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Chrono Genesis Captures Third Consecutive Grand-Prix Title in This Year’s Takarazuka Kinen

Odds-on-favorite Chrono Genesis claimed back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen title to become the first horse to do so since Gold Ship in 2013 and 2014. Coming off a close runner-up effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March, this win marked her fourth G1 and sixth graded victory. Along with her Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen titles last year, she became the fifth horse and first mare to win three Grand Prix races. Her career earnings will surpass a billion yen to become the fifth mare to do so after Vodka, Buena Vista, Gentildonna and Almond Eye. Trainer Takashi Saito marked his fifth JRA-G1 title after last year’s Arima Kinen with this mare, and jockey Christophe Lemaire, who rode her for the first time in this race, celebrated his 39th G1 win following his win in this year’s Victoria Mile with Gran Alegria.

Chrono Genesis broke well from stall seven and settled around fifth while eyeing second favorite Lei Papale in front. Though surrounded by horses entering the lane, the Bago mare waited until finding an open space 300 meters out and exerted a powerful burst of speed with the fastest last three-furlong drive, overtaking the front two runners before reaching the wire with a comfortable 2-1/2-length margin.

“The mare was in very good condition and looked great at the paddock. We were able to race in good position behind Lei Papale. She stretched really well and was able to run the last 200 meters easily. (Regarding the possibility of her second overseas challenge,) she can race really well in soft track, so I think she will perform well especially in France,” commented Christophe Lemaire while showing concern for her regular rider, Yuichi Kitamura, who was unable to ride her due to an injury from falling off a horse.

Other Horses:
4th: (10) Curren Bouquetd’or—stalked winner 3-wide around 5th, lacked needed kick at stretch
5th: (13) Kiseki—tracked leaders 3-wide in 3rd, in contention until 300m out, weakened thereafter
6th: (12) Miss Mamma Mia—hugged rails 2nd from rear, circled wide, showed belated charge
7th: (8) Cadenas—trailed in rear, made headway after 3rd corner, angled out and passed tired rivals
8th: (11) Mozu Bello—sat 3-wide around 8th, advanced to good striking position, failed to sustain bid
9th: (9) Aristoteles—settled around 6-7th, showed brief effort until 200m pole
10th: (4) Wipe Tears—saved ground around 5th, gradually fell back in last 300m
11th: (3) Melody Lane—raced in 10th along rails, showed little at stretch
12th: (5) Admire Alba—traveled in 11th, never a factor throughout trip
13th: (6) Shironii—took economic trip around 8th, faded after turning final corner

THE 62ND TAKARAZUKA KINEN (G1)
3-year-olds & up, 2,200 meters (about 11 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, June 27, 2021         Hanshin Racecourse          11th Race           Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 325,000,000 (about US$ 3,010,000 <US$1=¥108>)
3-y-o: 53kg (about 117 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares,
1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2017, 3kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2018
Course Record: 2:10.1         Race Record: 2:10.1 [Earnestly (JPN, by Grass Wonder), 2011]
Safety factor: 18 runners     Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 22,383,171,000       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 31,814,416,400       Attendance: 4,710

Winner= 15 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 3 thirds / Added money: ¥ 152,814,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 1,129,255,400

* Takarazuka Kinen (G1)

The Takarazuka Kinen, established in 1960, opened its doors to foreign-trained horses in 1997 and became the first international grade-one race designated by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) held in western Japan in 2001. The race joined the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in 2011, enabling its winner to earn automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m). The winner will also be eligible to start in the Cox Plate (2,040m) beginning last year. In 2018, the race welcomed Hong Kong’s 2015/16 Horse of the Year Werther (NZ, by Tavistock) who finished a neck second. He was the second foreign contender to challenge the race since Australian-trained Seto Stayer (AUS, by Bellotto; 9th) in 1997.
It is a Grand Prix (All-Star) race, along with the year-end Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m), in which the runners are selected by a fan poll. Following last year, the fans could only cast their votes online to select the ten most popular runners. Among the horses entered in the race, ten runners with the most votes are entitled to run in the race while the rest of the field is determined in order of earnings. Last year’s winner Chrono Genesis subsequently claimed the Arima Kinen and received the JRA Award Special Award.
This year’s contenders that were among the top ten horses voted included; Chrono Genesis (1st) who came off a runner-up effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m, Mar.27); Lei Papale (4th) who extended her winning streak to six in her previous start, the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m, Apr.4); Curren Bouquetd’or (6th), three-time G1 runner-up who was a well-fought third in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m, May.2); and Kiseki (8th), 2017 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) victor who finished fourth in the Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m, Apr.25).
Other contenders within the top 100 horses voted included Aristoteles (12th) who aimed to bounce back from a fourth in the Tenno Sho (Spring), Mozu Bello (15th), runner-up of the Osaka Hai, and Cadenas (45th), three-time graded winner. Unicorn Lion (123rd) came off his first graded victory in the Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m, Jun.5).
Horses that were ranked among the top ten but passed up their entry were: Contrail (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact; 2nd); World Premiere (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact; 3rd); Gran Alegria (JPN, M5, by Deep Impact; 5th); Daring Tact (JPN, F4, by Epiphaneia; 7th); Sodashi (JPN, F3, by Kurofune; 9th); and Efforia (JPN, C3, by Epiphaneia; 10th).