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Grenadier Guards Renews Track Record in Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes

Seventh favorite Grenadier Guards renewed the track record with an impressive win in this year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes while covering the mile distance in 1:32.3. The Frankel colt was runner-up in his summer debut in July (Niigata, 1,400m) and fourth in his next start over a mile at Chukyo in September before registering his first career win in his last start at Hanshin (1,400m) on November 7. The talented two-year-old colt becomes the third JRA-G1 winner for sire Frankel, after Soul Stirring and Mozu Ascot. Trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida landed his third JRA-G1 victory—his first victory was with Danon Premium in the same race in 2017 and his second title was with Danon Fantasy in the 2018 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Yuga Kawada, who also scored his second Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes title after 2017 with Danon Premium, landed his 14th JRA-G1 title, his first since the 2019 Champions Cup with Chrysoberyl.

Grenadier Guards broke sharply from an inside draw to sit just off the rails in third, chasing Mondreise who advanced from an outside draw to take the lead and opening the gap to about five lengths from the rest of the field along the backstretch. Cruising in good rhythm behind a rapid pace, the Frankel colt easily closed in on the leader, assumed command soon after passing the furlong pole and still had plenty to hold off a fast-closing Stella Veloce to cross the wire 3/4 length in front and in record time.

“My concern was to keep him happy and in good rhythm because the colt has a difficult temper and can run off like he did in his second career outing so you have to be careful to keep him controlled, but he has great potentials if he can bring out his best and I am looking forward for another good season for him next year,” commented jockey Yuga Kawada.

Stella Veloce was rated in mid-field along the rails while keeping an eye on race favorite Red Belle Aube. As the field closed in on the tired pacesetter approaching the final turn, jockey Yokoyama steered the Bago colt to the inside and efficiently launched his bid through a clearing between horses to close in on the winner.

Other Horses:
4th: (11) Bathrat Leon—raced around 3rd outside eventual winner, showed tenacity but overtaken by Red Belle Aube before wire
5th: (6) Blue Spirit—led early then chased leader in 2nd, ran gamely, weakened in last 100m
6th: (15) Lord Max—traveled 3-wide in 9th, switched to outside at early stretch, lacked needed kick
7th: (5) Dura Mondo—hugged rails behind eventual winner around 7th, showed brief effort
8th: (1) Kaiser Nova—saved ground in 15th, angled out, showed tied fastest late kick, belatedly
9th: (13) Ho O Amazon—sat around 6th, ran willingly until furlong pole, weakened
10th: (14) Mondreise—advanced to set pace from wide stall, led until 200m pole, outrun in last 100m
11th: (16) Super Hope—ran 4-wide around 11th, even paced at stretch
12th: (12) Jun Blue Sky—raced 3-wide around 11th, never fired at stretch
13th: (4) Shock Action—settled around 3rd inside eventual winner, faded after 300m marker
14th: (10) Ascoltare—traveled in 14th, checked before 3rd corner, unable to reach contention
15th: (3) Bisonte No Bufalo—took economic trip around 11th, gradually fell back
16th: (9) T O da Vinci—was off a bit slow, trailed in rear, no factor

THE 72ND ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES (G1)
2-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 20, 2020     Hanshin Racecourse          11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 152,200,000 (about US$ 1,410,000 <US$1=¥108>)
2-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 1 kg allowance for Fillies, 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2018
Course Record: 1:32.3              Race Record: 1:32.3 [Grenadier Guards (JPN, by Frankel), 2020]
Safety factor: 18 runners     Going: Firm           Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 15,009,774,800       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 24,975,259,600       Attendance: 3,435

Winner= 4 starts, 2 wins, 1 second / Added money: ¥ 71,148,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 79,818,000

* Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)

Races for two-year-olds were held for the first time in 1946 at Tokyo. As the number of contenders increased, championship races—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—which determined the top two-year-olds of the season in eastern and western Japan, respectively, were established in 1949. In conjunction with the new grading system implemented, the two races were designated G1 status in 1984.
In 1991, the two races were divided by gender into two separate G1 events; the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, then renamed “Hanshin Juvenile Fillies” and “Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes”, respectively, in 2001. Since 2004, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes has been limited to non-gelded colts and fillies. The race, which started off as a 1,100-meter sprint, was extended to 1,200 meters in 1959 and again to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners. Due to the restructured racing program for two-year-olds, the venue was transferred from Nakayama to Hanshin Racecourse, the same location as the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, in 2014.
2018 winner Admire Mars (JPN, by Daiwa Major) was named Best Two-Year-Old Colt and continued with G1 successes in the NHK Mile Cup and the Hong Kong Mile last year.
This year’s race featured four graded winners, Shock Action (the Niigata Nisai Stakes [G3, 1,600m, Aug.30]), Stella Veloce (the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup [G3, 1,600m, Oct.10]), Mondreise (the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,400m, Nov.7]) and Red Belle Aube (the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,600m, Nov.14]). Coming off their respective wins in other prep races were Dura Mondo (the Aster Sho [1,600m, Sep.12]), Ascoltare (the Momiji Stakes [1,400m, Oct.18] and Blue Spirit (the Shumeigiku Sho [1,400m, Nov.23]). The field also included Lord Max and Ho O Amazon, runner-up of the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes and the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, respectively.