By Heather Anderson
In a field populated with no less than five Group 1 winners, it was the Hideko Kondo homebred colt Ambitious (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) that added the G2 Sankei Osaka Hai to his burgeoning resume at Hanshin Sunday. As it turned out, Ambitious led that high-class quintet across the line to claim the top six spots. Second choice in the wagering at 5-2, with only Lovely Day (Jpn (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) more popular at 2-1, Ambitious settled in a wide second from stall nine before sidling closer to the fence once he reached the back straight, as 2015 G1 Japanese St. Leger scorer Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) showed the way through the first 1000 metres in 1:01.1 while on a loose rein. Lovely Day, meanwhile, saved ground in seventh against the pine through the early going. Ambitious began to edge marginally closer to Kitasan Black leaving the final bend, but had work to do inside the last 200 metres. Pilot Norihiro Yokoyama got busy on Ambitious in upper stretch and the nearly black colt responded, whittling down Kitasan Black's advantage with every stride. Despite his earlier exertions on the front end, Kitasan Black only grudgingly gave way inside the final 50 metres, as Ambitious secured a neck victory. Shonan Pandora (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a dual winner at the highest level in Japan made up some late ground to take third, while favored Lovely Day, in his first run since landing the G1 Autumn Tenno Sho Nov. 1, displayed some late interest to be a running-on fourth.
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
SANKEI OSAKA HAI-G2, ¥128,820,000 (US$1,152,983), Hanshin, 4-3, 4yo/up, 2000mT, 1:59.30, fm.
1–AMBITIOUS (JPN), 123, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Carnival Song (Jpn), by El Condor Pasa
2nd Dam: Carniola (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Carnival Spirit (GB), by Kris (GB)
O-Hideko Kondo; B-Tsuji Farm; T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Norihiro
Yokoyama; ¥67,784,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-1-2. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kitasan Black (Jpn), 128, c, 4, by Black Tide (Jpn)–Sugar
Heart (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Jpn). O-Ono Shoji Inc.;
B-Yanagawa Farm; ¥27,224,000.
3–Shonan Pandora (Jpn), 123, m, 5, by Deep Impact (Jpn)–Cutie
Gold (Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Tetsuhide Kunimoto; B-Shiraoi
Farm; ¥17,112,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 2.90, 5.20, 4.90.
Also Ran: Lovely Day (Jpn), Isla Bonita (Jpn), Nuovo Record (Jpn), Red Raven (Jpn), Action Star (Jpn), Touching Speech (Jpn), Meiner Lacrima (Jpn), Nishino B Quick (Jpn).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video.
A winner of both his juvenile starts going 1600 metres, Ambitious ran third to this year's G1 Dubai Turf hero Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) stepped up in class in the 1800-metre G3 Kyodo News Service Hai at Tokyo last February and filled the same position in Hanshin's Listed Mainichi Hai tried over this course a month later. Returned to Tokyo, he got the job done extended to 2000 metres in the Listed Principal S. May 9 and saluted in Fukushima's G3 Radio Nikkei Sho July 5. Given a freshening, Ambitious ran off the board in the G2 Mainichi Okan at Tokyo Oct. 11 and improved one position to be fifth behind the reopposing Lovely Day (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the autumn edition of the G1 Tenno Sho Nov. 1. The steadily progressing 4-year-old ran a neck second to 2015 Japanese champion 3-year-old male and this season's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic bridesmaid Duramente (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the 1800-metre G2 Nakayama Kinen with Real Steel (Jpn) in third last time Feb. 28.
The most accomplished offspring out of the winning El Condor Pasa mare Carnival Song (Jpn), Ambitious's second dam is French stakes winner Carniola (GB) (Rainbow Quest), who is a full-sister to Irish GSW Exaltation (Ire) and a half to French SW and GSP Bustling (GB) (Danehill). The latter is the dam of G1 Deutsches Derby hero Buzzword (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
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