By Alan Carasso
The yellow-and-black silks of Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. were carried to victory by the late, great Deep Impact (Jpn) in the 2005 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) and the owner will have every chance to double his tally in the staying feature in the form of Velox (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) Sunday afternoon at Kyoto Racecourse.
Out of the top three just once in his eight career trips to the post to date, Velox–a ¥48 million ($421,440) purchase as a JRHA Select Sale yearling–landed a pair of early-season listed races over the metric mile and a quarter and was a head second to the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn)-bound Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April. Third in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in his first try at 12 furlongs, the bay colt was freshened and resumed with a strong runner-up effort to Saturnalia in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai (2400m) Sept. 22. Produced by a mare by the staying influence Monsun (Ger), Sunday's trip should pose no obstacle.
“He always shows a lot of strength in his races and gives it the very best,” said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida. “He is quite an easy horse to train, and since the summer he has come on well. While it'll be his first time over 3000 meters (1 7/8 miles), and the Kyoto 3000 meters is a bit unique, again he should run to his best.”
Satono Lux (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) topped the aforementioned JRHA Select Sale on a bid of ¥270 million ($2,370,600) and was a listed winner over 11 furlongs back in February before finishing well down the field in the Guineas and the Derby. The son of G1 Fillies' Mile winner Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) made a favorable impression on his return to action, closing from midfield to fill second spot in the Sept. 16 G2 Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen (2200m), a neck better than the re-opposing Zadar (Jpn) (Tosen Ra {Jpn}).
World Premiere (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will try to follow in his father's hoofprints and the ¥240 million ($2,335,200) JRHA Select Weanling has every right to move forward off a third in the Kobe Shimbun Hai. Prior to that, he defeated Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never) at Kyoto in February and was runner-up to Velox in the Listed Wakaba S. the following month.
Red Genial (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) downed subsequent Derby hero Roger Barows (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by a neck in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai in early May before finishing eighth in the Derby itself. The dark bay was scarcely embarrassed when returning from a four-month rest in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, finishing fourth after racing prominent throughout.
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