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Sixth Favorite Sound True Revenges Last Year's Third-Place Finish by Holding off Race Favorite in This Year's Champions Cup

Sixth-favorite dirt specialistSound Truerevenged last year’s third-place finish by stealing away the title from race favoriteAwardeein the last two strides with his powerful late drive that renewed the race record set by Sambista last year by 0.3 second to 1:50.1. The six-year-old gelding captured his third graded victory and his second G1 title following his win in the year-end Tokyo Daishoten last year. This was also his first win of this season though he had been consistent with a second and three thirds out of five starts prior to this race. He is the third horse to claim the first win of the season in the race following Kane Hekili in 2008 when the race was run under the name Japan Cup Dirt, and the second gelding to capture the title following Fleetstreet Dancer in 2003. He is also the fourth six-year-old champion following Sambista. This victory marked the second JRA-G1 victory for both trainer Noboru Takagi and jockey Takuya Ono following the 2014 Sprinters Stakes with Snow Dragon.

Breaking smoothly from stall eight, six-year-old Sound True partnered with Takuya Ono eased back to second from the rear and maintained the rearward position while taking an economic route by the rails. The French Deputy gelding, still hugging the rails turning for home, angled out to find space outside the front horses that spread wide to make bid in the homestretch. Switching his gear on from the outside route, the chestnut unleashed his usual late charge that timed the fastest last three furlong and flew passed all his rivals to pin the leader right before the wire for a neck victory.

“We had to race toward the rear as the pace was fast, but I concentrated on keeping good rhythm. I raced him along the rails through the last two corners as planned and was able to find space entering the homestretch. It seemed that the horses in front tired somewhat in the last 100 meters. I was unable to race him smoothly in the stretch last year but the ride was perfect this year. The horse seems to be in good form during this time of the year so I am looking forward to defending the title in the year-end Tokyo Daishoten,” commented Takuya Ono.

Odds-on-favorite Awardee, mounted by Yutaka Take who had just claimed his 71st JRA-G1 victory when winning the Japan Cup with Kitasan Black a week ago, hugged the rails in mid-division, around sixth from the front. The six-year-old bay by Japanese Derby winner Jungle Pocket took a wide route rounding the corners and steadily advanced forward to assume command 100 meters out, and just when the crowds were convinced of his seven-race winning streak, he was overtaken and succumbed to second.

“I knew that the horse tends to lose his concentration when taking the front but he was more so today than usual. He also seemed a bit difficult during the race,” said Yutaka Take.

Tenth pickAsukano Romanbroke sharply and rallied to take command but settled behindMonde Classeto press the pace in second. Entering the lane in second, the son of Agnes Digital persistently closed in and, although overtaken by Awardee then by Sound True in the last 100 meters, passed the tiring frontrunner and fended off the strong late charge byKafuji Taketo cross the wire a neck in front in third.

“He lost his concentration at the first corner, which disrupted his rhythm. He held on really well despite the difficult race development (fast pace). I think he was in his best condition coming into the race so I am really disappointed in this result,” commented Ryuji Wada.

THE 17TH CHAMPIONS CUP (G1) - Japan Autumn International -
3-year-olds & up, 1,800 meters (about 9 furlongs), dirt, left-handed
Sunday, December 4, 2016     Chukyo Racecourse         11th Race          Post Time: 15:30
Total prize money: ¥ 209,920,000 (about US$ 1,749,333 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 56 kg (about 124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57 kg (about 126 lbs)
2 kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 16 runners

1. 1.Sound True (JPN), chestnut, gelding, 6-year-old
   French Deputy / Kyoei Truth (Fuji Kiseki)

   Owner: Hiroshi Yamada	Breeder: Okada Stud
   Trainer: Noboru Takagi	Jockey: Takuya Ono
   38 Starts, 9 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 100,234,000	Career earnings: ¥ 455,788,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’15 Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m)	1st
   	’15 Nippon TV Hai (dirt, 1,800m)	1st
   	’16 Kawasaki Kinen (dirt, 2,100m)	2nd
   	’15 JBC Classic (dirt, 2,000m)	2nd
   	’16 JBC Classic (dirt, 2,100m)	3rd
   	’16 Teio Sho (dirt, 2,000m)	3rd
   	’15 Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m)	3rd

   
   
2. 2.Awardee (USA), bay, horse, 6-year-old
   Jungle Pocket / Heavenly Romance (Sunday Silence)

   Owner: Koji Maeda	Breeder: North Hills Management
   Trainer: Mikio Matsunaga	Jockey: Yutaka Take

   
   
3. 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: Ryuji Wada

* Champions Cup (G1)

Formally run under the name Japan Cup Dirt until 2013, the Champions Cup is no longer an invitational race and takes place at Chukyo Racecourse which is situated in Chubu region between Tokyo and Osaka. The Japan Cup Dirt, which began as the dirt version of the Japan Cup in 2000 at Tokyo Racecourse held over the 2,100-meter left-handed course until 2007, was temporarily shifted to Nakayama Racecourse over the 1,800-meter right-handed course in 2002, then held at Hanshin Racecourse, also a right-handed track and over 1,800 meters, between 2008 and 2013. The G1 dirt race continues as one of four G1 events comprising the Japan Autumn International (JAI) along with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m), the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) and the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m).
Lord Sterling (USA, by Black Tie Affair), who finished third in the inaugural year, was one of the first foreign contenders, while Fleetstreet Dancer (USA, by Smart Strike) became the first foreign winner in 2003. In the past, 28 runners from not only North America but also from France, Germany, Great Britain and Hong Kong have participated in the race. Gun Pit (AUS, by Dubawi), last year’s only overseas contender and the first runner from Hong Kong in 13 years, though coming off three consecutive victories with seven wins out of seven starts on all-weather track at Sha Tin, was unfortunately last to cross the wire. This year, Melatonin (USA, G5, by Kodiak Kowboy) and Bradester (USA, H6, by Lion Heart) from the United States were initially entered to run in the race but both entries were withdrawn.
Last year, 12th pick Sambista (JPN, by Suzuka Mambo) pulled an upset victory by angling out in the stretch after hugging the rails in mid-division and pinning the leaders 200 meters out to win by 1-1/2 lengths. She became the first mare to win a JRA-G1 dirt race and was retired after the race. Third favorite Nonkono Yume and fifth choice Sound True closed in with their powerful late drives but finished second and third, respectively, followed by Roi Jardin in forth and defending champion Hokko Tarumae (JPN, H7, by King Kamehameha) in fifth. Odds-on-favorite Copano Rickey was seventh.
This year’s contenders included four horses coming off the JBC Classic (dirt, 2,100m) held at NAR (National Association of Racing; local public racing) Kawasaki Racecourse on November 3: winner Awardee who was unbeaten in all his six starts after being switched to dirt; Sound True (3rd) who registered his first G1 title in the year-end Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m) last year and was second and third, respectively, in this year’s Kawasaki Kinen (dirt, 2,100m) in January and the Teio Sho (dirt, 2,000m) in June; Nonkono Yume (4th) who was runner-up in this year’s February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) and the Teio Sho; and Copano Rickey (5th) who accumulated a total of eight G1 titles by adding three this year in the Kashiwa Kinen (dirt, 1,600m) in May, the Teio Sho and the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (dirt, 1,600m) in October. Runner-up Hokko Tarumae, who registered his 10th G1 title when winning the Kawasaki Kinen for the third consecutive year in January, was ruled out of this year’s Champions Cup due to lameness in his left foreleg, and the connections decided to retire him to stud.
Five runners came off the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m) held at Kyoto Racecourse on November 6: Apollo Kentucky who marked his first grade-race title by winning the race, following a third in his first graded attempt in the Sirius Stakes (G3, dirt, 2,000m) in October; defending champion Roi Jardin (3rd) who was fifth in the February Stakes; Monde Classe (4th) who, though still without any graded title, was runner-up in the Tokai Stakes (G2, dirt, 1,800m) in January and third in the Elm Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,700m) in August; Lani, (13th), half-brother to Awardee, who won the UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m) in March and was ninth, fifth and third, respectively, in the American Triple Crown; and Asukano Roman (14th) who landed two graded titles this year in the Tokai Stakes and the Heian Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,900m) in May and was third in the February Stakes.
Also five runners came off the Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) held at Tokyo Racecourse on November 12: Gold Dream (2nd) who won the Unicorn Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) in June and was third in the Japan Dirt Derby (dirt, 2,000m) in July; Kafuji Take (3rd) whose six career wins were over 1,200-1,400 meters and was raced over 1,800 meters for the second time; this year’s February Stakes champion Moanin who finished seventh in the race while carrying 59kg; Brightline (11th) who has graded wins on both turf and dirt and was fourth in the 2013 Japan Cup Dirt; and Meisho Sumitomo who finished 13th in his first graded challenge on dirt but whose six career wins were won over 1,700-1,800m dirt races. Tagano Tonnerre (JPN, G6, by Came Home), who won the race, was ruled out of this year’s Champions Cup, having broken his right foreleg during training.
Bright Idea, who came off an 11th-place finish in the Fukushima Minyu Cup (dirt, 1,700m) on November 20, was also one of the contestants.