Japan's 2015 crop of 3-year-old colts looks to be a strong one and the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho proved a fine contest, just with a different winner than one might expect. Undefeated Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), second choice on the board at 8-5, lowered the colors of previously unbeaten and 4-5 favorite 2015 Japanese champion juvenile male Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) by a neck in a thrilling finish, with G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. hero Air Spinel (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) two lengths back in third. The trio was a further five lengths clear of the rest of the field in this prep for the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas here Apr. 17.
Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
HOCHI HAI YAYOI SHO-G2, ¥104,720,000 (US$919,526), Nakayama, 3-6, 3yo, 2000mT, 1:59.90, fm.
1–@MAKAHIKI (JPN), 123, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Wikiwiki (Jpn), by French Deputy
2nd Dam: Real Number (Arg), by Rainbow Corner (GB)
3rd Dam: Numeraria (Arg), by Southern Halo
O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuo
Tomomichi; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥54,854,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥26,196,000. *Full to Uliuli (Jpn), MGSW-Jpn, $2,227,158.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Leontes (Jpn), 121, c, 3, by King Kamehameha (Jpn)–
Cesario (Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern
Farm; ¥22,244,000.
3–Air Spinel (Jpn), 123, c, 3, by King Kamehameha(Jpn)–Air
Messiah (Jpn), by Sunday Silence. O-Lucky Field Inc.; B-Shadai
Farm; ¥14,122,000.
Margins : NK, 2, 5. Odds: 1.60, 0.90, 3.20.
Also Ran: Taisei Summit (Jpn), Admire Eikan (Jpn), Edict (Jpn), Imagine That (Jpn), Moses (Jpn), Mo Katteru (Jpn), Sha La La (Jpn), Ken Hovawart (Jpn), Vigor Edge (Jpn).
Click for the Racing Post result, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA VIDEO.
Carrot Farm's Leontes sealed his championship season with a win in the Dec. 20 G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. over Air Spinel (Jpn) and looked to remain unbeaten, but the Makoto Kaneko Holdings representative had other ideas and raced freely near the tail of the field well off the fence as Ken Hovawart (Jpn) (Marvelous Sunday {Jpn}) set a solid pace through the early stages. Leontes tracked from fourth and a very keen Air Spinel laid just behind his nemesis a few lengths adrift in fifth. Ken Hovawart covered the first 1000 metres in :59.5 and led until the final bend, but Leontes pounced three deep at the head of the home straight and quickly opened up on his rivals. The nearly black colt appeared to have the race at his mercy, but Makahiki was winding up widest of all with powerful strides and Air Spinel was also finishing well, albeit in the two path. Leontes kept finding in deep stretch to hold off the latter handily, but Makahiki nipped him on the line by a neck.
A winner of an 1800-metre newcomer race at Kyoto Oct. 18, Makahiki added the Listed Wakagoma S. going this trip there in his sophomore bow Jan. 23. Out of the winning French Deputy mare Wikiwiki (Jpn), Makahiki's older full-sister Uliuli (Jpn) has already struck twice at the group level in Japan, while his second dam is Argentinean Group 1 winner Real Number (Arg). His third dam is G1 Polla de Potrancas (Argentine 1000 Guineas) heroine Numeraria (Arg).
@HLAndersonTDN
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