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Third Pick Mikki Isle Returns as Champion Miler in This Year’s Mile Championship

Mikki Isle, 2014 NHK Mile Cup champion, claimed this year’s Mile Championship which included high-level milers from various generations. The son of Deep Impact who had given disappointing two-digit results in G1 mile races after his NHK Mile Cup title while showing better performances in shorter G1 starts—third and second, respectively, in 2015 and 2016 Takamatsunomiya Kinen; fourth and second, respectively, in 2015 and 2016 Sprinters Stakes—was raced over a mile distance for the first time in a year and a half to register his second G1 victory and sixth graded win. Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi landed his eighth JRA-G1 win since he won the title with Mikki Isle in the NHK Mile Cup two years ago, while jockey Suguru Hamanaka also captured his eighth JRA-G1 title following his win in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last year with Lovely Day.

Third pick Mikki Isle broke sharply and immediately rushed out to set the pace with Neorealism pressing the pace from the outside. The two five-year-olds dueled fiercely entering the lane and, while the son of Neo Universe took the lead 150 meters out, Mikki Isle found another gear and promptly resumed command while managing to fend off the strong late charge by Isla Bonita to win by a head margin.

“I apologize for interfering with other horses in the stretch. Mikki Isle ran really well and I was able to race him in the front as planned. The horse was in good form and performed his best in the race,” commented Suguru Hamanaka.

Second choice Isla Bonita, last year’s third-place finisher, was rated around sixth from the front in midfield, turned the corners wide to make bid from the outside and produced an impressive late charge in the last 200 meters to pin Neorealism in the last strides and cross the wire a head short of the winner in second.

Seventh favorite Neorealism pressed the pace early and dueled strongly with Mikki Isle in the stretch, but weakened to second 100 meters out then overtaken by Isla Bonita before the wire to finish third.

Race favorite Satono Aladdin hugged the rails in mid-division and persistently chased the leaders through the inside route entering the homestretch but was unable to reach the top three and was overtaken by Danon Shark before the wire to finish a head behind in fifth.

Other Horses:
4th: (6) Danon Shark—took economic trip toward rear, quickened between horses
6th: (7) Fiero—raced in mid-division, accelerated behind Isla Bonita until 100m out
7th: (17) Garibaldi—traveled wide near rear, timed fastest over last 3 furlongs but belated
8th: (10) Magic Time—settled near rear, switched to outside at early stretch, showed belated effort
9th: (4) Lord Quest—saved ground near rear, quickened along rails but was too late
10th: (1) Decipher—hugged rails in mid-pack, showed effort but met traffic 100m out
11th: (14) Clarente—ran wide in mid-group, unable to reach contention
12th: (12) Win Primera—sat around 4th, weakened in last furlong
13th: (11) T M Taiho—raced toward rear, turned wide, even paced at stretch
14th: (13) D’accord—trailed in rear, passed tired rivals after final corner
15th: (18) Sunrise Major—advanced to 4th from widest draw, sustained bid until 300m out
16th: (5) Young Man Power—traveled in mid-pack, never a threat
17th: (3) Snow Dragon—chased leaders in 3rd, no factor at stretch
18th: (9) Satono Lupin—keen to go early, faded after 3rd corner

THE 33RD MILE CHAMPIONSHIP (G1) – Japan Autumn International -
3-year-old & up, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), right-handed, turf
Sunday, November 20, 2016  Kyoto Racecourse    11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 222,080,000 (about US$ 1,850,667 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57kg (about 126 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares,
1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. 1.Mikki Isle (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Deep Impact / Star Isle (Rock of Gibraltar)

   Owner: Mizuki Noda	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi	Jockey: Suguru Hamanaka
   19 Starts, 8 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 106,780,000	Career earnings: ¥ 529,481,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’14 NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’14 Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m)	1st
   	’16 Hankyu Hai (G3, 1,400m)	1st
   	’14 Arlington Cup (G3, 1,600m)	1st
   	’14 Shinzan Kinen (G3, 1,600m)	1st

   
   
2. 2.Isla Bonita (JPN), dark bay or brown, horse, 5-year-old
   Fuji Kiseki / Isla Cozzene (Cozzene)

   Owner: Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Shadai Corporation Inc.
   Trainer: Hironori Kurita	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

   
   
3. 3.Neorealism (JPN), chestnut, horse, 5-year-old
   Neo Universe / Tokio Reality (Meadowlake)

   Owner: U. Carrot Farm	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Noriyuki Hori	Jockey: Ryan Moore

*Mile Championship (G1)

The Mile Championship is one of the most prestigious autumn grade-one events for milers together with the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) in spring. Horse racing in Japan had been focusing on long distance racing for a long time, regarding stamina and strength as the most important quality of horses. However, with modern racing having increased its attention to speed horses suited to a mile or shorter distance races, the Mile Championship was established in 1984 in conjunction with Japanese races adopting the grading system. The current racing program now provides races for short, middle and long distance racehorses.
The race welcomed several foreign contestants in the past; Special Kaldoun (IRE, by Alzao;9th), Tout Seul (IRE, by Ali-Royal;16th) in 2003—first since being designated an international race in 1998—, Rakti (GB, by Polish Precedent;14th) in 2004, Court Masterpiece (GB, by Polish Precedent;7th) in 2006, Becrux (ITY, by Glen Jordan; 8th) in 2007, Rahy's Attorney (CAN, by Crown Attorney;9th) in 2008, Eva's Request (IRE, by Soviet Star;10th) in 2009, Immortal Verse (IRE, by Pivotal; 7th) in 2011 and Sahpresa (USA, by Sahm) in 2009 (3rd), 2010 (4th) and 2011 (3rd).
Last year’s champion and Horse of the Year Maurice (JPN, by Screen Hero) who landed his fifth G1 title in the recent Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) is due to race in the Hong Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m) in December before retiring to stud.
This year’s race included last year’s fourth-place finisher Satono Aladdin who came off a win in the Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m) held on October 29; last year’s runner-up Fiero who was ninth in the same race; Young Man Power who registered his third graded victory with a three-race winning streak in the Fuji Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on October 22; Isla Bonita, third in last year’s Mile Championship, and this year’s NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) runner-up Lord Quest who also came off runner-up and ninth-place finishes, respectively, in the same race.
Contenders coming off other races were: Neorealism who beat Maurice in the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m) on August 21; Mikki Isle and Snow Dragon who were second and fifth, respectively, in the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on October 2; multiple grade-race winner Decipher and 2014 Mile Championship victor Danon Shark who were sixth and ninth, respectively, in the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) on October 9; and Magic Time who was a runner-up in the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m) on October 15.
Danon Shark set the race record of 1:31.5 when winning the race in 2014.