Maurice Colt Scales Falcon Stakes Heights

Danox, Inc.'s Danon McKinley (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) rallied to win the G3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon S. at Chukyo on Saturday. It was the first stakes victory for the son of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

Fourth last through the early going as Orchid Romance (Jpn) (Roger Barows {Jpn}) led, the 12-1 shot was able to relax behind a rapid pace, with the first 1000 metres reached in :57 flat. He gathered himself on the turn and fanned out into the centre of the course at the 400-metre mark. Making up ground with every stride, Danon McKinley ground past the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. third and won by a half-length. It was two lengths back to Sonshi (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who had enjoyed a stalking trip for much of this contest.

First in both a newcomer affair at Hanshin in September and in a Kyoto allowance in November, Danon McKinley was eighth to Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. a month later. Wheeled back in the Jan. 27 Listed Crocus S., he improved to fifth over this trip in Tokyo.

Pedigree Notes

Danon McKinley is the 26th stakes winner worldwide (18th group) for Shadai Stallion Station's Maurice, who also shuttles to Arrowfield Stud in Australia. The 13-year-old son of Screen Hero (Jpn) was Japanese Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter and Champion Miler in Japan in 2015. His quintet of top-level winners include Australian three-time Group 1 winner Hitotsu (Aus), while Jack D'Or (Jpn) won the G1 Osaka Hai, Mazu claimed the G1 Doomben 10,000 back in Oz, Geraldina (Jpn) struck in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Pixie Knight (Jpn) prevailed in the G1 Sprinters S.

2012 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen left five Galileo (Ire) foals in Ireland with a record of four winners from four runners and three stakes horses. The best of these was Shale (Ire), who won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and Berkeley Square (Ire), who was third in the G2 Futurity S. Acquired privately by Japanese interests, Homecoming Queen foaled the 4-year-old winner Irish Pearl (Jpn) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). Next is the ¥220,000,000 JRHA Select yearling and Falcon S. hero, who has a juvenile half-sister by Kizuna (Jpn) and a yearling half-brother by Epiphaneia (Jpn). In 2023, Homecoming Queen–a half-sister to Group 1 winners Dylan Thomas (Ire) (Danehill) and Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge)–visited Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn).

Saturday, Chukyo, Japan
CHUNICHI SPORTS SHO FALCON S.-G3, ¥78,150,000, Chukyo, 3-16, 3yo, 1400mT, 1:20.20, fm.
1–DANON MCKINLEY (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Maurice (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Homecoming Queen(Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng
                                at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Eng, GSW-Ire, $458,335),
                                by Holy Roman Emperor(Ire)
                2nd Dam: Lagrion, by Diesis (GB)
                3rd Dam: Wrap It Up (Ire), by Mount Hagen (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥220,000,000 Ylg '22
JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Hideaki
Fujiwara; J-Yuichi Kitamura; ¥41,595,000. Lifetime Record:
5-3-0-0, ¥61,684,000. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Orchid Romance (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Roger Barows (Jpn)–
Echinacea (Jpn), by Snitzel (Aus). O/B-Mill Farm (Jpn);
¥16,170,000.
3–Sonshi (Ire), 126, c, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Afdhaad (GB),
by Nayef. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
(€125,000 Ylg '22 GOFFEB; 200,000gns RNA Ylg '22 TATOCT;
$300,000 2yo '23 OBSSPR). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Shadwell
Estate Company Limited (Ire); ¥10,085,000.
Margins: HF, 2, 1. Odds: 12.60, 11.30, 1.30.
Also Ran: Namura Atom (Jpn), Logi Leon (Jpn), Uncle Cross (Jpn), Fender (Jpn), Enya Love Faith (Jpn), Strauss (Jpn), Taiki Vainqueur (Jpn), Satomino Kirari (Jpn), Captain Neki (Jpn), Hakusan Eagle (Jpn), Aim For Ace (Jpn), Val d'Orcia (Jpn), Kris Arthur (Jpn), Miltenberg (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.