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Moanin captures February Stakes title in record-breaking speed

Second favorite Moanin claimed the season’s first JRA-G1 competition in a record time of 1:34.0 over a course rated muddy against a field of renowned dirt specialists. In his seventh race and in 282 days since his debut last May, the four-year-old chestnut has now become the fastest to claim a dirt JRA-G1 title in history. After registering four consecutive wins from the beginning of his career, Moanin turned in a close third, 0.3 seconds from winner Nonkono Yume in the Musashino Stakes (G3) last November and had just captured his first graded title in the Negishi Stakes (G3) last month. Since his success with Gentildonna in the 2014 Arima Kinen, trainer Sei Ishizaka celebrates his 13th JRA-G1 triumph and second February Stakes win since claiming it with Vermilion in 2008. For jockey Mirco Demuro this is his 15th G1 win, his most previous with Leontes in last year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, and boasts a consecutive dirt JRA-G1 win, the first in the 2015 Champions Cup with Sambista.

After the field broke smoothly at the top of the backstretch, Moanin, making his dash from stall 14, edged up to settle wide but close to the front runners Corin Berry, Susan Joy, Monde Classe and Tagano Tonnerre and sustained his fourth to fifth stalking position rounding the final turn. Although briefly checked at the top of the stretch to find a clear path, the four-year-old chestnut unleashed an explosive kick, tagging the tiring leaders just before the furlong pole and drew away convincingly to a 1-1/4 length victory.

“I was aware of his strength and had every confidence in him so I`m truly happy we were able to win. The trainer warned me of his bad breaks, but he actually made a good spurt and after we were positioned well, I knew the title was ours. I’m glad that he stretched well in spite of losing concentration a bit after taking the lead rather early in the straight,” said Mirco Demuro in Japanese.

Race-favorite Nonkono Yume was unhurried earlier in the race sitting in fourth from the rear up to the top of the stretch, however demonstrated the fastest last three-furlong speed catching all but the winner for the runner-up seat.

Sent off seventh favored, Asukano Roman took a wide-trip in mid-division and after entering the lane near the rear, the five-year-old displayed a good and persistent stretch-run putting away all competition besides the winner only to be overtaken by the runner-up in the last strides for a head-third.

Defending champion Copano Rickey settled on the rails in mid-field and although stubbornly held on well in the stretch, succumbed to the intimidating speed of the winners to finish seventh.

Other Horses:
4th: (5) Best Warrior—traveled behind winner, accelerated after finding clear path 400m out
5th: (6) Roi Jardin—raced inside winner around 5th, quickened at stretch but weakened in final strides
6th: (13) Tagano Tonnerre—chased leaders 3-wide in 3rd, led briefly at 400m-marker, held well until 100m out
8th: (9) Monde Classe—stalked leaders in 4th, sustained bid until 100m out then weakened
9th: (16) Roman Legend—sat 3rd from last, passed tired rivals at stretch
10th: (2) White Fugue—positioned in 10th, failed to respond at straight
11th: (10) Grape Brandy—raced 3-wide in 9th, even paced at stretch
12th: (11) Susan Joy—pressed pace in 2nd, sustained bid until furlong pole then outrun
13th: (15) Sano Ichi—traveled 2nd from rear, never fired
14th: (12) Maruka Fleet—trailed in rear, unable to reach contention
15th: (8) Corin Berry—set fast pace, weakened after 400m marker
16th: (1) Passion Dance—toward rear, no factor

THE 33RD FEBRUARY STAKES (G1)
4-year-old & up, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), dirt, left-handed
Sunday, February 21, 2016   Tokyo Racecourse   11th Race   Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 209,920,000 (about US$ 1,749,000 <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: 16 runners

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

1. Moanin (USA), chestnut, colt, 4-year-old
   Henny Hughes / Giggly (Distorted Humor)

   Owner: Yukio Baba	Breeder: Empire Equines, LLC
   Trainer: Sei Ishizaka	Jockey: Mirco Demuro
   7 Starts, 6 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 100,444,000	Career earnings: ¥ 194,532,000
   Principal Race Performances:	'16 Negishi Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400 m)	1st

   
   
2. Nonkono Yume (JPN), dark chestnut, colt, 4-year-old
   Twining / Nonko (Agnes Tachyon)

   Owner: Kazumasa Yamada	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Yukihiro Kato	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

   
   
3. Asukano Roman (JPN), chestnut, horse, 5-year-old
   Agnes Digital / Asukano Himiko (Tabasco Cat)

   Owner: Chiro Toyoda	Breeder: Chiro Toyoda
   Trainer: Yoshihiko Kawamura	Jockey: Keisuke Dazai

* February Stakes (G1)
Japanese horse racing, which is influenced by British racing, is held mainly on turf. However, dirt tracks that were popular in the U.S., quickly became widely used around the country since the Tokyo Racecourse implemented a new dirt track in 1960. While the mainstream of major JRA races remained over turf, the February Stakes (then called February Handicap), which was established in 1984 in conjunction with the new grading system, was one of just three graded dirt races at the time—the current number of graded dirt events is 15. The race was upgraded to G2 in 1994 and then to G1 in 1997, and stood as the highest-prized event until the Japan Cup Dirt (called the Champions Cup from 2014) took over in 2000.
Past winners include Wing Arrow (JPN, by Assatis; '00), Agnes Digital (USA, by Crafty Prospector; '02), Gold Allure (JPN, by Sunday Silence; '03), Admire Don (JPN, by Timber Country; '04), Kane Hekili (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki; '06), Vermilion (JPN, by El Condor Pasa; '08), Espoir City (JPN, by Gold Allure; '10), Transcend (JPN, by Wild Rush; '11) and Copano Rickey ('14&'15)—all nine are winners of multiple-G1 races as well as JRA Award winners.
Entered this year coming off a fourth-place finish in the year-end Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m) was the 2015 Best Dirt Horse Copano Rickey in aim to claim his third consecutive February Stakes victory, along with last year's Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m) runner-up Nonkono Yume and 13th-place finisher Corin Berry who claimed the JBC Sprint (dirt, 1,200m) on November 3. Best Warrior, third in last year's version, had come off his third-place finish in the JBC Sprint.
Four runners in the January 24 Tokai Stakes (G2, dirt, 1,800m) were also among the line-up; winner Asuka Roman; second-place finisher Monde Classe; third-place Roi Jardin who finished fourth in the 2015 Champions Cup; and 2012 Tokyo Daishoten victor Roman Legend who was sixth. Others included Moanin, landing his first grade-race victory in the January 31 Negishi Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400m), Grape Brandy who was third in the same race and winner of the 2013 February Stakes, and filly White Fugue who claimed the JBC Ladies' Classic (dirt, 1,800m) last November by a good five lengths over subsequent Champions Cup winner Sambista (JPN, by Suzuka Mambo) before capturing the TCK Jo-O Hai (dirt, 1,800m) title on January 13.