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Mama Cocha Claims Narrow Victory and First G1 Title in 2023 Sprinters Stakes

Third favorite Mama Cocha captured her first graded and G1 title following a close battle in the final stages in this year’s Sprinters Stakes. The bay sister to the white multiple-G1 winner Sodashi registered one win out of four starts as a two-year-old and three out of five at three, then kicked off this season with a ninth in the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m) followed by a win in the listed Azuchijo Stakes (1,400m) in May prior to a runner-up over 1,200 meters, her first start at that distance, in the Kitakyushu Kinen (G3) on August 20. Her trainer, Yasutoshi Ikee, marked a consecutive Sprinters Stakes victory following his win with Gendarme last year, and claimed his 22nd JRA-G1 title overall. Jockey Yuga Kawada, who partnered with the filly for the first time in this race, scored his second Sprinters Stakes title—his other win being with Fine Needle in 2018—while registering his 24th JRA-G1 win, his latest before this being the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) with Liberty Island this spring.

Mama Cocha broke smoothly, securing a good forward position behind the leaders in sixth or seventh outside race favorite Namura Clair, then advanced rapidly in the latter half along the outside to sit alongside pacesetter Jasper Krone approaching the final corner. Still in pursuit of the tenacious Jasper Krone in the early stretch, the Kurofune filly took command at the 100-meter marker while joined by Mad Cool for a duel up to the wire where the bay four-year-old filly was declared the winner by a nose margin.

“This filly is a completely different type of horse comparing to her famous sister but she has a good potential in her own right to become a good sprinter and while still winless in grade-race level coming into this race, I felt she had a good chance when I first rode her in her speedwork and at the post-race parade. She still has a lot of room for improvement and there were moments where I had to be careful in keeping her in good rhythm while she was forced out slightly by pressure from the horses in the inside between the last two corners. She did respond well though when challenged at the straight and I am glad that she was able to sustain her bid to the wire to claim the win,” commented Yuga Kawada.

Sixth favorite Mad Cool broke sharply, following the pacesetter and racing in striking distance along the rails, coming into the straight while maintaining the inside route, the gray Dark Angel colt turned in a fine turn of foot to seize the moment as the pacesetter in front began to weaken at the 100-meter marker to engage in a duel with the eventual winner and just missed by a nose in the end.

Other Horses:
4th: (13) Jasper Krone—set pace, showed tenacity after overtaken by top 2 finishers but denied by Namura Clair before wire for 4th
5th: (8) Meikei Yell—traveled 4-wide behind eventual winner, ran gamely but failed to close in on frontrunners
6th: (5) Win Marvel—was off a slow, advanced to 8th on rails, showed effort until 100m out
7th: (9) Aguri—ran in 13th, circled wide, responded well but had too much ground to make up
8th: (3) Pixie Knight—traveled in 8th, showed brief effort, lacked needed kick in last 200m
9th: (4) Naran Huleg—sat around 10th, improved position until 100m out
10th: (15) Kimiwa Queen—unhurried around 14th, showed the fastest late speed but belatedly
11th: (14) A Shin Spotter—settled around 14th, turned wide, passed tired rivals
12th: (12) Dolce More—raced 3-wide around 10th, showed little at stretch
13th: (7) All at Once—traveled in 12th, unable to reach contention
14th: (2) T M Spada—pressed pace in 2nd, dropped back due to early effort at stretch
15th: (11) Jubilee Head—trailed in rear, no factor throughout trip
16th: (16) Mozu Meimei—forwardly positioned around 3rd from widest stall, faded after final corner

THE 57TH SPRINTERS STAKES (G1)
3-year-olds & up, 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, October 1, 2023      Nakayama Racecourse         11th Race         Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 368,200,000 (about US$ 2,811,000 <US$1=¥131>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs),
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2020
Course Record: 1:06.7         Race Record: 1:06.7 [Lord Kanaloa (JPN, by King Kamehameha), 2012]
Safety factor: 16 runners     Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Cloudy

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 15,411,299,800       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 25,362,629,700       Attendance: 28,271

Winner= 13 starts: 6 wins, 2 seconds & 2 thirds / Added & stakes money: ¥ 173,402,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 284,449,000

* Sprinters Stakes (G1)

The Sprinters Stakes, initially established in 1967 as a major 1,200-meter sprint race for three-year-old and up, was designated as a spring G3 event in conjunction with the new grading system implemented in 1984. It was then upgraded to G2 in 1987 before becoming a G1 sprint race in 1990 with the date of fixture also shifted to the latter part of the season. The race now positions itself as the highest mark for sprinters together with the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1, 1,200m) held in spring.
One of the first few JRA races to open its doors to foreign entries, the Sprinters Stakes has enjoyed the participation of many outstanding sprinters from North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Hong Kong raiders have taken home the title twice so far—Silent Witness (AUS, by El Moxie) was the first foreign contender to win the title in 2005 along with Ultra Fantasy (AUS, by Encosta De Lago) in 2010—while Australia’s Takeover Target (AUS, by Celtic Swing) won the 2006 version.
Both last year’s champion Gendarme (USA, by Kitten’s Joy) and this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen victor First Force (JPN, Lord Kanaloa) retired from racing to stand as stallions.
The winners of the “Summer Sprint Series” races who entered in this sprint G1 event included: Kimiwa Queen (Hakodate Sprint Stakes [G3, 1,200m, Jun.11]), the eventual series champion Jasper Krone (CBC Sho [G3, 1,200m, Jul.2] and Kitakyushu Kinen [G3, 1,200m, Aug.20]), All at Once (Ibis Summer Dash [G3, 1,000m, Jul.30]), this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen runner-up Namura Clair (Keeneland Cup [G3, 1,200m, Aug.27]) and T M Spada (Centaur Stakes [G2, 1,200m, Sep.10]). This year’s field also included Meikei Yell, six-time graded winner, Pixie Knight, champion of 2021 Sprinters Stakes, Win Marvel, last year’s runner-up, Naran Huleg and Dolce More, respective winners of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) in 2022, and Aguri, the Hankyu Hai (G3, 1,400m) victor who came off a second in the Centaur Stakes.