PDF(141kb)

World Premier Claims Kikuka Sho

Third pick World Premier claimed the last leg of the three-year-old Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), landing his first G1 and grade-race victory. The Deep Impact colt won his debut start in October of his two-year-old season and was third in his next Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m). He won his three-year-old debut and followed with a runner-up effort behind Velox in the Wakaba Stakes (Listed, 2,000m), qualifying for the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) but had to be sidelined with a bucked shin and did not make his comeback until September in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m) in which he was third. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi won his 12th career JRA-G1 title with the win—his last being the NHK Mile cup with Admire Mars in May—and the Kikuka Sho victory, adding to his Satsuki Sho victory with Unrivaled (2009) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) with Makahiki (2016) and Wagnerian (2018), made him a winner of all three Triple Crown Classics. Yutaka Take made another record as the oldest jockey to win the classic title at age 50—he already holds the record of the youngest JRA jockey to win the classic when he won the same race with Super Creek in 1988 and his previous (fourth Kikuka Sho title) was with World Premier’s sire, Deep Impact in 2005—other previous wins were with Dance in the Dark (1996) and Air Shakur (2000).

Third pick World Premier shot out of the gate but veteran Take was quick hold back the son of Deep Impact into his hands and raced him nicely covered along the rails and just behind race favorite Velox a little further up than mid-field behind Caudillo who dictated a slow pace and maintained a clear lead up to the last corner. As the field moved closer turning for home, Take did not miss an opening in the inside and gave the improving colt the signal as the dark bay increased speed, inherited the lead from the tiring leader at the furlong pole and held off the challenges made by Velox and Satono Lux from the outside for a neck victory.

“He came into the race in good condition and we had a good draw so I was concentrating on giving our best race. He was a bit keen at first but was in hand nicely during the race. He wasn’t able to run in the first two of the Triple Crown races so I am glad that he was able to claim the last one (of the Triple Crown title). He’s still got a lot to improve so I’m looking forward to his future races,” commented Yutaka Take, whose last win in the Kikuka Sho, was with World Premier’s sire Deep Impact.

Eighth favorite Satono Lux broke smoothly, bided his time off the pace in mid-field outside a rival, made headway three furlongs out and charged along the outside, speeding past his foes and just short of a neck margin in second.

Other Horses:
4th: (6) Divine Force—settled near rear early, advanced at backstretch, turned wide, showed belated charge
5th: (8) Melody Lane—sat 2nd from rear, circled wide, showed good effort, tied fastest finishing speed over last 3 furlongs
6th: (12) Red Genial—raced around 8th, angled out into stretch, passed tired rivals
7th: (17) Tagano Diamante—traveled 4-wide around 13th, made headway after 3rd corner, weakened in last 200m
8th: (10) Caudillo—set pace, surrendered lead 200m out, fell back
9th: (2) Nishino Daisy—ran around 13th along rails, showed effort but never threatened
10th: (7) Hishi Gekko—raced in 12th, responded well, weakened in last 100m
11th: (15) Ho O Sabel—traveled 3-wide around 8th, ran willingly early stretch, showed little thereafter
12th: (18) Meisho Tengen—broke poorly, advanced to 3rd early then eased back to 6th, outrun after 3rd corner
13th: (1) Zadar—took economic trip in 10th, lacked needed kick at stretch
14th: (16) Naimama—tracked leaders in 3rd, dropped back after 3rd corner
15th: (4) Unicorn Lion—saved ground in 4th, outrun after 3rd corner
16th: (11) Sifflement—trailed in rear, no factor
17th: (9) Vin Quet Domingo—stalked leader in 2nd, used up at early stretch
18th: (3) Calibore—hugged rails 3rd from rear, faded after 3rd corner

THE 80TH KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER, G1)
3-year-olds, Colts and Fillies, 3,000 meters (about 15 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, October 20, 2019      Kyoto Racecourse       11th Race        Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 259,200,000 (about US$ 2,254,000 <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 2016
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. 1.World Premiere (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 3-year-olds
   Deep Impact / Mandela (Acatenango)
   

   Owner: Ryoichi Otsuka	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Yasuo Tomomichi	Jockey: Yutaka Take
   6 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money:  ¥ 147,027,000	Career earnings: ¥ 194,729,000

   
   
2. 2.Satono Lux (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-olds
   Deep Impact / Listen (Sadler’s Wells)
   

   Owner: Satomi Horse Company Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Yasutoshi Ikee	Jockey: Yuichi Fukunaga

   
   
3. 3.Velox (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-olds
   Just a Way / Selkis (Monsun)
   

   Owner: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Mitsumasa Nakauchida	Jockey: Yuga Kawada

* 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 2016 champion Satono Diamond (JPN, by Deep Impact) were chosen as the Horse of the Year and Best Three-Year-Old Colt, respectively, in 2016.
This year’s Kikuka Sho will miss Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) victor Saturnalia (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa) and Tokyo Yushun champion Roger Barows (JPN, by Deep Impact) as the former has chosen to face older horses in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) after his victory in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m; Sep.22) while the latter was unfortunately retired due to a career ending injury. .
Satono Lux and Zadar earned their ticket to run in this race, finishing second and third, respectively in the Kikuka trial St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m; Sep.16)—two-time graded winner Nishino Daisy was fifth in the same race. Velox, who finished second and third in the two previous spring classics, was second behind Saturnalia in the other trial, the Kobe Shimbun Hai with World Premiere in third—Red Genial (4th), winner of the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,200m) in May was fourth. The field also included Hishi Gekko and Ho O Sabel who came off their respective victory against older foes in the Akanko Tokubetsu (2 Win Class, 2,600m; Jul.27) and the Aganogawa Tokubetsu (2 Win Class, 2,200m; Aug.18).
Toho Jackal (JPN, by Special Week) renewed the race record and course record by 1.7 seconds to 3:01.0 seconds in 2014.