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Deep Impact Colts Dominate the Top Three with Dee Majesty Setting Record Time in This Year's Satsuki Sho

Eighth pick Dee Majesty defeated a strong field of three-year-olds while breaking the record time by 0.1 second in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the first leg of the three-year-old Triple Crown, to capture his first G1 title and second grade-race victory. Debuting in September of his two-year-old season, Dee Majesty broke his maiden in his third career start and, although being forced to withdraw from the following Hopeful Stakes (G2) in December due to a minor leg problem, claimed the kick-off start of his three-year-old season in the Kyodo News Service Hai, in which he was posted sixth favorite. This win marked trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya’s sixth JRA-G1 victory following the 2014 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with Shonan Adela and his first classic title. Jockey Masayoshi Ebina claimed his 25th JRA-G1 victory following his win in last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Marialite and his second Satsuki Sho title—his first title being in 2014 with Isla Bonita.

Breaking slowly from stall 18, Dee Majesty settled toward the rear, around fifth from last, as the frontrunner Respect Earth set a fast pace. As the horses spread wide through the last two corners with Leontes heading the field, Masayoshi Ebina guided the Yoshitaka Ninomiya-trained colt to the outer route to make bid for the final attack. Responding willingly to the jockey’s urging, Dee Majesty unleashed a powerful drive, flying past the front runners one by one—race favorite Satono Diamond, Air Spinel and finally Leontes 100 meters out—and continued to accelerate strongly for a comfortable 1-1/4-length victory.

Third choice Makahiki broke smoothly from stall three, eased back toward the rear and traveled wide behind Dee Majesty throughout the race. The Yasuo Tomomichi-trained bay exploded powerfully in the last stretch, running the last three furlongs the fastest in the field and, although unable to close in on the winner, finished 1-1/4-length ahead of the race favorite in second.

Odds-on-favorite Satono Diamond traveled two wide in midfield and was well-placed coming into the homestretch. The Yasutoshi Ikee-trained colt edged forward and, while overtaken by the top two finishers, pinned Leontes before the wire for a third-place finish.

Second pick Leontes pressed the pace in second, took command at the top of the stretch but was overtaken in the last 100 meters. Although finishing fourth behind Satono Diamond, the son of King Kamehameha was demoted to fifth for interfering with Air Spinel 200 meters out.

Other Horses:
4th: (15) Air Spinel—positioned in 6th, ran gamely but checked by Leontes 200m out, finished 5th, promoted
6th: (5) Mount Robson—sat near pace in 4th, accelerated until 100m out, weakened thereafter
7th: (9) Namura Shingun—ran 3-wide in mid-pack, advanced gradually, showed effort
8th: (14) Lord Quest—raced along rails in mid-division, ran gamely until 100m out
9th: (4) Admire Daio—traveled in 7th, failed to respond at stretch
10th: (7) Umbruch—ran in front of winner, even paced
11th: (13) Prophet—raced inside winner, accelerated briefly, lacked needed kick
12th: (6) Miraieno Tsubasa—hugged rails 3rd from last, quickened until 100m out
13th: (8) Mikki Rocket—traveled near rear, turned wide, passed tired rivals
14th: (10) Toa Raijin—trailed in rear, unable to reach contention
15th: (1) Dreadnoughtus—saved ground in mid-pack, failed to respond at stretch
16th: (2) George Cinq—sat along rails in 5th, no factor at stretch
17th: (12) Respect Earth—set fast pace, dropped back after 3rd corner
18th: (17) Admire Morale—prominent early in 3rd or 4th, faded before 4th corner

THE 76TH SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS, G1)
3-year-old Colts & Fillies, 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, April 17, 2016      Nakayama Racecourse       11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 216,000,000 (about US$ 1,800,000 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 57kg (about 126 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Dee Majesty (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old
   Deep Impact / Hermes Tiara (Brian’s Time)

   Owner: Masaru Shimada	Breeder: Masaru Shimada
   Trainer: Yoshitaka Ninomiya	Jockey: Masayoshi Ebina
   5 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 127,888,000	Career earnings: ¥ 176,059,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’16 Kyodo News Service Hai (G3, 1,800m)  1st

   
   
2. Makahiki (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old
   Deep Impact / Wikiwiki (French Deputy)

   Owner: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc.
   Trainer: Yasuo Tomomichi	Jockey: Yuga Kawada

   
   
3. Satono Diamond (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old
   Deep Impact / Malpensa (Orpen)

   Owner: Hajime Satomi	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Yasutoshi Ikee	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

* Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1)
The Satsuki Sho, which is the first of the three legs of JRA’s Triple Crown Classics for three-year-olds including the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) and the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), is comparable to British Two Thousand Guineas. The “Yokohama Norinsho Shoten Yonsai Yobiuma”, the precursor of the Satsuki Sho, was first run over 1,850 meters at Yokohama Racecourse in 1939 then moved its venue to Tokyo Racecourse four years later before given its current name and shifted again to Nakayama Racecourse in 1949—the distance was also altered to 2,000 meters in the following year.
Seven of the past Satsuki Sho champions since 2005 subsequently receive the JRA Best Three-Year-Old Colt Award, in recognition of their outstanding performances throughout the year—Deep Impact (JPN, Sunday Silence) in 2005, Meisho Samson (JPN, by Opera House) in 2006, Victoire Pisa (JPN, by Neo Universe) in 2010, Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2011, Gold Ship (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2012, Isla Bonita (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki) in 2014 and Duramente (JPN, by King Kamehameha) in 2015. Triple Crown winners Deep Impact and Orfevre were also named the Horse of the Year.
This year’s contenders included: 2015 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) champion and runner-up, Leontes (Best Two-Year-Old Colt) and Air Spinel who finished second and third, respectively, in this year’s Yayoi Sho (G2, 2,000m) on March 6; unbeaten Makahiki who marked his third consecutive victory in the Yayoi Sho; Admire Daio and Namura Shingu who won their tickets to race in the Satsuki Sho by coming in first and second, respectively, in the Wakaba Stakes (2,000m) on March 19; Mount Robson who claimed his first grade-race victory in the Spring Stakes (G2, 1,800m) on March 20; and 2015 Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,600m) winner Lord Quest and 2015 Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m) victor Dreadnoughtus who were third and seventh, respectively, in the Spring Stakes.
In addition to those that participated in the above trial races, Prophet, winner of the Keisei Hai (G3, 2,000m) on January 17; Satono Diamond who also marked a three-race winning streak since his debut in the Kisaragi Sho (G3, 1,800m) on February 7; and Dee Majesty, winner of the Kyodo News Service Hai (G3, 1,800m) on February 14 were among the high-level contenders.