By Heather Anderson
The fans' selection proved spot on in Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama, with 3-2 favourite Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) snapping up her third Group 1 by a neck. The field is selected by fan poll, and Sunday Racing's mare defeated Salacia (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), with that foe a neck in front of Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), second on the morning line. MG1SW Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) ran fourth, another 2 1/2 lengths back.
Well back in midpack passing the winning post for the first time as Babbitt (Jpn) (Nakayama Festa {Jpn}) led, the grey filly started to advance during the backstretch run. Still well off the fence, Chrono Genesis continued to make inroads towards the vanguard and was within a length of new leader Fierement close home, before matching strides with that foe and asserting for a narrow victory. Salacia also showed good late dash to nip Fierement for second. In her final race, Lucky Lilac plugged on to take fourth. Blast Onepiece (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) went amiss on the backstretch and did not finish the race.
“All I wanted was her to be relaxed and her break wasn't that bad, she was in hand and ran in the same rhythm as before,” said pilot Yuichi Kitamura. “Yesterday and today, I was in 2500-metre races here at Nakayama which enabled me to get warmed up with a good idea of how I wanted her to run. We haven't faced the two Triple Crown winners yet, but I hope she performs well and stays in the spotlight next season.”
Added trainer Takashi Saito, “She was in good form and gave us a great impression before the race. I was worried that Yuichi might have made a too early bid, but he was confident and rode her beautifully, holding off the others. This is a dream come true and I have a feeling there will be many more.”
Runner-up in the 2018 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies after two unbeaten runs including the Listed Ivy S., Chrono Genesis captured the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup last term and was third in both the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas and G1 Japanese Oaks before a win in the G1 Shuka Sho. Unplaced in her 3-year-old finale in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last November, she returned at four with a win in the G2 Kyoto Kinen and played bridesmaid in Lucky Lilac's Osaka Hai in April. Back on top in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen on June 28, she went missing until a third in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) behind Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) on Nov. 1 last out.
Pedigree Notes
One of two Group 1 winners for her sire after Big Week (Jpn), the winner is among Bago's 11 black-type winners, seven at the group level. The eighth foal and eighth winner out of the winning Chronologist, Chrono Genesis is also her dam's second offspring to win at least two Group 1s after the grey mare Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). At the beginning of December, the grey Normcore padded her resume with a win at Sha Tin in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup after saluting in the G1 Victoria Mile earlier in her career. The duo are followed by the unplaced 3-year-old filly Clotho Nona (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), an unnamed juvenile colt by Maurice (Jpn), a yearling by Drefong and a weanling filly by Maurice. Chronologist visited the court of 2017 G1 Japanese Derby/Tenno Sho (Autumn) hero Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) this spring.
The extended family of the 2020 Arima Kinen heroine features Japanese MSW Fusaichi Airedale (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), in turn the dam of Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fusaichi Richard (Jpn) (Kurofune), MSW Lailaps (Jpn) (French Deputy), and the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies third Beach Samba (Jpn) (Kurofune). Another half-sister to Fusaichi Airedale, Bellagio (Jpn) (Mejiro Ryan {Jpn}), saluted in the Listed Topaz S., while yet another half-sister was the dam of G3 Sapporo Nisai S. victor Admire Eikan (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}).
Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
ARIMA KINEN-G1, ¥574,860,000, Nakayama, 12-27, 3yo/up, 2500mT, 2:35.00, fm.
1–CHRONO GENESIS (JPN), 121, f, 4, Bago (Fr)
1st Dam: Chronologist (Jpn), by Kurofune
2nd Dam: In This Unison (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Rustic Belle, by Mr. Prospector
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Takashi Saito;
J-Yuichi Kitamura. ¥303,420,000. Lifetime Record: 13-7-2-3.
*1/2 to Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), G1SW-Jpn & HK,
$5,619,785 Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: F.
2–Salacia (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Salomina (Ger),
by Lomitas (GB). O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥120,972,000.
3–Fierement (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Lune d'Or (Fr),
by Green Tune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥75,486,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 2HF. Odds: 1.50, 73.90, 2.50.
Also Ran: Lucky Lilac (Jpn), World Premiere (Jpn)*, Curren Bouquetd'or (Jpn)*, Persian Knight (Jpn), Crescendo Love (Jpn), Ocea Great (Jpn), Loves Only You (Jpn), You Can Smile (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Babbitt (Jpn), Authority (Jpn), Mozu Bello (Jpn). DNF: Blast Onepiece (Jpn).
Dead Heat for 5th: World Premiere (Jpn) & Curren Bouquetd'or (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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