By J.N. Campbell
With primarily older runners drawn in for Thursday's G1 Tokyo Daishoten S. at Ohi Race Course, a field of 13, plus one mare, took to the dirt in an attempt to notch a well-earned victory.
The eventual winner, battle-tested Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), came into the race sporting his most-successful campaign to-date. In 2022 alone, the 5-year-old has recorded stakes victories in three of his last four starts with the last one coming Nov. 27 at Hanshin Race Course by 2 1/2 lengths in the Canopus S.
Sent off at odds just above 3-1, the bay was content to race towards the back of the pack, as the field passed the grandstand. It was Shonan Nadeshiko (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) who planned to take them all the way, as the mare set the pace with Casino Fountain (Jpn) (Casino Drive) in close pursuit down the backstretch.
Around the far turn, it was time for the eventual winner to get moving, and he did just that by taking the overland route to the outside. That swinging motion allowed him to get clear of the fading leaders, and with good energy down the lane, he kicked for home en route to 1 3/4 length and his first G1 win. Notturno (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), one of the youngest runners in the bunch earned second; while, the short-priced favorite, Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro) was forced to settle for third.
Pedigree Notes:
Not only is the victor by a Horse of the Year, but his mare also comes from a strong family. She produced Casale (Jpn) in 2015, a filly by Manhattan Cafe (Jpn),that has $222,886 in earnings, and she was also bred back to the champion, which yielded a colt named Miyaji Hayakaze (Jpn) in 2016. Her last recorded live foal was Dantsu Capri (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) in 2019. Click for the chart & video.
Thursday, Oi, Japan
TOKYO DAISHOTEN-G1, ¥170,000,000, Oi, 12-29, 3yo/up, 2000m, 2:05.00, gd.
1–USHBA TESORO (JPN), 126, h, 5, Orfevre (Jpn)
1st Dam: Millefeui Attach (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Sixieme Sens, by Septieme Ciel
3rd Dam: Samalex (GB), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥25,000,000 wnlg '17 JRHAJUL). O-Kenji Ryotokuji
Holdings; B-Chiyoda Farm; T-Noboru Takagi; J-Kazuo Yokoyama;
¥100,000,000. Lifetime Record: 27-7-1-5.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ ***Triple Plus***
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Notturno (Jpn), 121, c, 3, by Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Sheikh's
Serenade, by Unbridled's Song. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings;
B-Shimokobe Farm; ¥35,000,000.
3–Meisho Hario (Jpn), 126, h, 5, by Pyro–Meisho Ohi (Jpn), by
Manhattan Café (Jpn). O-Yoshio Matsumoto; B-Mishima
Bokujo; ¥20,000,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 1/2, 1; Odds: 3.30, 6.10, 1.30.
Also Ran: Sunrise Hope (Jpn), Light Warrior (Jpn), Shonan Nadeshiko (Jpn), Lucky Dream (Jpn), Gold Heuer (Jpn), Miyagi Zao (Jpn), Casino Fountain (Jpn), Dos Hearts (Jpn), Red Galan (Jpn), Rinzo Channel (Jpn), Atomic Force (Jpn).
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