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Three-Year-Old Satono Diamond Conquers Grand Prix Arima Kinen

Satono Diamond, race favorite and the only three-year-old of the all-star field, captured this year’s Arima Kinen, marking his second consecutive G1 victory following his Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) triumph in October. The Deep Impact colt is the first three-year-old since Gold Ship in 2012 and 18th overall to capture the title. Owner Hajime Satomi enjoys a three-week G1 winning streak after claiming the Hong Kong Vase with Satono Crown and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes with Satono Ares. This is the fourth Arima Kinen triumph and 16th JRA-G1 win for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee and he now reigns as the trainer with the most Arima Kinen titles after his successes with Dream Journey (2009) and Orfevre (2011 and 2013). Jockey Christophe Lemaire captured his second Arima Kinen title after 2005 on board Heart’s Cry and 10th JRA-G1 victory, his most recent one being the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with Soul Stirring two weeks ago.

Satono Diamond broke sharply from stall 11 and traveled wide in mid-division, around eighth from the frontrunner Maltese Apogee, and advanced forward through the 1st-2nd corners to enter the backstretch right behind Kitasan Black in third. The son of Deep Impact was given a breather along the backstretch then advanced turning the last two corners and was third again when facing the last stretch. Chasing persistently behind Kitasan Black and Gold Actor before the cheering crowd, Satono Diamond found another gear and accelerated in the last 100 meters to pass Gold Actor 50 meters out then Kitasan Black right before the wire for a neck victory.

“This is so thrilling for me—I won my first G1 title in the same race with Heart’s Cry but I have partnered this colt, Satono Diamond, since he was still a newcomer and he’s become a super horse. He can be a little difficult at times and he got keen early but today, he was able to relax when I placed him behind Kitasan Balck and put in a strong finish to win this race as race favorite. He has won the Arima Kinen (against his seniors) as a three-year-old and he is a fine colt with a lot of talent, stamina and great potential to become a strong contender in big races next year,” commented winning jockey Christophe Lemaire after the race.

Sent off second favorite, Kitasan Black sat five lengths from pacesetter up to the second corner but gradually reduced the gap in the backstretch and took over the lead before the final turn. While Gold Actor threatened persistently on his outside down the straight, the Black Tide colt ran strongly in shaking the defending champion off, but succumbed to the extraordinary speed of the winner who loomed up from the outside just before the wire for a neck second.

Gold Actor broke smoothly and saved ground about three lengths behind Kitasan Black in third then settled in fourth or fifth when overtaken by Satono Diamond entering the backstretch then Satono Noblesse soon after. As the field began to close in on the fast tiring Maltese Apogee approaching the final turn, the son of Screen Hero quickly gained ground to join Kitasan Black 300 meters out and looking to duel with the Japan Cup winner but was short of matching the stride with the eventual runner-up while also overtaken in the last strides by the winner.

Other Horses:
4th: (4) Yamakatsu Ace—reserved in mid-field along the rails then further back along backstretch and entering straight, angled out then towards the rail at the homestretch, fastest finish
5th: (8) Mikki Queen—between rivals in around seventh position, followed Gold Actor into the straight but unable to reach leaders
6th: (14) Cheval Grand—rated well off the pace three wide, headway approaching third corner, followed eventual winner into the straight but unable to reach contention while rallying for fourth
7th: (15) Albert—hugged rails second from last, wide turn into the lane, quickened well while never a threat
8th: (6) Sounds of Earth—rated off the pace in mid-division between rivals, quickened while angling out turning for home but even paced
9th: (13) Denim and Ruby—raced near the rear, steady headway down the backstretch, forced to turn wide into homestretch, unable to make up ground
10th: (16) Marialite—broke well from farthest stall, in 6th to 7th up to last corner, took inner path into lane, mild late response
11th: (10) Admire Deus—raced behind Gold Actor until last corner, even paced in stretch
12th: (9) Hit the Target—trailed in rear, improved position turning widest around last 2 corners
13th: (12) Satono Noblesse—stalked race favorite, advanced to 3rd before last 2 corners, tired thereafter
14th: (3) Mousquetaire—broke poorly, sat 2nd to 3rd from rear, never a threat
15th: (7) Maltese Apogee—set pace, gave up lead before last turn, used up
16th: (5) Samson’s Pride—hugged rails in mid-division, last at top stretch, never fired

THE 61ST ARIMA KINEN (G1)
3-year-old & up, 2,500 meters (about 12.5 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 25, 2016     Nakayama Racecourse       10th Race      Post time: 15:25
Total prize money: ¥ 648,000,000 (about US$ 5,400,000 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57kg (about 126 lbs),
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 16 runners

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

   Owner: Hajime Satomi	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Yasutoshi Ikee	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
   8 Starts, 6 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 303,402,000	Career earnings: ¥674,964,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’16 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m)	1st
   	’16 Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m)	1st
   	’16 Kisaragi Sho (G3, 1,800m)	1st
   	’16 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m)	2nd
   	’16 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m)	3rd

   
   
2. 2.Kitasan Black (JPN), bay, colt, 4-year-old
   Black Tide / Sugar Heart (Sakura Bakushin O)

   Owner: Ono Shoji	Breeder: Yanagawa Bokujo
   Trainer: Hisashi Shimizu	Jockey: Yutaka Take

   
   
3. 3.Gold Actor (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Screen Hero / Heilong Xing (Kyowa Alysheba)

   Owner: Hisayo Ishiro	Breeder: Hokusho Farm
   Trainer: Tadashige Nakagawa	Jockey: Hayato Yoshida

* Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1)

Established in 1956 under the name “Nakayama Grand Prix,” the race was renamed to Arima Kinen (Arima Memorial) a year later after the sudden passing of the second JRA president, Yoriyasu Arima. Arima initiated the idea of holding an attractive event at Nakayama Racecourse, where a new grandstand had just been completed at that time, in an attempt to create a race that would receive as much attention as the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) held at Tokyo Racecourse. The Arima Kinen was designed to be a season-end Grand Prix, in which the runners were selected by fan poll—an “All-Star” event in Japanese Racing. Fans could cast their votes by ballots available at JRA racecourses and off-track betting sites, by mail or by online to select the ten most popular runners. The rest of the field is determined in order of earnings. Foreign runners that won the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) became eligible to race in the Arima in 2000 then the race was designated as an international G1 race and open to a maximum of six foreign runners in 2007, though no foreign runners have yet participated in the race. The Arima was given a boost in prize money this year and became the richest race in the country along with the Japan Cup.
Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) and Gentildonna (JPN, by Deep Impact) won the race in 2013 and 2014, respectively, in what became the last run of their stellar careers which was followed by a grand retirement ceremony at the end of the day.
Topping this year’s list with the most votes was winner of the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) and the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) Kitasan Black, while in second was the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) winner Satono Diamond. Defending champion Gold Actor in aim for a consecutive title was voted third, and in her final career-start Marialite, who captured this year’s Grand Prix Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m), was voted fifth. Chosen in ninth place was Sounds of Earth and in tenth was Cheval Grand who finished second and third, respectively, in the Japan Cup. Other notable runners were Mikki Queen (15th), Admire Deus (30th), Albert (32th), Satono Noblesse (39th), Yamakatsu Ace (43th), Hit the Target (44th) and Denim and Ruby (53th).
Runners who were chosen among the top ten in votes but decided not to start were; Makahiki (4th; JPN, C3, by Deep Impact), Dee Majesty (6th; JPN, C3, by Deep Impact), Maurice (7th; JPN, H5, by Screen Hero) and Real Steel (8th; JPN, C4, by Deep Impact).
The race record of 2:29.5 was set by Zenno Rob Roy (JPN, by Sunday Silence) in 2004.