Last year's victor Hokko Tarumae put his stamp on proceedings in the Tokyo Daishoten drawing off with authority to best second choice Copano Rickey at Ohi Racecourse Monday. The heavy chalk secured a stalking trip in the wake of his chief market rival one path off the rail through the early exchanges. The pace was solid with Copano Rickey covering the first half mile in :49 3/5. Dropping back to third as Royal Crest (Jpn) (Roses in May) moved up to challenge the pacesetter at the five furlong point, the 5-year-old bided his time and was sitting on go as the field turned for home three off the rail. With just over two furlongs to travel, Hokko Tarumae drew even with Copano Rickey as Royal Crest faded and the battle was on. Despite covering more ground than the resolute leader, Hokko Tarumae turned the last furlong into a procession, coasting home to win as he pleased under Hideaki Miyuki. A stubborn Copano Rickey stayed on well to be runner-up and Summit Stone, who enjoyed a ground-saving trip directly behind the top two, rounded out the trifecta. The winner began 2014 with a win over 2100 meters in the G1 Kawasaki Kinen Jan. 29 and ran second cutting back to a mile to Copano Rickey in Tokyo's G1 February S. a month later. The bay finished down the field in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Mar. 29. Given some time off, he reappeared with a fourth in a muddy renewal of the G1 JBC Classic once again to Copano Rickey (Jpn) Nov. 3 and was a half-length winner of the 1800-meter G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo last time Dec. 7. “He broke well, but I settled for second behind Copano and his response was very good after the home turn, so I knew we'd prevail,” Miyuki told Racing Post. “The Japanese record for Group 1 wins [NAR or JRA] is nine and I'm sure he can get there or even beat it.”
Monday, Tokyo, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥119,000,000 (US$986,405), Ohi, 12-29, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:03.00, yd.
1–HOKKO TARUMAE (JPN), 126, h, 5, by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
1st Dam: Madam Cherokee (Jpn), by Cherokee Run
2nd Dam: Unfoiled, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Bold Foil, by Bold Forbes
O-Michiaki Yabe; B-Ichikawa Farm; T-Katsuichi
Nishiura; J-Hideaki Miyuki; ¥70,000,000. Lifetime
Record: 27-14-3-5. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Copano Rickey (Jpn), 126, c, 4, by Gold Allure (Jpn)
–Copano Nikita (Jpn), by Timber Country. O-Sachiaki
Kobayashi; B-Yanagawa Farm; ¥24,500,000.
3–Summit Stone (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Roses in May–Taiki
Applause, by Devil's Bag. O-Goichi Kawasaki;
B-Lexington Farm; ¥14,000,000.
Margins: 4, 1 HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 3.10, 62.90.
Also Ran: Happy Sprint (Jpn), Roman Legend (Jpn), Tosen Ares (Jpn), Wonder Acute (Jpn), Chrysolite (Jpn), Pretiolas (Jpn), Fortified (Jpn), Silk Mobius (Jpn), Royal Crest (Jpn), Have a Stroll (Jpn), Tohoku Bijin (Jpn), Kitano Ittosei (Jpn), Soi Phet.
Click for the Tokyo City result, the Tokyo City PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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