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Undefeated Jantar Mantar Dominates the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes

Race favorite Jantar Mantar claimed this year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, marking his third consecutive win in as many career starts to become the first Palace Malice colt to win a JRA-G1 title. Breaking his maiden in his debut start in October (Kyoto, 1,800m), he registered his first graded title in the following Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) on November 11. In this race, trainer Tomokazu Takano claimed his sixth JRA-G1 victory following his title in the Mile Championship with Namur a month earlier, while jockey Yuga Kawada registered his 26th JRA-G1 title following his Shuka Sho win with Liberty Island in October and his third Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes victory—he has won the race with Danon Premium in 2017 and Grenadier Guards in 2020.

Jantar Mantar, breaking smoothly from the third stall, settled in mid-division, around seventh, by the rails and continued to save ground rounding the corners to take command at the top of the stretch. Though challenged by rivals in the straight, the Palace Malice dark bay found another gear in the last 200 meters to pull away and managed to hold off the fast-closing Ecoro Walz before the wire to prevail by 1-1/4 length.

“I urged him to go a bit earlier than planned as it didn’t seem like we were going to get a clear path. He has a good character and he’s a highly capable horse, so I think he will continue to grow and I look forward to his future races,” commented jockey Yuga Kawada.

Breaking from the innermost stall, fourth choice Ecoro Walz eased back to trail in the rear, angled out entering the lane and, though still trailing in the very rear at the 200-meter pole, launched a tremendous late charge to pass all his rivals but the winner for a runner-up seat.

Fifth pick Tagano Elpida broke sharply to chase the leaders in third, circled wide and while unable to keep up with the winner, sustained the bid to rally for a runner-up spot but was denied by Ecoro Walz just before the wire to finish third, a neck behind the runner-up.

Other Horses:
4th: (14) June Take—ran around 15th early, made headway on outer path, closed in strongly on leaders
5th: (12) Tagano Dude—raced 3-wide around 13th, passed one by one on outer stretch
6th: (4) Satomino Kirari—hugged rails around 13th, showed effort for 2nd place until 100m out
7th: (6) Set Up—set pace early, rallied briefly after entering lane, weakened in last 200m
8th: (8) Danon McKinley—saved ground around 5th, launched brief charge, even paced in last 200m
9th: (11) Taiki Vainqueur—traveled 3-wide around 11th, responded until 100m out
10th: (17) Strauss—was off slow, keen to go, led before 3rd corner, faded after 200m pole
11th: (13) Namura Hooker—sat 3-wide around 7th, showed effort up to 200m pole, needed more
12th: (10) Band Shell—positioned 3-wide around 5th, struggled to find clear path, unable to quicken
13th: (15) Enya Love Faith—ran 4-wide around 7th, checked at early stretch, dropped position
14th: (7) Awesome Stroke—settled around 7th outside winner, showed little at stretch
15th: (16) Ask One Time—raced near rear, showed brief response, met traffic 200m out
16th: (9) Clean Air—tracked leaders around 3rd, outrun at final corner, found little room
17th: (2) Miltenberg—traveled around 11th, dropped back after 200m pole

THE 75TH ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES (G1)
2-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 17, 2023     Hanshin Racecourse          11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 152,200,000 (about US$ 1,162,000 <US$1=¥131>)
2-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs),
1 kg allowance for Fillies, 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 1:32.3              Race Record: 1:32.3 [Grenadier Guards (JPN, by Frankel), 2020]
Safety factor: 18 runners           Going: Good to Firm         Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 15,354,459,900       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 25,548,924,500       Attendance: 17,078

Winner= 3 starts: 3 wins / Added & stakes money: ¥ 71,218,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 116,810,000

* 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.
Coming off their respective second wins into this year’s edition were Ecoro Walz (Cosmos Sho [Open Class, 1,800m, Aug.13]), Set Up (Sapporo Nisai Stakes [G3, 1,800m, Sep.2]), Jantar Mantar (Daily Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,600m, Nov.11]), Satomino Kirari (Two-Year-Olds [1 Win Class, 1,400m, Nov.18]), Strauss (Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,800m, Nov.18]), Danon McKinley (Shumeigiku Sho [1 Win Class, 1,400m, Nov.19]), Awesome Stroke (Begonia Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Nov.26]) and June Take (Koyamaki Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Dec.3]). The field also included Ask One Time, winner of the Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) in September, and Enya Love Faith and Namura Hooker who finished second and third, respectively, in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes.