An also-ran in the Japanese Classics at three, Lovely Day was clearly an unfinished product back then but at the age of five, is now developing into a top-level runner with the ability to snatch some of the country's most important prizes. The winner of the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Nakayama Kim S. Jan. 4 and the G2 Kyoto Kinen Feb. 15 over 10 and 11 furlongs, respectively, Lovely Day was sixth and eighth behind Gold Ship (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) when stepping up 15 and 16 furlongs, respectively, for the G2 Hanshin Daishoten Mar. 22 and the G1 Tenno Sho Spring May 3. The dark bay returned to the winner's circle when dropped back to 10 furlongs for the G3 Naruo Kinen June 6, and earned his first win at the highest level next out in the G1 Takarazuka Ninen over 11 furlongs June 28. Given a summer holiday thereafter, Lovely Day picked up right where he left off, winning the G2 Kyoto Daishoten over 1 1/2 miles Oct. 12, and this win was his fourth-straight. Racing keenly on the fence in fourth, Lovely Day appeared full of run when moved into the clear at the top of the lane and, after overtaking the front-running Clarente (Jpn) (Dance In The Dark {Jpn}) in midstretch, had enough left in the tank to hold off a cavalry charge that included Staphanos and Isla Bonita. Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said, “we still have future races to think about so he wasn't completely tuned up, but for a second autumn start, he was in good form. The horse has developed beautifully and has entered his prime. We have the Japan Cup in mind as his next start. We'll carefully prepare him race by race.”
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
TENNO SHO AUTUMN-G1, ¥291,400,000, Tokyo, 11-1, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:58.40, fm.
1–LOVELY DAY (JPN), 128, h, 5, by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
1st Dam: Popcorn Jazz (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Grace Rumor (Jpn), by Ton Bin (Ire)
3rd Dam: Disc Jockey (Jpn), by Real Shadai
O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasutoshi
Ikee; J-Suguru Hamanaka. ¥153,780,000. Lifetime Record:
25-9-3-1. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Staphanos (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Kokoshnik
(Jpn), by Kurofune. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm;
¥61,080,000.
3–Isla Bonita (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Fuji Kiseki (Jpn)–Isla Cozzene, by
Cozzene. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shiraoi Farm; ¥38,540,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, NO. Odds: 2.40, 33.30, 10.70.
Also Ran: Shonan Pandora (Jpn), Ambitious (Jpn), Clarente (Jpn), Pelusa (Jpn), Decipher (Jpn), A Shin Hikari (Jpn), Spielberg (Jpn), Admire Deus (Jpn), Last Impact (Jpn), Curren Mirotic (Jpn), D'accord (Jpn), Derby Fizz (Jpn), One and Only (Jpn), Satono Crown (Jpn), Vincennes (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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