Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) stamped himself as a stayer of the highest quality when winning last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), and the bay confirmed that status with a win in Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho Spring, one of the most important races in his division on the Japanese calendar. Breaking sharply from the inside gate, Kitasan Black bounded straight to the lead under Yutaka Take and held an advantage of just over a length around the first of three turns and past the stands for the first time. Maintaining a similar margin and a moderate tempo down the backstretch, Kitasan Black was full of run at the top of the lane but had to contend with a game Curren Mirotic (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), who headed him in midstretch. That pair engaged in a head-bobbing battle over the final 150 metres, with Kitasan Black re-rallying to get his nostril down on the wire. Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), settled midpack early, followed a clear path up the fence to get up for third.
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
TENNO SHO (SPRING)-G1, ¥291,400,000, Kyoto, 5-1, 4yo/up, 3200mT, 3:15.30, fm.
1–KITASAN BLACK (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Black Tide (Jpn)
1st Dam: Sugar Heart (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Otome Gokoro (Jpn), by Judge Angelucci
3rd Dam: Tizly, by Lyphard
O-Ono Shoji Inc; B-Yanagawa Farm; T-Hisashi Shimizu; J-Yutaka
Take; ¥153,780,000. Lifetime Record: 10-6-1-2. *1/2 to
Shonan Bach (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $624,964. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
A++.
2–Curren Mirotic (Jpn), 128, g, 8, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Star Mie, by
A.P. Indy. O-Takashi Suzuki; B-Northern Farm; ¥61,080,000.
3–Cheval Grand (Jpn), 128, c, 4, by Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Halwa
Sweet (Jpn), by Machiavellian. O-Kazuhiro Sasaki; B-Northern
Farm; ¥38,540,000.
Margins: NO, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 3.50, 98.20, 5.40.
Also Ran: Tanta Alegria (Jpn), Toho Jackal (Jpn), Albert (Jpn), Fata Morgana (Jpn), Fame Game (Jpn), Admire Deus (Jpn), Reve Mistral (Jpn), Satono Noblesse (Jpn), Gold Actor (Jpn), Twinkle (Jpn), Phantom Light (Jpn), Sounds of Earth (Jpn), Meiner Nedalist (Jpn), Yamanin Voielactee (Jpn), Tosen Reve (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
“I was intending to settle him in a good position after the start,” said Take of Kitasan Black. “He ran an ideal race–he responded beautifully. He's not the type with an enormous burst of speed, so we made an early bid. It was so close but I'm glad he never gave up, and stretched the way he did.”
Kitasan Black did not start as a juvenile, but made up for lost time when winning his first three outings last year, including the G2 Fuji TV Sho Spring S. (Japanese 2000 Guineas Trial). He could manage only third in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) three weeks later, and faltered to finish 14th in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May. Given a customary summer holiday thereafter, Kitasan Black rebounded to take the G2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen Sept. 21, and doubled up in the Kikuka Sho a month later. A respectable third against elders in the G1 Arima Kinen to close out the season Dec. 27, Kitasan Black made a belated start to his 4-year-old campaign when second in the G2 Sankei Osaka Hai over an inadequate 2000 metres Apr. 3.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
