, the first since the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes with Leontes in 2015, and third Kikuka Sho title, which he claimed with Delta Blues in 2004 and Epiphaneia in 2013. Jockey Mirco Demuro claimed his 22nd JRA-G1 victory following the Sprinters Stakes with Red Falx three weeks ago. Kiseki became the first G1 winner for his sire Rulership (JPN, by King Kamehameha) who retired for stud service in 2013.

Breaking somewhat slowly from stall 13, Kiseki traveled wide in mid-division toward the rear while the field expanded into a long line in the backstretch. With all the horses turning wide through the last corners to avoid the muddy inner track, Mirco Demuro led the Rulership colt to take the widest turn, and once facing the homestretch, urged him to make bid, to which the dark bay responded willingly, taking the front 200 meters out and further accelerating to a two-length victory.

“The race condition was tough but I had confidence in him because he’s a great horse. I just tried to race him in good rhythm as his tension was a bit high and the distance of 3,000 meters was not his favorite. Though the pace was slow, I was able to race him well, traveling behind Mikki Swallow. I was sure we were going to win when we entered the straight, and he displayed a great turn of speed at the end,” commented Mirco Demuro.

Tenth pick Clincher also traveled toward the rear, in front of the winner, and made an early bid toward the end of the backstretch and through the corners to enter the straight in second. The son of Deep Sky won out a fierce rally with Popocatepetl and Danburite at the top of the straight and, although overtaken by Kiseki, managed to fend off the persisting efforts of Popocatepetl to finish a nose in front.

Popocatepetl, though posted 13th favorite, showed an impressive kick in the stretch after traveling in midfield, around ninth from the front, and dueled strongly with the runner-up for a well-fought third.

Other Horses:
4th: (6) Meiner Wunsch―settled 3rd from rear, turned wide, showed impressive effort in last 200m
5th: (15) Danburite―made wide trip in mid-pack, advanced and led at final corner, weakened in last 200m
6th: (12) Mikki Swallow―traveled wide in mid-group, advanced before 3rd corner, quickened until 200m out
8th: (9) Kurino Yamatono O―settled in mid-division, accelerated until 200m out, weakened thereafter
9th: (17) Platina Voice―broke poorly, trailed in rear, showed effort at inner stretch but unable to reach contention
10th: (11) Satono Chronicle―raced in 5th, gradually fell back, improved position at stretch
11th: (8) Satono Arthur―sat towards rear, made headway before 3rd corner, lacked needed kick
12th: (1) Bless Journey―ran 2nd from rear, angled wide, passed tired rivals at stretch
13th: (10) Best Approach―settled in 4-5th, stayed in contention until final corner, nothing left at stretch
14th: (3) Stiffelio―traveled in 4th, lacked needed response after 3rd corner, dropped back
15th: (5) Tricolore Bleu―raced in 6th, advanced to 3rd at 3rd corner, weakened thereafter
16th: (2) Win Ganador―led early then stalked leader in 2nd, failed to sustain bid before final corner
17th: (7) Adam Barows―sat 3rd early, ran out of steam before final corner, fell back
18th: (18) My Style―set pace from widest draw before 4th corner (1st lap), used up at backstretch, faded

THE 78TH KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER, G1)
3-year-old Colts and Fillies, 3,000 meters (about 15 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, October 22, 2017      Kyoto Racecourse       11th Race Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥248,400,000 (about US$ 2,160,000 <US$1=¥115>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 2 kg allowance for Fillies, 2 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2014
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. 1. Kiseki (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 3-year-old
   Rulership / Blitz Finale (Deep Impact)

   Owner: Tatsue Ishikawa	Breeder: Shimokobe Farm
   Trainer: Katsuhiko Sumii	Jockey: Mirco Demuro
   8 Starts, 4 Wins
   Added money: ¥145,709,000	Career earnings: ¥213,159,000

   
   
2. 2. Clincher (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old
   Deep Sky / The Fates (Brian's Time)

   Owner: Koji Maeda	Breeder: Hirayama Bokujo
   Trainer: Hiroshi Miyamoto	Jockey: Yusuke Fujioka

   
   
3. 3. Popocatepetl (JPN), gray, colt, 3-year-old
   Deep Impact / Miss Pascali (Mr. Greeley)

   Owner: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc.
   Trainer: Yasuo Tomomichi	Jockey: Ryuji Wada

* Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger)(G1)
The history of Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger and the last leg of the Triple Crown race for three-year-old colts and fillies, dates back to 1938—a year after Japan’s 11 racing clubs integrated into one organization named Nihon Keiba Kai (forerunner of the JRA). Initially called “Kyoto Norin-sho Shoten Yonsai Yobiuma Kyoso”, the race was renamed to Kikuka Sho in 1948. The race distance, however, has not changed since the first running, except in 1979 when the race was held at Hanshin Racecourse during Kyoto’s stand renovation. The Kikuka Sho features three-year-olds, most of who have grown dramatically since the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) held five months before, prior to their summer break. The Kikuka Sho winners have both the speed and the stamina to prove their caliber as the potential breeding stock. The last of the seven Triple Crown winners in JRA history was Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2011 who proceeded to prove his power against older G1 caliber in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m), which led to his Horse of the Year that year. 2015 Kikuka Sho winner Kitasan Black (JPN, by Black Tide) and last year’s champion Satono Diamond (JPN, by Deep Impact) were chosen as the Horse of the Year and Best Three-Year-Old Colt, respectively, in 2016.
While this year’s Tokyo Yushun champion Rey de Oro (JPN, by King Kamehameha) will head to the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) to face older horses next month, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) winner Al Ain aimed for his second classic title coming off a runner-up effort in the St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m; Sep.18). The race also included Mikki Swallow and Satono Chronicle, winner and third-place finisher, respectively, of this lead-up race, as well as Clincher (fourth in the Satsuki Sho) who came in ninth. Coming off another trial race, the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m; Sep.24), were: Kiseki who was second to winner Rey de Oro by two lengths and Satono Arthur who finished another 3/4-length behind in third, as well as fourth-place finisher Danburite (third in the Satsuki Sho) and seventh-place My Style (fourth in Tokyo Yushun). Other runners included Tricolore Bleu who defeated older horses in an allowance race (2,000m; Sep.2) and Bless Journey who had registered two graded titles last year but was sidelined for close to a year due to an injury and made a comeback in this race.
Toho Jackal (JPN, by Special Week) renewed the race record and course record by 1.7 seconds to 3:01.0 seconds in 2014.