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Three-Year-Old Serifos Beats Favorites in Mile Championship

Sixth favorite Serifos landed his first G1 victory in this year’s Mile Championship and has become the first three-year-old to win the race since Stelvio in 2018. Sired by Daiwa Major, who won the Mile Championship in 2006 and 2007, the chestnut colt marked three consecutive wins from his debut including the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,600m) and the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) and capped off his first season with a runner-up effort in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m), half a length behind subsequent Derby winner Do Deuce. The colt then turned in a fourth in the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in May this year before his first challenge against older foes in the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m), in which he was fourth again. Serifos had just come off his Fuji Stakes (G2, 1,600m) win on October 22. Since the 2020 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes victory with Grenadier Guards, trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida pocketed his fourth JRA-G1 title while jockey Damian Lane, who is riding in Japan under a short-term license, also registered his fourth G1 victory and first since the 2019 Arima Kinen with Lys Gracieux.

Breaking from stall number 10, Serifos traveled fourth from the rear and three wide in the backstretch, was unhurried under Damian Lane in shifting out wide into the lane still near the rear and with the fastest closing speed in the 17-horse field, stormed down the stretch to grab the lead 50 meters out and win by a growing 1-1/4-lengths.

“I’m very happy, the horse was super today. He’s very consistent and I knew he would improve after watching his videos. I wanted to show how really competitive he is. The pace was good and he was a bit keen early but I was always confident,” commented Damian Lane after the race.

Eighth choice Danon the Kid settled around seventh early, slightly dropped position rounding the final corners, met traffic but squeezed through horses and just while digging in to grab the lead, was overtaken by the winner in the final strides for runner-up.

Second pick Sodashi sat in fourth to fifth in the early going, persistently showed effort to rally for the lead in the straight but failed to keep up with the top two finisher’s late speed, while holding off the fast-closing rivals by a nose for third place.

Race favorite Schnell Meister camped in mid-pack, struggled briefly for room in early stretch and found his best stride late, but dug in the last half furlong to finish fifth.

Other Horses:
4th: (11) Soul Rush—ran 4-wide around 9th, made headway after 3rd corner, quickened but needed more in last 50m
6th: (7) Justin Cafe—unhurried in 15th, showed 2nd fastest late kick while met traffic 200m out
7th: (13) Air Lolonois—traveled 4-wide around 11th, showed belated charge
8th: (8) Lotus Land—raced forwardly in 4th on rails, took command 200m out, outrun in last 100m
9th: (9) Piece of Eight—set pace early, entered lane in 2nd, weakened in last 100m
10th: (1) Matenro Orion—hugged rails in 11-12th, showed effort until 100m out, outrun thereafter
11th: (15) Danon Scorpion—ran 3-wide in 6th, failed to respond, fell back
12th: (2) Win Carnelian—restless in stall but broke sharply, eased back to 7th, was bumped 200m out
13th: (17) Falconia—advanced to take command before 3rd corner, showed tenacity until 200m pole
14th: (5) Salios—settled around 11th in front of winner, even paced at stretch
15th: (12) Ho O Amazon—tracked leaders in 3rd, was bumped 200m out, faded
16th: (16) Happy Hour—traveled 2nd from rear, unable to reach contention
17th: (14) Besten Dank—trailed in rear, no factor

THE 39TH MILE CHAMPIONSHIP (G1) – Japan Autumn International -
3-year-olds & up, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), right-handed, turf
Sunday, November 20, 2022     Hanshin Racecourse     11th Race       Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 388,800,000 (about US$ 3,381,000 <US$1=¥115>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57kg (about 126 lbs),
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2019
Course Record: 1:31.1              Race Record: 1:31.5 [Danon Shark (JPN, by Deep Impact), Kyoto, 2014]
Safety factor: 18 runners           Going: Good to Firm     Weather: Cloudy

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 19,289,584,300       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,597,813,100       Attendance: 20,725

Winner= 8 starts: 5 wins, 1 second / Added money: ¥ 183,570,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 395,706,000

* Mile Championship (G1)

The Mile Championship is one of the most prestigious autumn grade-one events for milers together with the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) in spring. Horse racing in Japan had been focusing on long distance racing for a long time, regarding stamina and strength as the most important quality of horses. However, with modern racing having increased its attention to speed horses suited to a mile or shorter distance races, the Mile Championship was established in 1984 in conjunction with Japanese races adopting the grading system. The current racing program now provides races for short, middle and long-distance racehorses. The race was temporarily shifted to Hanshin Racecourse due to renovations taking place at Kyoto Racecourse from 2020.
After being designated an international race in 1998, the race welcomed several foreign contestants, including Sahpresa (USA, by Sahm) who ran three consecutive years—third in 2009 and 2011, fourth in 2010—but none has taken part since 2012.
Last year, Gran Alegria (JPN, by Deep Impact) became the first back-to-back winner since Daiwa Major (JPN, by Sunday Silence; 2006-07), and sixth overall to accomplish the feat, and was consecutively chosen JRA’s Best Sprinter or Miler in both 2020 and 2021.
At the gate this year was Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) victor Sodashi who was entered off a second in the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m, Oct.15), 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner Salios who landed the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m, Oct.9) title along with Justin Cafe who followed in second and 2020 Best Two-Year-Old Colt Danon the Kid in third. Coming off one of the Mile Championship trials, the Fuji Stakes (G2, 1,600m, Oct.22), were winner Serifos and this year’s Milers Cup (G2, 1,600m) winner Soul Rush and NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) champion Danon Scorpion, who were second and third, respectively.
The field also included last year’s runner-up of this race, Schnell Meister who aimed to bounce back from a ninth in the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m, Oct.2), and Win Carnelian and Falconia, respective winners of the Sekiya Kinen (G3, 1,600m, Aug.14) and the Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap (G3, 1,600m, Sep.11).