Moore Of The Same

TOKYO, Japan–It is well known that there are no certainties in racing. It also may be universally accepted that Ryan Moore could be the closest exception to that rule, and the jockey was in hot form at Tokyo on Saturday, winning six of the 12 races, of which he had rides in eight.

Moore got the day started with a win in the opener aboard 2-year-old Rapier Wit (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), a full-brother to 2013 juvenile champion Asia Express who was breaking his maiden in his fourth start on the dirt.

Next was a victory in the third race about Shadai's debuting 2-year-old colt Dark Night Moon (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a half-brother to G1 Mile Championship S. winner Sadamu Patek (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}). He made it winner number 24 for leading first-season sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) with a victory about Kazumi Yoshida's debuting Palmaria (Jpn) in the fifth, a race in which Arusha (Jpn), a Deep Impact filly out of the dual Grade I winner Zazu (Tapit), ran a very smart race to be second at first asking for Sunday Racing. Zazu was a $2.1-million Keeneland November purchase by Katsumi Yoshida in 2012, and her Deep Impact filly foal made ¥72-million (US$631,579) at the JRHA Select Foal Sale this past July. Arusha looks to have a good shot to be Zazu's first winner, and a smart one at that.

Win number four for Moore came about the 4-year-old Stay Gold (Jpn) mare Corcovado (Jpn) over 2400 metres on the turf in race seven, and he made it a double in race eight aboard Foggy Night (Jpn) (Tapit), who was in utero when his dam was bought by Shadai Farm for $2.7-million at Fasig November in 2013, and who was subsequently sold to Kaneko Makoto for ¥230-million (US$1,872,200) as a yearling at the JRHA Select Sale. The 3-year-old colt is now three for four lifetime, all on the dirt.

Moore ended the day the way he started it, with a win, taking the last aboard Katsumi Yoshida's Alla Salute (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).

Moore is certainly no stranger to Japan, its horsemen and patrons–as evidenced by the fans clamouring for his autograph after each race–having done numerous stints in the country as well as jetting in for major races, and Aidan O'Brien's retained rider partners Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Japan Cup on Sunday. Moore has experience winning the Japan Cup, having ridden Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to her second victory in 2013.

Also giving the Tokyo racecard a look of familiarity to this American-based writer was a win by Sheikh Mohammed's Hard Spun 2-year-old Prosperous Days (Jpn) in a mile dirt race for newcomers. In fact, Hard Spun had a winner on the same day at Kyoto, and they are a product of the sire's one season at Darley Japan in Hokkaido. Hard Spun currently sits eighth on the first-season sire's table with eight winners, those coming from a crop of 82, 33 of which have run.

I learned on Saturday that Tokyo also stages jumps racing, and ironically the winner of the 3000 metre steeplechase was sired by former American champion sprinter Aldebaran. Some extra excitement was injected into the steeplechase when suddenly, as the field turned into the straight, they jinked to the right (intentionally) and onto the dirt course for the final two furlongs. I have been racing in something like 12 countries, and I can confidently say a mid-race surface change was something new for me!

Speaking of surfaces, Saturday's races were staged over a firm course, with sunshine on Friday and Saturday–which is expected to continue into Sunday–having likely dispelled concerns of soft going for Sunday's feature.