By Heather Anderson
The ultra-consistent Inti (Jpn) (Came Home), favoured at 8-5 in Tokyo's 1600-metre G1 February S. on Sunday, did not let his backers down and took the field pillar to post, holding off the surging Gold Dream (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) by a neck to take the spoils. Yuranoto (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) was another four lengths back in third. The February S. is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November.
Bounding straight to the head of affairs, the blinkered chestnut was allowed to bowl along on the lead through splits of :23.90 and :48 flat. By the time his rivals realized the leader was not stopping a quarter mile from home after six panels in 1:11.80, Inti had scampered a few lengths clear. Only Gold Dream emerged as a viable threat 200 metres out and cut into Inti's advantage with every stride as the Shigeo Takeda colourbearer began to tire. At the wire, a long neck separated the top two, with Inti becoming the first Group 1 winner for his sire.
“The horse broke well and we were able to take the lead and set an ideal pace,” said winning hoop Yutaka Take. “He was a bit too eager in the post parade and I was worried that he had used up his energy, but we secured a safe lead at the last turn and he showed amazing strength to the wire. He has so much potential, we have a lot to look forward to in his future starts.”
A winner of seven of his eight trips to the post, Inti made his 4-year-old bow in the G2 Tokai TV Hai Tokai S., where he earned his first group victory over 1800 metres on Jan. 20.
Nakano Fujita, the first Japanese female jockey to ride in a Group 1 event, piloted MGSW Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) to a rallying fifth, six lengths off the winner. “I am truly grateful to all who made it possible for me to ride in this race,” commented Fujita. “I have experienced this course numerous times before today, everything looking totally different.”
Pedigree Notes…
In addition to Inti, Came Home, a three-time Grade I scorer Stateside, has sired Group 3 winners in Tagano Tonnerre (Jpn), Passion, and Sound Rihanna (Jpn) among his 16 black-type winners. The first foal out of the four-time winner Kitty, Inti is followed by the unraced 4-year-old colt Nyame (Jpn) (Sinister Minister). Third dam Haleakala (Ire) (Kris {GB}), a SW at Santa Anita, is a half-sister to MGISP Blue Burner (French Deputy). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
FEBRUARY S.-G1, ¥194,440,000 (US$1,760,419/£1,362,615/€1,558,969), Tokyo, 2-17, 4yo/up, 1600m, 1:35.60, gd.
1–INTI (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Came Home
1st Dam: Kitty (Jpn), by Northern Afleet
2nd Dam: Forest Kitty, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Haleakala (Ire), by Kris (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Shigeo Takeda; B-Kiyoshige Yamashita
(Jpn); T-Kenji Nonaka; J-Yutaka Take; ¥103,108,000. Lifetime
Record: 8-7-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gold Dream (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Gold Allure (Jpn)–Mon Vert
(Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥40,888,000.
3–Yuranoto (Jpn), 126, h, 5, King Kamehameha (Jpn)–
Koiuta (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn). O-Shadai Race Horse;
B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥25,444,000.
Margins: NK, 4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.60, 2.00, 30.60.
Also Ran: Moanin, Copano Kicking, Sunrise Soar (Jpn), Sunrise Nova (Jpn), Success Energy (Jpn), Wonder Lider (Jpn), Omega Perfume (Jpn), Queen's Saturn (Jpn), Nobo Baccara (Jpn), Nonkono Yume (Jpn), Meisho Utage (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or the JRA Video.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
