Keiai Nautique landed his first grade-race victory in this year’s NHK Mile Cup. Debuting in June of his two-year-old season, the Deep Impact colt finished third in the 2017 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) in November prior to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) in which he finished fourth. Raced at a mile throughout his career, he registered a win in his second start as a sophomore and had come off a runner-up effort in the New Zealand Trophy (G2) for the NHK Mile Cup. Trainer Osamu Hirata claimed his fourth JRA-G1 title with the win—the latest being the 2017 Champions Cup with Gold Dream—while the NHK Mile Cup title was his second after with Curren Black Hill in 2012. Jockey Yusuke Fujioka, who came into the race with 28 graded titles since his debut in 2004, captured his first career JRA-G1 title.
Keiai Nautique was unhurried after the break sitting well behind the race, second from last and still well behind while moving to the outside for a clear path entering the stretch. Despite having to cover much ground along the outermost route, the bay colt mowed down his rivals with great force and continued to increase his speed in the final strides to pin down Gibeon while holding off Red Veyron for a neck victory.
“He was a bit slow to pick up speed so we had to race from behind, but he more than made up with his speed and sheer determination. His potential is so great and I think he can handle longer distance,” commented Yusuke Fujioka.
Gibeon broke sharply and nicely covered between horses, settling in mid-division. As the field rounded the final corner, Gibeon responded instantly, split horses and pulled away with plenty of gas as some began to tire at the top of the stretch while just missing by a neck before the wire for second.
Red Veyron, while having to race wide for most of the way after breaking from stall 17, made steady headway along the outside and exerted a fine turn of speed to threaten the leaders in the final furlong but was just short of reaching the top two for a close third.
Race favorite Tower of London under Christophe Lemaire stumbled at the start and was rated a little further back in mid-field. Shifting to the inside along the rails rounding the third and final corners, the pair struggled to find a clear path which never materialized after entering the straight, and the two-time graded winner was pinched back behind a wall of horses in mid-stretch, lost momentum and faded to 12th.
Other Horses:
4th: (16) Mr Melody―advanced to 4th from wide draw, ran gamely for 2nd, outrun in final strides
5th: (5) Primo Scene―broke slowly, checked at 3rd corner, 15th entering lane, quickened and rallied
6th: (10) Pax Americana―ran wide around 10th, accelerated until 100m out, weakened in final strides
7th: (8) Danon Smash―pressed pace in 2nd, ran gamely until 150m out, weakened
8th: (1) Katsuji―was off slow, saved ground around 9th, struggled to find clear path
9th: (14) Delta Barows―trailed in rear, angled wide, passed tired rivals
10th: (15) Cassius―settled wide around 6th, ran gamely but met traffic passing 200m pole
11th: (6) Ryono Tesoro―raced around 11th, lacked needed kick at stretch
13th: (4) Frontier―sat near pace around 5th, met traffic 200m out, lost momentum
14th: (3) Tetradrachm―led field until 300m out, tired from early effort
15th: (2) Fast Approach―chased leader around 3rd along the rails, shuffled back by rivals and faded
16th: (13) Lucas―traveled 3rd from rear, showed little in stretch
17th: (12) Encore Plus―sat around 14th, unable to reach contention
18th: (18) Rock This Town―positioned wide around 8th, faded after 400m out
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