Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) won the 1200m G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday after a game effort on the front end and a timely disqualification. Disregarded at 31-1 in this full 18-horse field, the blinkered chestnut shot straight to the front and quickly opened up several lengths on the chasing pack, clearly relishing the soft going. She clicked off fractions of :22.90 for the opening quarter and :45.60 for the first 800 metres. Rivals began to wind up with their runs inside the final furlong and Kurino Gaudi (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) came charging up with Diatonic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) trying to get through in between them to challenge the 5-year-old mare. She rebuffed Kurino Gaudi's initial challenge and 2019 Japanese champion 3-year-old filly Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) launched a belated rally up the center of the course.
The quartet hit the line en masse, with Kurino Gaudi just the bare minimum ahead of the stubborn pacesetter. Gran Alegria was a nose back of Mozu Superflare and a head better than the luckless Diatonic in fourth. After a stewards' inquiry, it was ruled that Kurino Gaudi had interfered with both Mozu Superflare and Diatonic and he was disqualified and placed fourth. Favoured 5-2 shot Tower of London (Jpn) (Raven's Pass) was a one-paced 12th.
“She broke well as I hoped she would and was able race in her own rhythm,” said winning jockey Fuma Matsuwaka. “With the sun coming out in the afternoon, the ground was not as bad as we had anticipated, which I think worked in her favor. To be honest, I thought that we had lost when we crossed the wire but I'm genuinely happy that we were able to win our first
Group 1 title.”
Mozu Superflare scored her first group win in the G3 Yukan Fuji Sho Ocean S. last March and was unplaced later that month in this event. Given some time off, she returned on Aug. 18 with a fourth in the G3 TV Nishinippon Corp. Sho Kitakyushu Kinen. An encouraging second in the G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama on Sept. 29, the mare was eighth in her final start at four, the G3 Keihan Hai at Kyoto, and she opened 2020 with a fourth-place effort in the G3 Silk Road S. on Feb. 2.
Pedigree Notes
The 17th Grade/Group 1 winner for her WinStar-based sire Speightstown, Mozu Superflare is one of 52 graded/group winners and 111 black-type winners for the chestnut. The winner is a half-brother to GIII Old Hat S. victress Sacristy (Pulpit), the dam of SW and GI Santa Anita Oaks bridesmaid Flor de la Mar (Tiznow); and the placed Tapit dam of G1 South Australian Derby heroine Qafila (Aus) (Not a Single Doubt).
Since foaling Mozu Superflare in 2015, Christies Treasure, who ran second in the Tweedside S. at Belmont, has produced four consecutive colts–the winning Mubarmaj (Curlin), sophomore Don V. (Street Sense), an Exaggerator juvenile and a yearling by Honor Code. Out of a full-sister to MGSW Valid Wager (Valid Appeal) and a half-sister to the dam of GI Cigar Mile H. Victor Purge (Pulpit), she was barren to the cover of Frosted for this term. This is also the family of MGISW Jersey Girl (Belong to Me) and her GI Cigar Mile H.-winning son Jersey Town, who is bred on the same cross as Mozu Superflare, while farther back are the sires Valid Expectations (Valid Appeal) and his full-brother Littleexpectations (Valid Appeal).
Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥253,640,000 (US$/£/€), Chukyo, 3-29, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.70, sf.
1–MOZU SUPERFLARE, 121, m, 5, Speightstown
1st Dam: Christies Treasure (SP-US, $113,602),
by Belong to Me
2nd Dam: Roses At Sunset, by Valid Appeal
3rd Dam: Bid Gal, by Bold Bidder
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($125,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Capital
System; B-Alpha Delta Stables LLC (KY); T-Hidetaka Otonashi;
J-Fuma Matsuwaka. ¥133,948,000. Lifetime Record: 20-7-2-1.
*1/2 to Sacristy (Pulpit), GSW-US, $252,112. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gran Alegria (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Tapitsfly, by
Tapit. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥53,128,000.
3–Diatonic (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–To Harmony
(Jpn), by Sunday Silence. O-Silk Racing; B-Sakai Farm (Jpn);
¥33,564,000.
Margins: NO, NO, HD. Odds: 31.30, 3.10, 8.20.
*Kurino Gaudi (Jpn) finished 1st, but following a stewards' inquiry, was demoted 4th.
Also Ran: Kurino Gaudi (Jpn), Shivaji, Groove It (Jpn), Seiun Kosei (Jpn), Teehaff (Jpn), Stelvio (Jpn), Danon Smash (Jpn), A Will a Way (Jpn), Tower of London (Jpn), Mozu Ascot, Nac Venus (Jpn), Normcore (Jpn), Love Kampf (Jpn), Daimei Princess (Jpn), I Love Tailor (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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