Even with the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in the books, all eyes may still be on a filly in this week’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, a race traditionally dominated by colts. The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes will be held on Dec. 18 over the same course and distance at Hanshin as last week’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, convincingly won by Soul Stirring, the first-year crop of the great Frankel. Naturally, the eyes of the Japanese racing world have shifted this week to the other Frankel filly nominated for this race, Mi Suerte, whose performance from her two career wins in as many starts were eye-opening, to say the least.
However, Mi Suerte will not have history on her side, as it has been 36 years – Tenmon in 1980 (when the race was still called “Asahi Sansai Stakes”) – since a filly took the winner’s circle in this race, and since the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies was established as an all-filly’s race in 1991, this has basically been a race for the colts. In 2013, Bel Canto, a filly by Sakura Bakushin O who went on win multiple Graded races in her career, was targeted to this race and was backed as the third favorite but succumbed to 10th. In fact, in the past five years, there have only been three fillies who have challenged the boys in this race, and the highest finish was a 9th-place run by Gris Sage in 2013.
Major lead-up, Graded races to this race include the Grade 2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (at Kyoto over 1,600m), Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (at Tokyo over 1,600m) and Grade 2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (at Tokyo over 1,400m), and Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (at Tokyo over 1,800m). However, the four winners from 2011 to 2014 all came from the 1-win (allowance) class, and last year, Leontes became the first horse in the history of this race to win it coming straight from the newcomer race.
Also, a look at this year’s nominated horses presents some interesting bloodline trends not seen in recent years. Crops by the three of the highest covering fee stallions worldwide – Deep Impact, Frankel and Dubawi – are all in the field, as well as those by Rulership, a first-crop sire, and Pioneerof the Nile, sire to US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. There are 21 nominations for a maximum 18 horse field, with the winner receiving a 700 million yen check. The Asahi Futurity Stakes is the 11th race on the Sunday card at Hanshin on Dec. 18, and post time is scheduled for 15:40 local time.
Here is a look at some contenders among the nominated horses:
Mi Suerte: Similar to last week’s Soul Stirring, she comes into this race with a 2-for-2 perfect record. A close analysis of the Frankel-sired filly’s prep race, the 1,400-meter Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Kyoto Racecourse, provides an insight into how strong she could be in the upcoming race. Mi Suerte missed the jump from the inner most gate and travelled near the end of the pack throughout the race. She was still third from the rear as the field hit the final straight, with the leader Show Way, which went on to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind for second, creating an even-paced race and leaving enough for the end. Show Way went on to close the final two furlongs of the race in 11.1, 11.4 seconds, and Mi Suerte passed that horse in a blink of an eye – and that was all without a whip from jockey Yuga Kawada. Mi Suerte’s final 3 furlong time was 33.6 seconds, which was tied for the fastest of the field, but more than the time itself, her ability to change gears in the final furlongs left a deep impression. “Missing the start was somewhat expected,” trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said. “And instead of pulling against the jockey’s hands, it was good that she was able to experience that kind of a race, sitting well behind the other runners and saving until the end.” She is expected to be ridden by Kawada once again with the Sunday Racing colors.
Red en Ciel: One of four unbeaten horses among the nominated horses, the Manhattan Cafe-sired colt is back from a 2 1/2-month break after winning the open class Momiji Stakes in mid-October at Kyoto. After winning his debut in Sapporo, the Yasushi Shono-trained colt proved he can adjust to the fast surface as well, clocking the final 600 meters in 33.6 seconds. Yuichi Fukunaga had ridden Red en Ciel for both of his starts, but with the jockey sidelined due to injury, young Frenchman Vincent Cheminaud is scheduled to get the ride for owner, Tokyo Horse Racing Co. Ltd.
Satono Ares: One of three Deep Impact colts among the nominations, Satono Ares is off a win of the Begonia Sho, a mile race at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 27. This one-win, allowance class race has produced two of the last four winners in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. The Begonia Sho win came after a two-month break, and with a race under his belt, he seems to be improving and developing at the right time. “He is in his growth period, and compared to when he made his debut, he has filled up and his movements in training have changed drastically,” assistant trainer Daisuke Tsumagari said. Both the owner and trainer are fresh off Grade 1 wins, with owner, Hajime Satomi and known for his “Satono” title for his horses, won his first overseas Grade 1 in the Hong Kong Vase with Satono Crown and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa winning last week’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with Soul Stirring. Ridden by Ryan Moore in the Begonia Sho, Satono Ares is scheduled to be ridden by veteran Hirofumi Shii.
Danburite: Trained by Hidetaka Otonashi of Ritto Training Center, the Rulership-sired colt is off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup at Tokyo. Both of his runs have been over the mile distance and, in both races, he has shown ability to sit well and save his best for the home stretch. The only question mark with Danburite is that he has never raced right-handed. Christophe Lemaire, who marked eight wins in the two racing days last weekend and has overtaken Keita Tosaki by a win in the JRA jockey rankings, will be expected to get the ride with the Sunday Racing colors.
Other notables include
* Trust, by Screen Hero and winner of the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes in early September. Sent out as the third favorite, he is off a 5th-place finish in his prep run, the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes over 1,800 meters at Tokyo.
* Tagano Asura, a Manhattan Cafe-sired colt who is off a win of the 1-win class (allowance) Kigiku Sho at Kyoto, in which jockey Yutaka Take took the lead early and never relinquished the lead to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Again, he is scheduled to be ridden by Take.
* Clear the Track, colt by Deep Impact out of Crow Canyon, is 1-for-1 and will have to pass the draw to get into the 18-horse field. If he does get in, he could be a threat for his counterparts, as he has the pedigree – full brother to Camino Tassajara (winner of the 2013 Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho) and Lavender Valley (3rd place in the Grade 3 Tulip Sho) – and is trained by Grade 1 regular Katsuhiko Sumii, who sent off Leontes to win this race last year. If he is selected into the field, Mirco Demuro is scheduled to get the ride with the Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. colors.
* Levante Lion, Pioneerof the Nile-sired colt and winner of the Grade 3 Hakodate Nisai Stakes in late July. He is trained by the current leading trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
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