Lovely Day spent his sophomore campaign knocking at the door in stakes company, and he at last broke through at that level as a 4-year-old last year when taking the Listed Metropolitan S. That effort proved his only win of the season, but he got 2015 off on the right note, earning back-to-back group scores in the G3 Nakayama Kimpai Jan. 4 and the G2 Kyoto Kinen Feb. 15., with the 2013 G1 Japanese Derby winner Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) back in third in the latter event. He could manage only sixth behind this race's favorite, Gold Ship (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), and Denim and Ruby in the 3000 meter G2 Hanshin Daishoten Mar. 22, and was a narrowly beaten eighth behind Gold Ship in the 3200 meter G1 Tenno Sho Spring May 3. Lovely Day added his third stakes win of the year when dropping back to 2000 meters to take the G3 Naruo Kinen June 6, and was dispatched the sixth choice of 16 here. Breaking well from the widest gate as two-time defending winner Gold Ship (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) played up badly one slot to his inside, blowing all chance, Lovely Day traveled a length second off an easy pace down the backstretch. Inheriting the lead when the front-running Red Davis (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}) began to tire at the top of the lane, Lovely Day pulled about two lengths clear and found the wire just in time to hold off the fast-finishing Denim and Ruby and earned an automatic start in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in this 'Win and You're In' qualifier. The talented but typically unruly Gold Ship, who spotted the field at least 15 lengths at the break after repeatedly rearing in the gate, faced an insurmountable gap and beat one home in his quest to win this for a third straight year.
“I was able to position him behind the frontrunner with ease, as the pace was slow,” said winning jockey Yuga Kawada. “He responded really well. I was aware of the mare closing in and prayed that he could fend her off. I rode him for the first time [in about a year] after he claimed three graded-race titles and felt that he was growing with every race.”
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
TAKARAZUKA KINEN-G1, ¥290,860,000, Hanshin, 6-28, 3yo/up, 2200mT, 2:14.40, 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-Yuga Kawada. ¥153,402,000.
Lifetime Record: 23-7-3-1. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Denim and Ruby (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–
Venenciador (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn).
(¥39,000,000 wnlg '10 JRHAJUL) O-Makoto Kaneko
Holdings; B-Northern Farm. ¥60,972,000.
3–Shonan Pandora (Jpn), 123, f, 4, by Deep Impact (Jpn)–
Cutie Gold (Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Tetsuhide
Kunimoto; B-Shiraoi Farm. ¥38,486,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 13.20, 30.30, 98.20.
Also Ran: Toho Jackal (Jpn), Nuovo Record (Jpn), Dia de la Madre (Jpn), Red Davis (Jpn), Lachesis (Jpn), Neo Black Dia (Jpn), Toshin Monstera (Jpn), One and Only (
Jpn), Tosen Stardom (Jpn), Curren Mirotic (Jpn), Ocean Blue (Jpn), Gold Ship (Jpn), Admire Spica (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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