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July 2017
The Japan Racing Association

Exclusive Topics for Horse Racing in Japan - Summer Edition -

Major races of the 2017 first half concluded with the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) on June 25. Attention centered around 2016 Horse of the Year Kitasan Black (JPN, H5, by Black Tide), who had come off two consecutive G1 wins and was under consideration for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2,400m) in October depended on his performance in the spring all-star G1 race. The 2015 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) victor won three out of six starts last year, including the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) and the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m), to stamp his claim to the season's Horse of the Year title. During the JRA Award ceremony in January, his connections expressed their intention to retire him at the end of 2017 after deciding about the Arc based on his three G1 starts in the spring.

The decision to retire the son of Black Tide (JPN, by Sunday Silence) was quickly reversed after the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) on April 2, which he won convincingly by chasing the pace and then pulling away to a 3/4-length victory to become the inaugural champion of the newly upgraded event. Under jockey Yutaka Take, his partner since the beginning of 2016, the five-year-old continued his dominance in the following Tenno Sho (Spring), where he stalked a considerable fast pace in second and still had plenty left in the tank when he pulled away at the final corner for a 1-1/4-length victory. The win made Kitasan Black only the fourth horse in JRA history to win consecutive Tenno Sho (Spring) titles, and it broke the race record by 0.9 seconds—the last record holder being Deep Impact (JPN, by Sunday Silence), also ridden by Take. Such success had his connections enthusiastic about an Arc challenge, so they entered him in the French G1.

Then a sudden turn of events took place in the Takarazuka Kinen. The race favorite, Kitasan Black looked ready to claim another victory after securing a good position in third early, but he fell behind for no apparent reason and disappointed to ninth. Exhaustion from his efforts in his last two starts and the early summer heat may have been the cause. Nevertheless, his connections quickly withdrew their overseas challenge and announced that his fall program would be altered towards the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October 29, followed by plenty of rest and then the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on December 24. The possibility of Kitasan Black defending his Japan Cup title on November 26 was left unclear.

Meanwhile, Satono Diamond (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact) plans to challenge the Arc this season after withdrawing his entry last year. The Deep Impact colt, who finished third and second in the 2016 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), respectively, ran in the third leg of the 2016 Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho, where he landed his first G1 title. In the year-end Arima Kinen, he secured his JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Colt of 2016 by beating seniors including subsequent Horse of the Year Kitasan Black by a neck margin for his second G1 victory.

At the JRA Award Ceremony early this year, trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, who had saddled two-time Arc runner-up Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold), announced he would take Satono Diamond to France. Although the colt's best distance is between 2,000 and 2,400 meters, Ikee prepared for his big test in the Arc by strengthening his stamina over longer distances in the Hanshin Daishoten (G2, 3,000m) on March 19 and then the Tenno Sho (Spring). Satono Diamond showed a different class in dominating the Hanshin Daishoten by 1-1/2 lengths, but he just managed to secure third place from racing mid-field in the Tenno Sho (Spring). Ikee, despite saying that the defeat was due to "an unsuitably fast track" and insisting that the colt had not suffered any fatigue from his efforts, decided to pass up the Takarazuka Kinen.

Satono Noblesse
in the 2016 Naruo Kinen

Satono Diamond is scheduled to fly to Paris together with stablemate Satono Noblesse (JPN, H7, by Deep Impact) on August 18 and board at Satoshi Kobayashi's stable at Chantilly, as was the case when Orfevre went to France. He will prepare for the big day with a step start in the Prix Foy (G2, 2,400m) on September 10.

Cadenas
in the 2017 Yayoi Sho

Two three-year-olds owned by Koji Maeda, Cadenas and Clincher, were also registered for the Arc. Maeda is the founder of North Hills, which is best known for producing internationally recognized horses such as 2011 Dubai World Cup (G1, AW, 2,000m) runner-up Transcend (JPN, by Wild Rush), 2013 Arc fourth-place finisher Kizuna (JPN, by Deep Impact) and 2016 UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m) victor Lani (USA, C4, by Tapit). Cadenas (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact), a multiple grade-race winner in the Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m) as a two-year-old and the Yayoi Sho (G2, 2,000m) in this past March, was unsuccessful in his Triple Crown starts, disappointing to ninth in the Satsuki Sho despite being posted third favorite, and 11th in the Tokyo Yushun.

Clincher
in the 2017 Sumire Stakes

Clincher (JPN, C3, by Deep Sky) fared better in the Satsuki Sho, his first grade-race challenge, where the 13th-favored longshot showed good effort to hold gamely for fourth from racing in third position early, but thereafter he was well beaten to 13th in the Tokyo Yushun. Both colts, Cadenas and Clincher, will focus on racing in Japan this fall starting with the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m) on September 24.

Beginning this year, the racing body France Galop is granting free entry in the prestigious mile G1, the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1, 1,600m) at Deauville on August 13, to the top three finishers of the Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) on May 14 and the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) on June 4.

Admire Lead
in the 2017 Victoria Mile

Among the top three finishers of this year's Victoria Mile, Admire Lead (JPN, F4, by Stay Gold) is targeted at the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m) on November 12 and had made the Queen Stakes (G3, 1,800m) on July 30 her next destination. Third-place finisher Jour Polaire (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact) is also following the same schedule. Denko Ange (JPN, F4, by Meisho Samson), the runner-up in the distaff mile was turned out to pasture following her eighth-place finish in the Epsom Cup (G3, 1,800m) on June 11 and will head for the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m) on October 14.

Yasuda Kinen victor Satono Aladdin (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact) is targeting the Tenno Sho (Autumn), following the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) on October 8, then perhaps the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) on November 19 depending on his condition after the Tenno Sho. Runner-up Logotype (JPN, H7, by Lohengrin) is expected to stay in Japan for the time being and third-place finisher Red Falx (JPN, H6, by Swept Overboard) will step down in distance in an attempt to defend his title in the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on October 1.

So none of the six eligible for this year's Prix Jacques le Marois have turned in an entry, obliging the race organizers to wait another year, when perhaps a Japanese miler may follow in the footsteps of Taiki Shuttle (USA, by Devil's Bag), who won the title back in 1998.

Admire Deus
in the 2015 Nikkei Sho

Admire Deus (JPN, H6, by Admire Don) is planning to run in the Melbourne Cup (G1, 3,200m), which has attracted at least one Japanese stayer for three consecutive years since 2014. Despite high expectations following his two grade-race victories as a four-year-old, the son of Admire Don (JPN, by Timber Country) turned in low-key performances in his G1 starts up to this year's Tenno Sho (Spring), where he finished impressively in a close fourth—less than two lengths behind a record-breaking Kitasan Black. He has a choice of heading straight to the Melbourne Cup on November 7 after a start in Japan or running in the Caulfield Cup (G1, 2,400m) on October 21.

Satono Crown (JPN, H5, by Marju) landed his second career G1 victory as third favorite in this year's Takarazuka Kinen. A third-place finisher in the 2015 Tokyo Yushun who scored his first G1 title in the Hong Kong Vase (G1, 2,400m) last year, he may prepare for another international challenge this fall depending on his condition after the summer break. As the Takarazuka Kinen champion, he has two choices. He could run overseas in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m) at Del Mar, California on November 4, making him the first Japanese runner since Trailblazer (JPN, by Zenno Rob Roy) finished fourth in the 2012 edition of the race, and then either the Hong Kong Vase or the Hong Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m) on December 10. If he stays in Japan, his fall program could begin with the Tenno Sho (Autumn), followed by the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen.

Satono Crown's stablemate, Neorealism (JPN, H6, by Neo Universe), who also scored his first G1 victory overseas in Hong Kong's Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m) in April this year, will be bidding for a consecutive victory in the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m) on August 20. Depending on the results, his next move could be a trip to Australia, where he is invited to run in the Cox Plate (G1, 2,040m) on October 28, or the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Albert (JPN, H6, by Admire Don), a two-time Stayers Stakes (G2, 3,600m) winner and stablemate of Satono Crown and Neorealism under trainer Noriyuki Hori, may challenge the Melbourne Cup this fall.