Lovely Day prevails in Takarazuka Kinen, garners BC Turf
berth
Odds-on favorite Gold Ship (Stay Gold), seeking to become the first horse to
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is an international series of races whose winners
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Sent off at odds of 14-1 before a crowd of 68,354, Lovely Day, trained by
Yasutoshi Ikee, rushed out from the widest stall and traveled just off the pace
in second behind Red Davis (Agnes Tachyon) who set a slow pace. Pressing the
pace until the top of the homestretch, Lovely Day inherited the lead from the
tiring frontrunner with 200 meters to go and accelerated strongly while holding
off the powerful late charge by Denim and Ruby for his first Grade 1 title.
The 31-1 Denim and Ruby traveled second from last and, angling to the outside
once entering the homestretch, unleashed a ferocious late charge, running the
fastest of the field in the last three furlongs, for a neck second. Longshot
Shonan Pandora (Deep Impact), after breaking smoothly from the rail, eased back
to mid-division while hugging the rails. The four-year-old filly slipped out
from the pack to chase the winner through the inner route and although overtaken
by Denim and Ruby 100 meters out, held on well to finish third. Toho Jackal
(Special Week) finished fourth.
The six-year-old Gold Ship missed the break, being fractious in the gate, and
was used up trying to make up for the delay to finish second from last.
“I was able to position him behind the frontrunner with ease as the pace was
slow and tried to race him with good rhythm,” said winning jockey Kawada. “I was
a bit worried about the track (with the effect of the rain), but he responded
really well. I was aware of the mare closing in and prayed that he can fend her
off. I rode him for the first time (in about a year) after he claimed three
grade-race titles and felt that he is growing with every race.”
Lovely Day covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:14.4 over a firm turf course in
winning for the fourth time in six starts this year. He came into the Takarazuka
Kinen off a two-length victory in the 1 1/4-mile Naruo Kinen (Jpn-G3) at
Hanshin on June 6. He returned to the solid form displayed at the start of the
year when won both the 1 1/4-mile Nikkan Sports Sho Nakayama Kimpai (Jpn-G3) at
Nakayama and the 1 3/8 mile-Kyoto Kinen (Jpn-G2), but faltered against tougher
company when sixth in the 1 7/8-mile Hanshin Daishoten (Jpn-G2) on March 22 and
wound up eighth in the two-mile Tenno Sho Spring (Jpn-G1) at Kyoto on May 3.
The victory was also the 12th career Grade 1 training win for Ikee.
This Takarazuka Kinen was the fourth international “Win and You’re In” berth
for a spot in the Turf offered by the Breeders’ Cup this year. On April 11,
Criterion (Sebring), won the Queen Elizabeth S. (Aus-G1) at Royal Randwick in
Australia to become the first qualifier. Ordak Dan (Hidden Truth) became the
second when he won the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (Arg-G1) at Palermo in Buenos
Aires, and Barolo (Northern Afleet) won the Grande Premio Brasil (Brz-G1) on
June 21 in Rio de Janeiro at Hipodromo Gavea.
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