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Leontes Claims Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in Second Career Start

Second choice Leontes won the biggest title for the season’s two-year-olds in only his second career start—he is the first colt in JRA history to accomplish the feat since the grade system was implemented in 1984. Out of Cesario, a G1 Oaks winner in Japan and the U.S., and half-brother to 2014 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia, the King Kamehameha colt certainly lived up to expectations in his 2,000-meter debut against other two-year-olds with superb pedigrees four weeks back where he was forwardly positioned around sixth before drawing away to a 1-1/2 length victory and he did not disappoint in his leap in class against proven two-year-olds, giving trainer Katsuhiko Sumii and jockey Mirco Demuro, who had teamed up to win the Champions Cup with Sambista just two weeks ago another big title. Leontes’ win this time marked the 23rd JRA-G1 victory—the first Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes title—for Sumii and the 14th for Demuro including two in this race in 2010 and 2012 with Grand Prix Boss and Logotype, respectively.

Leontes was positioned this time at the rear end of the 16-horse field after breaking from stall 15 and gradually made headway with 800 meters to go and approaching the last corner. Circling the whole field and wide into the homestretch, the dark bay colt unleashed a tremendous turn of speed that enabled him to mow down the whole field and pin down race favorite Air Spinel soon after the 100-meter marker then pull away to a 3/4-length victory.

“I had been told that this colt was powerful and he certainly showed that when I rode him in training on Wednesday—he was pretty keen but smart and an honest colt. It was his first time over a mile but he responded and really stretched well on the outside. He’s got a lot to look forward to in his three-year-old season. This really has been a great year for me to have won four G1 wins,” said Mirco Demuro in Japanese.

Air Spinel was rated in mid-division outside a rival, almost ten lengths behind pace-setter Win Oscar, edged closer to the leaders before the last turn, sprinted clear once taking command before the furlong pole and opened the gap before challenged and overtaken by the winner.

Other Horses:
4th: (6) Yu Change—raced in 6th, found little room at top of stretch, switched to right, ran willingly
5th: (12) Shuji—took keen hold early, chased leaders in 4th, quickened between leaders, outrun in final strides
6th: (8) Two M Legend—saved ground in mid-division, showed effort along rails at stretch
7th: (10) Taisei Summit—broke poorly, raced in rear group, met traffic 200m out, lost momentum
8th: (3) Admire Morale—stalked leader in 2nd or 3rd, ran gamely until 100m out
9th: (7) Immortal—traveled behind favorite, passed tired rivals at straight
10th: (4) Copano Deal—ran near rear along rail, quickened after final turn, met traffic 100m out
11th: (9) Ball Lightning—raced wide in 6th, advanced after 3rd corner, lacked needed kick
12th: (14) Hallelujah Boy—traveled in mid-pack, even paced at stretch
13th: (16) Thrilla in Manila—sat 3-wide toward rear, unable to reach contention
14th: (2) Shonan Rise—chased leader in 2nd or 3rd, sustained bid until 300m out
15th: (1) Saimon Seele—hugged rail in 5th early, showed little at stretch
16th: (5) Win Oscar—set pace, faded after 300m marker

THE 67TH ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES (G1)
2-year-old Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 20, 2015   Hanshin Racecourse        11th Race    Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 146,600,000 (about US$ 1,222,000 <US$1=¥120>)
2-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 1 kg allowance for Fillies,
3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Leontes (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 2-year-old
   King Kamehameha / Cesario (Special Week)
   

   Owner: U. Carrot Farm	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Katsuhiko Sumii	Jockey: Mirco Demuro
   2 Starts, 2 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 71,162,000	Career earnings: ¥ 78,162,000

   
   
2. Air Spinel (JPN), chestnut, colt, 2-year-old
   King Kamehameha / Air Messiah (Sunday Silence)
   

   Owner: Lucky Field Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Tsunebumi Yoshihara
   Trainer: Kazuhide Sasada	Jockey: Yutaka Take

   
   
3. Shadow Approach (JPN), chestnut, colt, 2-year-old
   Jungle Pocket / Maruka Aichan (French Deputy)
   

   Owner: Tomokazu Iizuka	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Naosuke Sugai	Jockey: Yuta Nakatani

* Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)
Races for two-year-olds were held for the first time in 1946 at Tokyo. As the number of contenders increased, championship races—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—which determined the top two-year-olds of the season in eastern and western Japan, respectively, were established in 1949. In conjunction with the new grading system implemented, the two races were designated G1 status in 1984.
In 1991, the two races were divided by gender into two separate G1 events; the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, then renamed “Hanshin Juvenile Fillies” and “Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes”, respectively, in 2001. Since 2004, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes has been limited to non-gelded colts and fillies in view of the race being positioned as the two-year-old “classics”. The race, which started off as a 1,100-meter sprint, was extended to 1,200 meters in 1959 and again to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners. Due to the restructured racing program for two-year-olds, the venue was transferred from Nakayama to Hanshin Racecourse, the same location as the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, in 2014 while no changes were made in the distance.
Air Spinel was sent off race favorite, having come off two wins in as many starts and the latter being a G2 victory in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) on November 14, while Leontes, half-brother to 2014 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia, was second favorite under Mirco Demuro in only his second career start in this G1 event after breaking his maiden in his November 22 debut. Shuji, who finished 3-1/2 lengths second to Air Spinel in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, had also won a graded stakes in the Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) in September. Ball Lightning was also undefeated in two starts and the winner of the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,400m; November 7) with Admire Morale, the runner up by 1-1/4 length, and Shadow Approach, a nose behind that in third. Other notable starters included Immortal, runner-up in the graded Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (1,600m) on October 10.
The 2004 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner, Meiner Recolte (JPN, by Chief Bearhart) had been the race record holder for almost a decade, having covered the mile distance at Nakayama in 1:33.4, until the race was transferred to Hanshin Racecourse in 2014. Danon Platina (JPN, by Deep Impact) won the inaugural running of the renewed version of the race last year with the finishing time of 1:35.9.