Deep Impact's Mikki Isle Takes the Mile Championship

Mikki Isle | JRA

ANOTHER MILE FOR MIKKI ISLE

Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) had stamped himself among the best of his generation at three with a win in the 2014 G1 NHK Mile Cup, but a 2 1/2-year Group 1 drought ensued for the bay. That drought at last ended in Sunday's G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto, where he went gate to wire and held on to win by a brave head. Breaking sharpest from gate 16, Mikki Isle nursed a lead of about 3/4 of a length from Neorealism (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) down the backstretch. Neorealism appeared a threat in early stretch, drawing within a neck of the lead, but Mikki Isle soon disposed of that stubborn foe and had enough left to hold off a fast-finishing Classic winner Isla Bonita (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}), who nipped Neorealism for second. Mikki Isle had to see out a stewards' inquiry for drifting left in the stretch run, but was allowed to keep the win. “I apologize for interfering with the other horses in the stretch,” said jockey Suguru Hamanaka. “Mikki Isle ran really well and I was able to race him in front as planned. The horse was in good form and performed to his best in the race.”

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
MILE CHAMPIONSHIP-G1, ¥200,700,000, Kyoto, 11-20, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm.
1–MIKKI ISLE (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Star Isle (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Isle de France, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Stella Madrid, by Alydar
(¥76,000,000 yrl '12 JRHAJUL) O-Mizuki Noda; B-Northern
Farm; T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Suguru Hamanaka;
¥106,780,000. Lifetime Record: 19-8-4-1. Werk Nick Rating:
A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Isla Bonita (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Fuji Kiseki (Jpn)–Isla Cozzene, by
Cozzene. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shiraoi Farm; ¥42,080,000.
3–Neorealism (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Neo Universe (Jpn)–Tokio
Reality, by Meadowlake. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm;
¥26,540,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 4.70, 4.10, 2.20.
Also Ran: Danon Shark (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Fiero (Jpn), Garibaldi (Jpn), Magic Time (Jpn), Lord Quest (Jpn), Decipher
(Jpn), Clarente (Jpn), Win Primera (Jpn), T M Taiho (Jpn). D'accord (Jpn), Sunrise Major (Jpn), Young Man Power (Jpn),
Snow Dragon (Jpn), Satono Lupin (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video.
Mikki Isle capped a five-race win streak with his NHK Mile Cup win in 2014, but was a major disappointment when beating just one of 17 home a month later against elders in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over the same trip. He bounced back that fall when dropped down to seven furlongs in the G2 Swan S., but again put in a lacklustre effort when 13th in that year's Mile Championship. Mikki Isle went winless in 2015–mostly campaigned over sprint trips–his only on-the-board effort in five outings being a third in the six-furlong G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen. The bay bounced back to start 2016 on a winning note, taking the seven-furlong G3 Hankyu Hai Feb. 28, and he was not disgraced when 3/4 of a length second a month later in this year's renewal of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. Given a summer holiday, Mikki Isle was once again second, this time shortening the margin to a head, in the G1 Sprinters S. Oct. 2.

Pedigree Notes…

Mikki Isle is the second–and most accomplished–produce of his dam, whose four named foals are all winners. Star Isle is a winning daughter of Isle De France (Nureyev), a Grade/Group 3 winner in the U.S. and France and second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Isle De France is a half-sister to Diamond Biko (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), champion older mare in Japan, and they are out of Stellar Madrid (Alydar), winner of the GI Acorn S., GI Frizette S., GI Spinaway S. and GI Matron S. Another of their half-sisters produced the GI Ashland S. winner Lilacs and Lace (Flower Alley). Mikki Isle's fourth dam is U.S. champion sprinter My Juliet (Gallant Romeo). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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