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Undefeated Justin Milano Claims This Year’s Satsuki Sho in Record Time

Second favorite Justin Milano claimed the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), in 1:57.1, updating the course record by 0.7 seconds, and extended his winning streak since his debut to three. He is the second colt to win the race in just three career starts following last year’s winner, Sol Oriens. The son of Kizuna won his debut race (Tokyo, 2,000m) in last November and captured his first graded title in the previous Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) on February 11 under Keita Tosaki. This win marked trainer Yasuo Tomomichi’s 19th JRA-G1 title following last year’s Arima Kinen with Do Deuce and his second Satsuki Sho title following 2009 with Unrivaled. For jockey Keita Tosaki, this win marked his 12th JRA-G1 win following the Yasuda Kinen with Songline last year and his second Satsuki Sho win following 2018 with Epoca d’Oro.

Quick out of the gate, Justin Milano rushed out of stall 13 to settle fifth from frontrunner Meisho Tabaru who set an extremely fast pace. The son of Kizuna shifted slightly to the outside rounding the final corners, surged out behind Jantar Mantar after entering the lane and unleashed an explosive turn of speed to overtake the dark bay in the last two strides and cross the wire a neck in front.

“Given the condition of the track, I thought that it would be better to race toward the front. He broke well and we were able to settle in that position naturally. The pace was fast but Justin Milano ran in his own rhythm. His response weakened a bit at the third corner but he regained his focus after the fourth corner and stretched well to win the race. He’s a smart horse with a lot of potential. He’s easy to ride, and I think he can handle the longer distance,” commented Keita Tosaki.

Seventh pick Cosmo Kuranda saved ground around 10th, angled out turning the last two corners, launched the fourth fastest late drive to join the rally for the lead and, while overtaking Jantar Mantar before the wire, failed to catch Justin Milano to finish second.

Breaking sharply, third choice Jantar Mantar eased back to third after rallying for the lead, closed in on the leader in the final corners, inherited the lead at the top of the stretch and sustained the bid but weakened in the final strides to be overtaken by the eventual winner and then the runner-up before the wire.

Race favorite Regaleira was rated toward the rear, around 14th, and although turning in the fastest speed over the last three furlongs, was too far back to threaten the leaders and finished sixth.

Other Horses:
4th: (9) Urban Chic—ran in 13th, circled wide for stretch run, showed third fastest late charge
5th: (14) Shin Emperor—raced wide in 8th, chased winner, failed to keep up in last 200m
7th: (3) Ecoro Walz—trailed in rear, launched fastest late kick between horses
8th: (7) Lucullan Feast—hugged rails around 11th, lacked needed kick
9th: (1) Sunrise Zipangu—took economic trip in 7th, responded until 100m out
10th: (5) Mr G T—settled around 5th inside eventual winner, showed effort until 100m out
11th: (11) Ho O Purosangue—positioned in 10th, even paced
12th: (15) Sunrise Earth—sat wide around 11th, drifted outside at final corner, unable to reach contention
13th: (17) Byzantine Dream—broke poorly, raced near rear, checked at final corner, never threatened
14th: (4) Sirius Colt—chased pace in 2nd, remained in contention up to 200m pole
15th: (6) Allegro Brillante—tracked leader around 4th, outrun after final corner
16th: (18) Water Licht—traveled 3-wide around 14th, never fired
17th: (2) Meisho Tabaru—set fast pace, faded after top of stretch
Excluded from Running: (16) Danon Decile—lameness in his right foreleg

THE 84TH SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS, G1)
3-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, April 14, 2024         Nakayama Racecourse         11th Race        Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 432,000,000 (about US$ 3,064,000 <US$1=¥141>)
3-y-o: 57kg (about 126 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 1:57.1         Race Record: 1:57.1 [Justin Milano (JPN, by Kizuna), 2024]
Safety factor: 18 runners      Going: Good to Firm            Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 19,063,315,800       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 29,245,852,200       Attendance: 41,353

Winner= 3 starts: 3 wins / Added & stakes money: ¥ 226,264,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 274,821,000

* Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1)

The Satsuki Sho, which is the first of the three legs of JRA’s Triple Crown Classics for three-year-olds including the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) and the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), is comparable to the British Two Thousand Guineas. The “Yokohama Norinsho Shoten Yonsai Yobiuma,” the precursor of the Satsuki Sho, was first run over 1,850 meters at Yokohama Racecourse in 1939, then moved its venue to Tokyo Racecourse four years later before being given its current name and shifted again to Nakayama in 1949—the distance was also altered to 2,000 meters in the following year.
Nine of the past Satsuki Sho champions since 2005 subsequently received the JRA Best Three-Year-Old Colt Award, in recognition of their outstanding performances throughout the year—Deep Impact (JPN, Sunday Silence) in 2005, Meisho Samson (JPN, by Opera House) in 2006, Victoire Pisa (JPN, by Neo Universe) in 2010, Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2011, Gold Ship (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2012, Isla Bonita (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki) in 2014, Duramente (JPN, by King Kamehameha) in 2015, Saturnalia (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa) in 2019 and Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact) in 2020.
The 2023 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner and Best Two-Year-Old Colt Jantar Mantar kicked off the current season with a second behind Justin Milano in the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m, Feb.11), with Asahi Hai runner-up Ecoro Walz in fifth. Those who earned their Satsuki Sho berths in the trial races included Cosmo Kuranda, Shin Emperor and Sirius Colt, the top three finishers in that order in the Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2, 2,000m, Mar.3); Mr G T and Ho O Purosangue, winner and runner-up, respectively, in the Wakaba Stakes (Listed, 2,000m, Mar.16); and Sixpence (JPN, by Kizuna), Allegro Brillante and Lucullan Feast, the top three in the Spring Stakes (G2, 1,800m, Mar.17), though the winner passed up the race and will possibly head to the Tokyo Yushun on May 26. The field also included Danon Decile, Sunrise Zipangu, Byzantine Dream, Sunrise Earth and Meisho Tabaru, respective winners of the Keisei Hai (G3, 2,000m, Jan.14), the Wakagoma Stakes (Listed, 2,000m, Jan.20), the Kisaragi Sho (G3, 1,800m, Feb.4), the Sumire Stakes (Listed, 2,200m, Feb.24) and the Mainichi Hai (G3, 1,800m, Mar.23), as well as the year-end Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) winner Regaleira who aimed to become the first filly to win this race in 76 years.