By Alan Carasso
The inaugural Keeneland Korea Cup drew a full field of 16 from racing jurisdictions near and far and it was Chrysolite (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}, the clear class of the field, who bounded home a convincing winner to top a one-two result for Japan.
Winner of the Japan Dirt Derby during his sophomore season, the well-related Chrysolite defeated Kurino Star O (Jpn) (Admire Boss {Jpn}) to successfully defend his title in the Diolite Kinen at Funabashi this past March, but failed to handle a muddy track when a distant eighth to top Japanese dirt galloper Copano Rickey (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) in the Teio Sho June 29.
Drawn gate three, Chrysolite was asked for some early speed and sat up near the pace of Beolmaui Kkum (Put It Back) while three deep to the outside of Kurino Star O on the backstretch run. The latter was the first to come after the front-runner with about 600 metres to race, but jockey Joe Fujii had Chrysolite poised, shot him into the lead a quarter-mile from home and from there, it was a question of how far. Triple Nine (Kor) (Ecton Park) ran on late to be third ahead of Korean Triple Crown hero Power Blade (Kor) (Menifee) in fourth.
A paternal grandson of Sunday Silence, Chrysolite is out of a daughter of French MGSP Catherine Parr (Riverman), whose son Alondite (Jpn) (El Condor Pasa) won the Japan Cup Dirt in 2006. The winner's dam is represented by a yearling Deep Impact (Jpn) filly and foaled a full-brother to Chrysolite this past Feb. 10. Click for the Korean Racing Association chart (R10). VIDEO.
Sunday, Seoul, South Korea
KEENELAND KOREA CUP, K¥1,000,000,000 (US$911,498/£685,356/€810,640/A$1,192,201), 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:52.30, gd.
1–CHRYSOLITE (JPN), 126, h, 6, Gold Allure (Jpn)–Chrysoprase (Jpn), by El Condor Pasa. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Kanichiro Fujii; K¥560,000,000. Lifetime Record: MSW & GSP-Jpn, 30-8-9-1. *1/2 to Marialite (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), MG1SW-Jpn, $3,651,349; and Lia Fail (Jpn) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}), GSW & G1SP-Jpn, $1,135,264.
2–Kurino Star O (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Admire Boss (Jpn)–Mayano Starlight (Jpn), by Jade Robbery. (¥1,575,000 Ylg '11 HOKAUT). O-Mamoru Kurimoto. K¥210,000,000.
3–Triple Nine (Kor), 126, c, 4, Ecton Park–A Little Poke, by Pleasant Tap. O-Byeong-Bu Choi. K¥140,000,000.
Margins: 6, 10, 4. Odds: 2.40, 4.00, 13.50.
Also Ran: Power Blade (Kor), Famous Mark (Mor), Gumpo Sky (Kor), Wonder Bolt, Dynamic Dash, Saengil Gippeum, Solar Deity (Ire), Beolmaui Kkum, Infantry (NZ), Mirae Yeongung (Kor), Dynamic Jilju, Order of the Sun (Aus), Need to Know (SAf).
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