By Heather Anderson
Japan's 2016 Horse of the Year Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) found the bog-like conditions to his liking at Tokyo Sunday as Japan was in the grip of yet another typhoon and held off 3-1 second choice and G1 Hong Kong Vase victor Satono Crown (Jpn) (Marju {Ire}) by a neck to take the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) over 2000 metres. This was the G1 Japanese St. Leger hero's sixth Group 1 win, while he was the fifth horse to claim both the Tenno Sho (Spring) and Tenno Sho (Autumn) in the same year and 74th Group 1 victory for pilot Yutaka Take.
The 2-1 favourite missed the break and was glued to the rail well behind the loose frontrunner Lord Vent d'Oro (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) entering the back straight. One off the fence as Take let a rival slip up their inside, Kitasan Black inched up to midfield, with the first 1000 metres covered in 1:04.2 in the testing conditions as the rain continued to pour. All the way up to fifth on the final corner, Kitasan Black took up the baton inside the final quarter mile and plugged away toward the wire, with his G1 Takarazuka Kinen conqueror Satono Crown rallying up into contention on his left. The chalk briefly looked vulnerable in the final 100 metres, but he stuck to his guns and held off the final thrust of his rival and claimed his third Tenno Sho. Rainbow Line (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) was another 2 1/2 lengths back in second, five lengths in front of G1 Dubai Turf hero Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Kitasan Black is pointing toward the Nov. 26 G1 Japan Cup at Tokyo and his career finale, the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama on Christmas Eve.
“He was a bit too eager today and missed the break,” said Yutaka Take. “The going didn't seem to bother him, so I decided to take the path near the rails at the last corner. He responded beautifully in the stretch and before we knew it, we were at the front. He weakened a little during the long drive, but held on well. I am hoping to be in the winner's circle with him two more times.”
Kitasan Black claimed his first G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) victory in May of 2016 and added the G2 Kyoto Daishoten to his growing resume two starts later. He scored his third top shelf win in the 2400-metre Japan Cup over this course last November and ran second to Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Arima Kinen on Christmas Day. Resuming this April at Hanshin, the now 5-year-old entire saluted in the G1 Osaka Hai going 2000 metres and claimed his second G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) on Apr. 30. Only ninth to Satono Crown in the 2200m G1 Takarazuka Kinen on June 25, Kitasan Black was given some time off after that start prior to Sunday's return.
Pedigree Notes…
By a full-brother to Shadai supersire Deep Impact (Jpn) in Black Tide (Jpn), Kitasan Black is out of the unraced Sugar Heart (Jpn) (Sakura Bakushin O {Jpn}), who has a yearling filly by Victoire Pisa (Jpn) and a weanling full-brother to the winner. Older half-brother Shonan Bach (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn) ran third in the G2 American Jockey Club Cup for his career high, while Kitasan Black's second dam is a half-sister to GI Super Derby third and solid American sire Cee's Tizzy (Relaunch). Based in California, that stallion's best progeny is two-time GI Breeders' Cup Classic victor, Horse of the Year and successful sire Tiznow. Farther back, Kitasan Black's fourth dam is Tizna (Chi) (Trevieres {Fr}), a MGISW in the States.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥291,460,000 (US$2,564,028/£1,953,092/€2,208,611), Tokyo, 10-29, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:08.30, vsf.
1–KITASAN BLACK (JPN), 128, h, 5, by Black Tide (Jpn)
1st Dam: Sugar Heart (Jpn), by Sakura Bakushin O (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; ¥153,822,000. Lifetime Record: Horse of the
Year, Ch. Older Horse & MG1SW-Jpn, 18-11-2-3, $13,032,620.
*1/2 to Shonan Back (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn,
$739,299. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Satono Crown (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Marju (Ire)–Jioconda (Ire), by
Rossini. (¥58,000,000 Ylg '13 JRHAJUL). O-Satomi Horse
Company; B-Northern Farm; ¥61,092,000.
3–Rainbow Line (Jpn), 128, c, 4, by Stay Gold (Jpn)–
Regenbogen (Jpn), by French Deputy. (¥50,000,000 Ylg '14
JRHAJUL). O-Masahiro Mita; B-Northern Farm; ¥38,546,000.
Margins: NK, 2HF, 5; Odds: 2.10, 3.00, 59.00.
Also Ran: Real Steel (Jpn), Makahiki (Jpn), Soul Stirring (Jpn), Decipher (Jpn), Sakura Empereur (Jpn), Greater London (Jpn), Staphanos (Jpn), Yamakatsu Ace (Jpn), Mikki Rocket (Jpn), Neorealism (Jpn), Lord Vent d'Or (Jpn), Sciacchetra (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), One and Only (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn).
Click for the Racing Post chart, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video.
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