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Urban Chic Claims Last of Three-Year-Old Classics in Kikuka Sho

Second favorite Urban Chic claimed the last leg of this year’s Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger). With two wins in as many starts as a two-year-old, at Sapporo over 1,800 meters and at Tokyo in the Hyakunichiso Tokubetsu (1 Win Class, 2,000m), the Suave Richard colt scored a runner-up effort, 3/4 length behind subsequent Derby winner Danon Decile in his three-year-old debut, the Keisei Hai (G3, 2,000m) in January and was fourth in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) but disappointed to 11th in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m). Coming off a summer break, Urban Chic bounced back in his fall comeback and Kikuka Sho trial, the St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m) on September 16 to score his first graded title. Trainer Ryo Takei, who opened his yard in 2014, claimed his third graded and first G1 title. Jockey Christophe Lemaire scored his 53rd JRA-G1 win following the Shuka Sho with Cervinia a week earlier. It was his consecutive Kikuka Sho title after his victory with Durezza in 2023 while having won two other titles in this race with Satono Diamond (2016) and Fierement (2018).

Urban Chic, unhurried after a smooth break, settled in mid-field in the first half of the race behind a slow pace set by Meisho Tabaru and steadily improved position, overtaking the race favorite before the backstretch. Continuing to gradually getting into gear as the field increased its pace approaching the final turn, the Suave Richard colt responded with a fine turn of speed to close in on Admire Terra and pulled away easily once overtaking that foe to claim the last leg of the three-year-old classic by a comfortable 2-1/2-length margin.

“The colt is never quick out of the gate and the race was 3,000 meters, so I let him take his time to find a good rhythm. He was able to have a breather during the race and we were able to advance nicely to a good position near the end so, once he got into gear, I knew his ability and was confident that we could make it to the wire first. He has matured well and has increased his power towards this fall season. He potentials are high and well up to G1 standards in the future,” commented Christophe Lemaire in an interview after the race.

Redentor was squeezed soon after the break but found a good rhythm sitting second from the rear. Following the fast moving Admire Terra along the backstretch then the eventual winner going into the straight for the bid, he was unable to match the winner to the wire while managing to catch Admire Terra just before the wire for second.

Admire Terra broke smoothly and eased back, sitting well off the pace up to the backstretch. Advancing along the outside overtaking the eventual winner then rapidly reaching the leaders going downhill after the 800-meter pole, the Rey de Oro colt assumed command soon after the final turn but was outrun by the winner in the last 200 meters then nosed out by Redentor just before the wire to finish third.

Race favorite Danon Decile broke sharply and secured a forward position along the rails early, but dropped back to mid-division then further back to third from the rear along the backstretch. Although showing effort to make bid advancing between horses into the straight and then shifting to the outside to time the second fastest finishing speed, the Epiphaneia colt was too late to reach contention and finished sixth.

Other Horses:
4th: (11) Shonan la Punta—sat around 10th, rallied for lead at early stretch, weakened in final strides
5th: (7) Byzantine Dream—ran 3-wide around 15th, launched fastest late drive but belatedly
7th: (12) Schwarze Kugel—settled around 4th, led after 3rd corner, showed tenacity until 200m pole
8th: (5) Hayatenofukunosuke—saved ground around 12th, circled wide, improved position
9th: (15) Ecoro Walz—set pace first half, settled back to mid-field, held on well while no threat
10th: (18) Allegro Brillante—raced around 12th, entered lane in 16th, passed tired rivals
11th: (8) West Now—traveled around 7th, met traffic at early stretch, failed to respond
12th: (6) Mr G T—hugged rails around 4th, dropped back after 3rd corner
13th: (14) Meliorem—ran around 10th, unable to reach contention
14th: (9) Cosmo Kuranda—sat near rear, made headway to 6th to enter lane, showed little
15th: (1) Peace One Duc—unhurried early, advanced to take command at 2nd corner, weakened
16th: (10) Meisho Tabaru—raced mid-group early, led briefly, overtaken before backstretch, tired at 3rd corner
17th: (3) Ask Come On More—traveled near rear on rails, no factor
18th: (2) Noble Sky—prominent early, faded after 3rd corner

THE 85TH KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER, G1)
3-year-olds, Colts and Fillies, 3,000 meters (about 15 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, October 20, 2024          Kyoto Racecourse         11th Race         Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 432,000,000 (about US$ 3,064,000 <US$1=¥141>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 2 kg allowance for Fillies, 2 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 3:01.0               Race Record: 3:01.0 [Toho Jackal (JPN, by Special Week), 2014]
Safety factor: 18 runners            Going: Good to Firm      Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 18,595,821,800       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,485,094,900       Attendance: 40,582

Winner= 7 starts: 4 wins & 1 second / Added & stakes money: ¥ 231,220,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 350,448,000

* Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1)

The history of Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger and the last leg of the Triple Crown race for three-year-old colts and fillies, dates back to 1938—a year after Japan’s 11 racing clubs integrated into one organization named Nihon Keiba Kai (forerunner of the JRA). Initially called “Kyoto Norin-sho Shoten Yonsai Yobiuma Kyoso”, the race was renamed to Kikuka Sho in 1948. The race was held at its temporary venue of Hanshin Racecourse in 2021 and 2022 while Kyoto Racecourse was undergoing renovation.
The Kikuka Sho features three-year-olds, most of who have matured dramatically during the five months following the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) and their summer break. The Kikuka Sho winners have both the speed and the stamina to prove their caliber as the potential breeding stock. The last of the eight Triple Crown winners in JRA history was Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact) who followed in the footsteps of his sire by accomplishing the feat undefeated in 2020.
This year, Tokyo Yushun champion Danon Decile commenced his autumn campaign in this race while Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) victor Justin Milano (JPN, by Kizuna) is currently sidelined from racing after being diagnosed with a tendon injury in his right foreleg. Urban Chic came off his first graded title in the St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m, Sep.16), one of the trial races for the Kikuka Sho, with Cosmo Kuranda and Ecoro Walz came off second and third, respectively, in the same race. Meisho Tabaru came off his second graded title in another trial, the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,200m, Sep.22), where June Take (JPN, by Kizuna) and Shonan la Punta followed in second and third, respectively—June Take was withdrawn from starting in the Kikuka Sho due to tendon injury in his left foreleg. The final leg of the Triple Crown also included Byzantine Dream, and Mr G T, respective winners of the Kisaragi Sho (G3, 1,800m) in February and the Wakaba Stakes (Listed, 2,000m) in March as well as Redentor and Schwarze Kugel, who came off their respective wins against older foes in the Nihonkai Stakes (3 Wins Class, 2,200m, Aug.17) and the World All-Star Jockeys 2nd leg (3 Wins Class, 2,000m, Aug.24).