Second favorite Lord Kanaloa, ridden by Yasunari Iwata, exerted a strong late
charge, despite the strong crosswind from the approaching typhoon, to capture
his first Grade 1 victory in a course-record time of 1:06.7 in Sunday’s
Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama. His victory prevented stablemate Curren Chan from
achieving her third consecutive Grade 1 sprint race victory.
After claiming his first graded victory in the Grade 3 Keihan Hai in November
last year, Lord Kanaloa followed up in the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes and finished
third to Curren Chan in his first Grade 1 challenge in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen
earlier this season. With a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Centaur Stakes prior
to this win, Lord Kanaloa has an outstanding record with seven wins, two seconds
and a third out of 10 starts at this six-furlong trip on turf.
This win marks Iwata’s first Sprinters Stakes victory and his fourth Grade 1
win this year, and his 16th career win at the Japan Racing Association’s top
level. Trainer Takayuki Yasuda achieved a one-two finish and a consecutive
Sprinters Stakes victory following last year’s win with Curren Chan.
Breaking smoothly from the outermost stall, Lord Kanaloa was eased back by
Iwata to mid-division to race behind race favorite Curren Chan, while the front
group of three to four horses including Majin Prosper, Dasher Go Go and last
year’s runner-up Pas de Trois, alternated the lead to set the pace.
As the field of 16 led by Majin Prosper turned through the last corners, Lord
Kanaloa traveled wide, still marking Curren Chan in front. Once reaching the top
of the homestretch, the King Kamehameha colt surged out together with the
defending champion and readily responded to Iwata’s urging, running past his
rival 100 meters out to a comfortable three-quarter length victory.
“I was determined to do our very best in preparing both Curren Chan and Lord
Kanaloa for the race fans that had favored them as race favorite and second
favorite,” Yasuda said, “and I am very happy to have been able to meet their
expectations. To be honest, I wanted them both to win. So it’s a mixed feeling
to accept the fact that one of them had to defeat the other.
“Lord Kanaloa had just come off a long (three months) spell in his last start
(Centaur Stakes) and was a bit slow in responding at the stretch in that race.
But he had improved considerably since then, so I was quite confident this time.
He gave a great record-breaking performance. I will have to see how he pulls out
of this race and future plans will have to be discussed with the owners —
possible overseas challenge included.”
“He felt livelier than he was last time out, both in the paddock and the post
parade,” Iwata noted, “so I was confident that he had plenty to give in the
race. Because we started from the outermost stall, I didn’t have any specific
plan — played it by ear — refrained from any rush and concentrated on keeping
him in good rhythm. Thankfully for us, the race ran at a very fast pace, making
it easier for us to get into the flow of overtaking the early leaders.
“Curren Chan was right in front of me during the whole trip, so it was only
natural for us to surge together and rally side-by-side in the final stage,”
Iwata continued. “At this point, I knew that I still had a lot of horse beneath
me and was confident that we got hold of the title. I am thankful to the trainer
and his stable staff for conditioning this talented colt to such good form for
this race, and I am confident that Lord Kanaloa is capable of competing at an
international level overseas — he has the power, speed and the mentality to
stand against the high standard sprinters overseas.”
Ninth choice Dream Valentino, who traveled in midfield around 10th from the
front, threaded between the horses at the beginning of the homestretch and
displayed a convincing late charge to close in on the runner-up Curren Chan to a
neck third. Centaur Stakes winner Epice Arome traveled fifth from the rear and
ran persistently after turning wide around the corners to finish three-quarters
of a length behind Dream Valentino in fourth.
Hong Kong invader Lucky Nine missed his break, traveled third from rear and
finished strongly at the homestretch after circling the slower horses in front
to the outside to finish fifth, a nose behind Epice Arome.
Lucky Nine’s connections were left wondering what might have been.
“He broke in air at the start and missed his break, which cost him the race,”
jockey Brett Prebble commented. “He also had to angle out around the slower
horses in front after racing behind. His turn of speed was so good — it’s
really too bad.”
“It’s a little bit heart-wrenching really because if it hadn’t been for the
start — just prior to the jump, he got a little bit nervy — looking at the
replay, he’s clearly the winner — and he was in great form,” trainer Caspar
Fownes lamented. “And then prior to that corner, he just had to come off that
horse’s heels and lose another few lengths. He was still just about two lengths
off at the 500-meter mark but couldn’t get space between horses and had to peel
his way around, which cost him again, and was five-lengths off in the 300 meter
mark. He gave a strong finish. It’s just the start that cost him the race
really.
Fellow Hong Kong shipper Little Bridge, winner of the Group 1 King’s Stand at
Royal Ascot, was run off his feet. He hugged the rail in good position, around
fifth from the front, but failed to respond after struggling to keep with the
fast pace in the homestretch and finished 10th.
“The pace was too fast for the horse,” trainer Danny Shum said. “After his
race in June in England, he was away from racing for three months and he wasn’t
able to regain his fitness to 100 percent.”
“The pace run in Japan is so fast — much faster compared to Hong Kong,”
jockey Zac Purton said. “The horse was struggling to keep his position. If he
had been able to have just one run before coming to this race, it would have
been different. To win a race here, you have to be 120 percent fit — with a
long time off after his race in England, even if Danny had his weight back to
what he was at Ascot, the fitness was not back to that level.”
The other international, Singapore’s Captain Obvious, broke sharply and
briefly rallied for the lead, but was unable to keep up with the pace. Outrun
early, he faded to 15th of 16.
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