Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2020
- 2nd Edition -October 2020
The Japan Racing Association

The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause significant
disruption around the world with horse racing in Japan being noexception. Since the end of February, both the JRA and regional
racing have been operating behind closed doors by holding races
without the usual crowded stands full of cheering race fans. To
help prevent the spread of disease, travel between training centersand racecourses was restricted from the end of March throughearly April when the government declared a state of emergency.

2020 Takarazuka Kinen

Horse owners were initially allowed to attend meetings, but thenthe owners’ association agreed to a voluntarily refrain from
attending races from the end of March. Since then, races havebeen held in front of empty stands. From the latter half of April,horses have been allowed to enter lower class races only at tracks
near their training stables. Jockeys also have been prohibited
Jockeys’ Quartersfrom moving between racetracks on the same weekend, whenraces typically are held at three different locations. To avoid unsafe numbers of jockeys staying atjockeys’ quarters, where they normally are required to check in the day before racing, jockeys canrequest advance permission to go to their races directly from their homes or hotels.
The potential impact on business caused by banning spectators from tracks was a major concern.
Wagering at tracks and off-track betting windows combined accounted for 29.6% of total sales in
2019, so a major downturn was predicted. Indeed, total sales in the first four weeks decreased 10%.
The decline was especially notable for graded races that generate sales among non-regular wagers.

1However, unlike many other sports that had to be canceled, horse
racing came to be viewed as an exciting choice of entertainment
among the many people forced to stay home and look for things
to do, resulting in many new internet bettors. As a result, sales
began to recover from late March and daily totals actually started
showing year-over-year increases from mid-May. Symbolic ofOnline Betting site
this trend was turnover for the Takarazuka Kinen race, whichreached the ¥20 billion mark for the first time in three years. Annual sales were up as of August 8and recorded an annual increase of 1.5% as of October 4. The increase rate slowed in the latter halfof August but started trending upward again from the second week of September, which resulted in
total sales of nearly ¥206.75 billion over 18 race days (nine racecards each at Nakayama andChukyo)—up solidly by 7.3% from last year.

Almond Eye in the 2020 Victoria Mile

Meanwhile, the pandemic has impacted other sectors of the horse
racing industry, including horse sales and racing activities abroad.
Travel restrictions have forced many international races to becanceled. The Dubai World Cup Day in late March, for example,
was called off just six days prior to the big day owing to thepandemic. Twenty Japanese horses from the JRA and NAR,

including Almond Eye (JPN, M5, by Lord Kanaloa), who had
already made the long trip to Dubai, had to be rushed back to Japan ahead of the scheduled closingof airports in Dubai.
With the prolonged spread of this unique disease, no Japanesehorse was entered in another race abroad, not even in Hong Kongor France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2,400m), which had
become regular destinations for aspiring globe trotters. The onlyexception was Deirdre (JPN, M6, by Harbinger), who had beenstationed in Europe since April 2019, but the Harbinger mare wasbelow form and failed to contend in either the Arc or the Nassau
Deirdrein the 2020 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Stakes (G1, 1,980m), the latter of which she won last year. The
Japanese government in October began to gradually ease its travel restrictions, but it is still unclear
if horses will be able to travel to Hong Kong for the International Races in December.
Regular horse sales scheduled between April and May were called off or held online. JRA’s “BreezeUp Sales” were held solely online and the Hokkaido Training Sale organized by Hidaka HorseBreeders Association (HBA) in May was canceled altogether. Sales resumed in July, but entries
have been limited to preregistered buyers. The two-day Select Sales held by the Japan Racing Horse2

2019 Breeze Up Sales

Association on July 13 and 14 totaled ¥18.76 billion, down 8.6%
from last year but still the second highest figure ever. Total salesof yearlings by the HBA in August and September exceeded ¥10billion for the first time. Moreover, the fact that JRA and NAR
business has remained sound has eliminated concerns overpossible reductions in prize money and/or subsidies.
(contributed by Kenichi Nomoto, Nikkei)

JRA’s graded fall events leading to the Japan Autumn
International Series kicked off on October 10 under a newguideline that allows a limited number of spectators selected bylottery to purchase reserved seats online. The Mainichi Okan (G2,1,800m) held at Tokyo Racecourse on October 11 was won by2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner Salios
Salios in the 2020 Mainichi Okan
(JPN, C3, by Heart’s Cry), who dominated a field of older
horses by three-lengths. The Heart’s Cry colt will either head to the Mile Championship (G1,1,600m) on November 22 or the Hong Kong Mile (G1, 1,600m) on December 13.
The Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m), held at Kyoto Racecourse on
the same day as the Mainichi Okan, was a close match between
2019 Hong Kong Vase (G1, 2,400m) champion Glory Vase (JPN,H5, by Deep Impact) and 2017 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger,G1, 3,000m) victor Kiseki (JPN, H6, by Rulership), with theformer managing to hold off the latter by a 3/4 length. GloryGlory Vase in the 2020 Kyoto Daishoten
Vase will aim for the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) on November 29.
Kiseki will next run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on November 1.
The last leg of the three-year-old fillies Triple, the Shuka Sho (G1,2,000m), was held on October 18 and saw Daring Tact (JPN, F3,by Epiphaneia) make history in becoming the first undefeatedTriple Crown filly. She also is just the sixth filly to land a Triple,
the last before her being Almond Eye in 2018. She will faceolder foes of the opposite sex for the first time in the coming
Japan Cup.

Daring Tact in the 2020 Shuka Sho

A week later, in the Kikuka Sho on October 25, Contrail (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact) prevailed bya neck to also add his name to JRA history as the third undefeated Triple Crown winner, following

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Contrail (left) in the 2020 Kikuka Sho

Symboli Rudolf (JPN, by Partholon) in 1984 and Deep Impact(JPN, by Sunday Silence) in 2005. Expectations are high for theson of Deep Impact to challenge older G1 rivals in the coming
Japan Cup. However, his connections do not wish to overwork
their talented young colt, so the plan for the remaining season
will depend on how he recovers from his strenuous race in theKikuka Sho.

Possible Japan Cup starters, other than Glory Vase, Daring Tact, Contrail and those coming off
the Tenno Sho (Autumn), include: World Premiere (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact) has been struggling with health issues and has notresumed racing since finishing third last year in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m).
 Mozu Bello (JPN, H6, by Deep Brillante) and Saturnalia (JPN, C4, by Lord Kanaloa)
finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m, June).
 Curren Bouquetd’or (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact) and Mikki Swallow (JPN, H6, by Tosen
Homareboshi) were second and fifth, respectively, in the All Comers (G2, 2,200m, September).
 King of Koji (JPN, C4, by Lord Kanaloa), winner of the Meguro Kinen (G2, 2,500m) in May,and Perform a Promise (JPN, H8, by Stay Gold), victor in the Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m) inJune, were third and sixth, respectively, in the Kyoto Daishoten.
 You Can Smile (JPN, H5, by King Kamehameha) and Meisho Tengen (JPN, C4, by DeepImpact) will enter the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) on November 8 as preps towards
the Japan Cup.

The Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m), the trial race towards the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1,2,200m) on November 15, was held on October 17. The winner was Salacia (JPN, M5, by DeepImpact), who marked her first grade-race victory, while Loves Only You (JPN, F4, by DeepImpact), race favorite and last year’s Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) victor, faded tofifth.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup for top three-year-old and above fillies and mares will feature lastyear’s champion Lucky Lilac (JPN, M5, by Orfevre), looking to repeat after notching another G1
victory in this year’s Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m). Other prominent runners will include Normcore(JPN, M5, by Harbinger), champion of both the 2019 Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) and this year’s
Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m), and Centelleo (JPN, M5, by Deep Impact), winner of the All
Comers (G2, 2,200m) in September.

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Salacia in the 2020 Fuchu Himba Stakes

Normcore in the 2020 Sapporo Kinen

This year’s Mile Championship will feature Gran Alegria (JPN,F4, by Deep Impact), winner of both the Yasuda Kinen (G1,1,600m) and the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m). Vin de Garde(JPN, C4, by Deep Impact) won his first grade-race title in theFuji Stakes (G2, 1,600m), one of the Mile Championship trials,on October 24. Following in second, third and fourth,respectively, were this year’s NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) victor

Centelleo in the 2020 All Comers

Gran Alegria
in the 2020 Sprinters Stakes

Lauda Sion (JPN, C3, by Real Impact), 2018 NHK Mile Cup champion Keiai Nautique (JPN,H5, by Deep Impact) and 2017 Mile Championship winner Persian Knight (JPN, H6, byHarbinger).
The Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m), another trial being held on
October 31, will be contested by 2019 Hong Kong Mile (G1,

Vin de Garde in the 2020 Fuji Stakes1,600m) champion Admire Mars (JPN, C4, by Daiwa Major).
Last year’s Mile Championship victor Indy Champ (JPN, H5,by Stay Gold), after finishing third in the Yasuda Kinen, will
make his comeback with a return to this year’s Mile
Championship.

Major dirt events this fall began with the Sirius Stakes (G3, dirt,1,900m) on October 3, which was won by Cafe Pharoah (USA,C3, by American Pharoah). The U.S.-bred colt, after notching
his first grade-race victory in the Unicorn Stakes (G3, dirt,1,600m) in June, disappointed to seventh as the race favorite in
the Japan Dirt Derby (dirt, 2,000m, July), but bounced back toform this fall to score his second grade-race title in the Sirius
Stakes.

Cafe Pharoah in the 2020 Sirius Stakes

The Mile Championship Nambu Hai (dirt, 1,600m) on October 12 was won by Arctos (JPN, H5,by Admire Aura), who out-dueled February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) champion Mozu Ascot

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(USA, H6, by Frankel) by a neck to score a record-breaking
victory, covering the mile distance in 1:32.7. Last year’s winner

Arctos in the 2019 Procyon Stakes

Sunrise Nova (JPN, H6, by Gold Allure) finished fourth while
2017 Best Dirt Horse Gold Dream (JPN, H7, by Gold Allure),
this year’s Kashiwa Kinen (dirt, 1,600m) winner Wide Pharaoh(JPN, C4, by Henny Hughes) and last year’s February Stakes
winner Inti (JPN, H6, by Came Home) came in sixth, seventh

and ninth, respectively,
Horses starting in the JBC Classic (dirt, 2,000m) on November 3, the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt,1,800m) on November 8 and the Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) on November 14 also arelikely to aim for the Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m).

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