Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2021
- 1st Edition -September 2021
The Japan Racing Association

Welcome back to our annual series of newsletters leading up to the 2021 Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m).
The fall racing season is heading towards the Japan Autumn International Series, which will be held
over a period of four weekends between November 14 and December 5 and which comprises four
prestigious G1 races: the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m), Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m),
Japan Cup, and Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m). Total prize money for the four G1 events willamount to ¥1.37 billion (US$13 million), with additional bonuses for winners of designated overseas
G1 events who also finish within the top three in any of the four races. Also, winners of designatedoverseas races who finish outside the top three places in the Japan Cup will still be guaranteed an
incentive of US$200,000.

Lucky Lilac in the 2020
Queen Elizabeth II Cup

Gran Alegria in the2020 Mile ChampionshipAlmond Eyein the 2020 Japan Cup

Chuwa Wizard
in the 2020 Champions Cup

Features in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen
In its 40th anniversary last year, the Japan Cup attracted world-wide attention, becoming the highlightof the season despite only one contender participating from abroad. The incredible card featured
superstar mare Almond Eye (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa), who lived up to all expectations and romped toher ninth G1 triumph while beating the colt and fillies’ Triple Crown champions of the season,
Contrail (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact) and Daring Tact (JPN, F4, by Epiphaneia), both withundefeated records. The queen had no problem in taking the lead at half-stretch from sitting in fourthand held off the fast-closing Contrail and Daring Tact to prevail by a 1-1/4-length margin, capping1

off an extraordinary racing career that will go down in history. Behind the two three-year-old stars
was Curren Bouquetd’or (JPN, M5, by Deep Impact), who beat Glory Vase (JPN, H6, by Deep
Impact) by a neck in a close battle for fourth. It is somewhat of a surprise that none of the four who
finished closest to Almond Eye that day has registered a win since.
Contrail kicked off the season in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) in
April but succumbed to the heavy rain that afternoon and failed todisplay his good closing kick from behind and finished third.
Struggling to recover from the effort, it was decided that he sit out
the initially planned Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) start in June.
His connections have announced that his come-back start thisContrail in the 2020 Kikuka Sho
autumn will be in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) and that
the Japan Cup and/or Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on December 26 will most likely be his next
destination.
Daring Tact commenced the season in the Kinko Sho (G2,2,000m) in March but failed to catch the longest shot of the tenhorse field and gate-to-wire winner, Gibeon (JPN, H6, by Deep
Impact), and was a neck short in second place. The Epiphaneia
filly ran in Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m)
next and after making an early bid from a good striking position,
she was caught by fellow Japanese foes Loves Only You (JPN,

Daring Tact in the 2020 Shuka Sho

M5, by Deep Impact) and Glory Vase near the wire, finishing third. After returning from her firstoverseas challenge, the filly was diagnosed with ligamentitis in her right foreleg and is now focusedon a swift recovery.
Curren Bouquetd’or was the only Japan Cup finisher in the top
five to run in the year-end Arima Kinen four weeks later, where
she tied with World Premiere (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact) in
fifth. This season, the five-year-old mare, winless since May 2019,has shown consistent performances in the three races she has run
so far. She dug in strongly in a runner-up effort in the Nikkei Sho
Curren Bouquetd’or (right)(G2, 2,500m) in March, held on well to finish third in the Tenno
in the 2019 Shuka Sho
Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) in May, and marked a fourth in the
Takarazuka Kinen. She will attempt to score her first graded win in her autumn campaign, which will
begin in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
Glory Vase raced twice in this year’s spring season, first in the Kinko Sho, where the racedevelopment and turf condition worked against him to put him in fourth place. In his next Queen
Elizabeth II Cup start in Hong Kong, the six-year-old dug in gamely from behind and secured a 3/42

length second. The 2019 Hong Kong Vase (G1, 2,400m) victor
commenced his autumn campaign in the All Comers (G2, 2,200m)
on September 26, where he remained a factor up to the final halffurlong and was third to cross the wire. He will most likely makea second Japan Cup bid or else embark on a third overseas
campaign to challenge the Hong Kong International Races in
December.

Glory Vase in the 2019 Hong Kong Vase

Among the 6th-9th place Japan Cup finishers, Mikki Swallow(JPN, by Tosen Homareboshi; 7th) was sent to stud, while World
Premiere (6th), for whom the Japan Cup was actually a comeback
race from an 11-month lay-off, finished three lengths behind
Glory Vase in sixth and has shown improvement in form since.
He was tied in fifth with Curren Bouquetd’or in the following
World Premier
Arima Kinen and then kicked off the present season with a goodin the 2021 Tenno Sho (Spring)
third in the Nikkei Sho. In the Tenno Sho (Spring), his main targetof the first half of the year, the five-year-old burst out in the straight with perfect timing from travelingin seventh and put away Deep Bond (JPN, C4, by Kizuna), this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
candidate, by a 3/4 length in claiming his much awaited second G1 title since winning the Kikuka
Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) in 2019. World Premiere is scheduled to be at the gate of theTenno Sho (Autumn), and then, depending on how he fares, will either be pointed towards the Japan
Cup or the Hong Kong International Races.
Kiseki (JPN, H7, by Rulership; 8th) raced four times since his Japan Cup endeavor. Although theson of Rulership was beaten to 12th in the following Arima Kinen, he has been rather consistent thisyear, marking a fifth, fourth, and fifth in the Kinko Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and Takarazuka
Kinen. The 2017 Kikuka Sho champion will return from a well-rested summer break and run in the
Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 10 ahead of another couple of challenges that may include
a shot at the Hong Kong International Races. Makahiki (JPN, H8, by Deep Impact; 9th) made only
one appearance this season, at the Tenno Sho (Spring), placing eighth. The 2016 Tokyo Yushun(Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) champion will commence his fall campaign in the Kyoto Daishoten
as well.

Kisekiin the 2017 Kikuka Sho

Makahiki (right)
in the 2016 Tokyo Yushun

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You Can Smilein the 2020 Hanshin Daishoten

Those who finished 12th to 15th in last year’s Japan Cup: You Can Smile (JPN, H6, by King
Kamehameha; 12th) started the season with a promising runner-up effort in the Hanshin Daishoten(G2, 3,000m) but came seventh and sixth in his next two starts; Crescendo Love (JPN, H7, by Stay
Gold; 13th) strived to defend his Tanabata Sho (G3, 2,000m) title in July but was heavily defeated at
14th; Taurus Gemini (JPN, H5, by King’s Best; 14th) won a head-to-head duel in claiming his first
graded title, the Tanabata Sho, but dropped away disappointingly in the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m)
and finished 10th; and Yoshio (JPN, H8, by Johannesburg; 15th) marked a fourth, his seasonal best
among five starts so far.

Crescendo Lovein the 2020 Tanabata Sho

Taurus Geminiin the 2021 Tanabata Sho

Yoshioin the 2020 January Stakes

Horses unraced in the Japan Cup last year and pointed towards the Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup
or Arima Kinen this season will include 2020 Best Sprinter or Miler Gran Alegria (JPN, M5, byDeep Impact). The five-time G1 winner of races ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 meters made her 2,000meter race debut this year in the Osaka Hai, where she came fourth. She hopes to better her
performance at the same distance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). It remains to be seen whether she will
aim for a back-to-back Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) title on November 21 or head for anotherchallenge.
Danon Kingly (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact) ran strongly in the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) in Juneas eighth favorite and held off fast-closing defending champion Gran Alegria by a head to claim his
first G1 victory. The five-year-old will start in the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) on October 10 before
targeting the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
Unicorn Lion (IRE, H5, by No Nay Never) has shown promising results in the first half of theseason, landing his first graded victory in the Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m) in June and runningtenaciously against this year’s Arc entrant Chrono Genesis (JPN, M5, by Bago) in a runner-up effort
in the Takarazuka Kinen. The five-year-old was looking to notch up his first G1 win after his fallkick-off start, the Kyoto Daishoten, but was found to be suffering from an infection—seedy toe—in
his hoof in late September, and his connections were forced to abandon his fall plan.
Hishi Iguazu (JPN, H5, by Heart’s Cry) stretched his winning streak to four with his Nakayama
Kinen (G2, 1,800m) victory in February and has been given a lengthy rest since. The Heart’s Cry
horse will return this fall in his first G1 challenge, the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
4Danon Kingly
in the 2021 Yasuda Kinen

Unicorn Lionin the 2021 Naruo Kinen

Hishi Iguazu
in the 2021 Nakayama Kinen

Among the remarkable three-year-olds, eyes are on Efforia (JPN,
C3, by Epiphaneia), who will pass up the Kikuka Sho, the lastleg of the three-year-old Triple Crown, and test his strength
against older horses instead. The Epiphaneia colt swept threeconsecutive races from his debut, which included a G3 title, andwent on to demonstrate an impressive performance, bursting out
Efforia in the 2021 Satsuki Shoat the last turn from a good inner position to easily claim theSatsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) by a convincing three-length margin in April. In
the following Tokyo Yushun, he made his bid with perfect timing but was caught at the wire by
Shahryar (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact) and came second by a nose. Efforia’s connections havedecided to send him to the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and then most likely the year-end Arima Kinen.
Derby victor Shahryar broke his maiden in his debut start,
marked a third behind winner Efforia in the Kyodo News Hai (G3,1,800m), and then landed his first graded win in the Mainichi Hai(G3, 1,800m) that followed. Well rested and in good form after
sitting out the Satsuki Sho, the Deep Impact colt showed atremendous closing kick in beating Efforia by a whisker in theTokyo Yushun. He commenced his fall campaign in the Kobe
Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,200m) on September 26, where the colt had little left in the last half-furlong
from struggling on the rain-sodden track and finished fourth, five lengths behind the winner.
Shahryar in the 2021 Tokyo Yushun

Sprint, Older Fillies & Mares, Mile, Dirt, and Steeplechasing
The opening G1 event of the 2021 JRA fall season, the Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) will be held on
October 3 without Gran Alegria, who won the title last year but opted to aim for the Tenno Sho(Autumn) instead this year, leaving Danon Smash (JPN, H6, by Lord Kanaloa) as a probablefavorite. The son of Lord Kanaloa won back-to-back G1 titles in the 2020 Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m)
and Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) in March but was unsuccessful in his bid for a third straighttitle in the following Chairman’s Sprint Prize (G1, 1,200m), finishing sixth. He will kick off this fallin his attempt for his third G1 victory in the Sprinters Stakes before returning to Hong Kong again in
December to defend his title in the Hong Kong Sprint.
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Resistencia (JPN, F4, by Daiwa Major), who just missed by a neck in second to Danon Smash in
the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, disappointingly finished sixth in her following start in the Victoria Mile
(G1, 1,600m). She bounced back to score her fourth grade-race victory in her fall comeback at theCentaur Stakes (G2, 1,200m) on September 12, and is in good form towards claiming her second G1
victory after the 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1,600m). Meanwhile, 2020 NHK Mile Cup (G1,
1,600m) winner Lauda Sion (JPN, C4, by Real Impact) was inconsistent this season, finishing 14th
in both the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Yasuda Kinen and a disappointing 13th again in the
Centaur Stakes, although he managed to add another grade-race victory in May in the Keio Hai Spring
Cup (G2, 1,400m). The Real Impact colt will be stepping down in class this fall, running in the Fuji
Stakes (G2, 1,600m) on October 23 instead of the Sprinters Stakes.

Danon Smashin the 2021 Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Resistencia
in the 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

Lauda Sionin the 2020 NHK Mile Cup

Other key runners in the fall sprint G1 will include Bien Fait (JPN, G4, by Kizuna), winner of the
Hakodate Sprint Stakes (G3, 1,200m) on June 13; First Force (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa), a
record-breaking winner of the CBC Sho (G3, 1,200m) on July 4; and 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen
victor Mozu Superflare (USA, M6, by Speightstown).

Bien Fait
in the 2021 Hakodate Sprint Stakes

First Forcein the 2021 CBC Sho

Mozu Superflarein the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen

This year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup for three-year-old and up
fillies/mares will not include 2019-20 champion Lucky Lilac(JPN, by Orfevre), who is now retired. Loves Only You (JPN, M5,
by Deep Impact), who was third to Lucky Lilac in both years, will
also be away for her overseas challenge in the Breeders’ Cup, so
all eyes are on Lei Papale (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact), who was
unbeaten in six starts since her debut.

Lei Papale in the 2021 Osaka Hai

The Deep Impact filly was defeated for the first time in the following Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m),
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while still managing to secure a place at third, and missed theboard for the first time in fourth place when sent to the post as race
favorite in her fall debut at the All Comers on September 26, in

Win Marilyn in the 2021 All Comers

which Win Marilyn (JPN, F4, by Screen Hero) claimed her
third grade-race title. Victoria Mile runner-up Rambling Alley(JPN, M5, by Deep Impact), also slated to enter the Queen
Elizabeth II Cup, finished further back in seventh.

This year’s Victoria Mile third-place finisher Magic Castle (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact) and theHanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m) victor Des Ailes (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact) will also berunning in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup following their start in the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m)
on October 16, which is the main prep for this race. Furthermore, the three-year-old filly hopefuls
will challenge their seniors coming off their outing in the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), the final leg ofthe fillies’ Triple Crown, on October 17.

Rambling Alleyin the 2021 Nakayama Himba Stakes

Magic Castle
in the 2021 Aichi Hai

Des Ailesin the 2021 Hanshin Himba Stakes

The Mile Championship on November 21 will include the 2019
winner of this race, Indy Champ (JPN, H6, by Stay Gold). The
consistent son of Stay Gold will be coming off a five-month breakfollowing a fourth-place finish in the Yasuda Kinen, which
follows the same race plan of last year in which he finished secondin the Mile Championship after a third in the Yasuda.

Indy Champin the 2019 Mile ChampionshipThis year’s NHK Mile Cup champion Schnell Meister (GER, C3,
by Kingman), who finished an impressive third against his
seniors in the Yasuda Kinen, will make his fall comeback in theMainichi Okan and could be one of the three-year-olds to threaten
older G1 caliber in the Mile Championship, joining Danon theKid (JPN, C3, by Just a Way), who is already slated to run thisSchnell Meisterin the 2021 NHK Mile Cup
year. The Just a Way colt, who won his first G1 title as a two-yearold in the Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m), was the race favorite in the first leg of the three-year-old
Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho, but finished 15th and later was found to have sustained a chip fracture
in his right radial tuberosity and sidelined for an extended period. Although recognized for his
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outstanding performance at 2,000 meters, Danon the Kid will resume racing this fall starting with adistance of 1,600 meters in the Fuji Stakes, which will also include NHK Mile Cup runner-up
Songline (JPN, F3, by Kizuna) as well as Sekiya Kinen (G3, 1,600m) victor Lotus Land (USA, F4,
by Point of Entry). He will then go on to the Mile Championship.

Danon the Kidin the 2020 Hopeful Stakes

Songline (behind)in the 2021 NHK Mile Cup

Lotus Landin the 2021 Sekiya Kinen

Another talented three-year-old colt and 2020 Asahi Hai Futurity
Stakes victor Grenadier Guards (JPN, C3, by Frankel)
registered a third behind Schnell Meister and Songline in the
NHK Mile Cup, and after a summer break, also finished third in
the Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap (G3, 1,600m) on September 12.
He will head directly to the Mile Championship, instead of theoriginal plan to challenge the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the US.

Grenadier Guards
in the 2020 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes

Cadence Call (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa), three-time grade-race winner at a mile, will kick off
his fall campaign with the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) on October 10 before heading for the Mile
Championship. Other possible runners in the mile G1 event include Catedral (JPN, H5, by Heart’s
Cry), victor of the Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap; Salios (JPN, C4, by Heart’s Cry), 2019 Asahi Hai
Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner; and those from the Sprinters Stakes such as Resistencia, as
well as starters in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) such as Gran Alegria and Danon Kingly.

Cadence Callin the 2021 Milers Cup

Catedralin the 2021 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap

Saliosin the 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes

2020 Best Dirt Horse and Champions Cup victor Chuwa Wizard (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha)
continued to impress in his second start this season, finishing second in the Dubai World Cup (G1,dirt, 2,000m) in March. However, he sustained a proximal phalanx fracture in his right foreleg after
finishing sixth in his following start in June, the Teio Sho (dirt, 2,000m)—his return to racing is still
undetermined.
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Meanwhile, Chrysoberyl (JPN, H5, by Gold Allure), the 2019
Champion Cup winner and fourth-place horse last year, alsosustained an injury to his annular ligament in his right hind leg latelast year but made his comeback start on September 29 in the
Nippon TV Hai (dirt, 1,800m) , where he was outrun after racing
in second position early and finished sixth.
Chrysoberyl in the 2019 Champions Cup

Cafe Pharoah (USA, C4, by American Pharoah), sixth last year
in the Champions Cup, marked his first G1 victory this year in the
February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) but finished fifth in thefollowing Kashiwa Kinen (dirt, 1,600m) in May, then made an
unsuccessful test on turf in the Hakodate Kinen (G3, 2,000m) in Julywhere he finished ninth. Hopefully he will bounce back in his fallcampaign in preparation for the Champions Cup on December 5.

Cafe Pharoah
in the 2021 February Stakes

2019 February Stakes champion Inti (JPN, H7, by Came Home), who was third in both his 2019and 2020 Champions Cup starts, will make his fall comeback in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai(dirt, 1,600m) on October 11, as will Air Spinel (JPN, H8, by King Kamehameha), second to Cafe
Pharoah by a 3/4 length in this year’s February Stakes, and Wide Pharaoh (JPN, H5, by Henny
Hughes), victor of 2020’s Kashiwa Kinen.

Inti
in the 2019 February Stakes

Air Spinelin the 2017 Fuji Stakes

Wide Pharaoh (right)
in the 2019 Unicorn Stakes

2018-20 Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m) victor Omega Perfume (JPN, H6, by Swept
Overboard), four-time grade-race winner Clincher (JPN, H7, by Deep Sky), and this year’s Teio
Sho champion T O Keynes (JPN, C4, by Sinister Minister) will commence their fall campaign in
the JBC Classic (dirt, 2,100m) on November 3.

Omega Perfume
in the 2019 Tokyo Daishoten

Clincherin the 2020 Miyako Stakes

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T O Keynes
in the 2021 Antares Stakes

The Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1, 4,100m), held on December 25,
is the second of two steeplechase events graded at J-G1 todetermine the season’s best jumper, and Meisho Dassai (JPN, H8,
by Suzuka Mambo), already with one J-G1 victory in the
Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1, 4,250m) in April, is expected towin his second consecutive JRA Award as the season’s Best
Meisho Dassai
Steeplechase Horse by defending the Nakayama Daishogai title,
in the 2021 Nakayama Grand Jump
won last year. The son of Suzuka Mambo will kick off this fallwith the Kyoto Jump Stakes (J-G3, 3,140m) on November 13.
Legendary jumper Oju Chosan (JPN, H10, by Stay Gold) wastrying for his sixth consecutive triumph in this year’s Nakayama
Grand Jump but was diagnosed with a proximal phalanx fracture
to his left foreleg after finishing fifth. The son of Stay Gold is due
to make his comeback start on October 17 in the Tokyo High-Jump(J-G2, 3,110m) before heading for the Nakayama Daishogai.

Oju Chosanin the 2020 Nakayama Grand Jump

Towards the final legs of the three-year-old Triple Crown
One of the three-year-old fillies who is the focus of attention thisyear is Sodashi (JPN, F3, by Kurofune), possibly the first whitefilly to win a G1 in the world. Undefeated in four starts as a twoyear-old, including the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) thatearned her the JRA Award Best Two-Year-Old Filly title last year,
she captured her second G1 title in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000
Sodashi in the 2021 Oka Sho
Guineas, G1, 1,600m) in April this year while setting a course
record time. Though experiencing her first defeat, finishing eighth in the Yushun Himba (JapaneseOaks, G1, 2,400m) in May due to the long distance, the Kurofune filly won the Sapporo Kinen (G2,2,000m) on August 22 after a three-month break, defeating three older G1 horses. The filly aims tocapture her third G1 title in the last leg of the fillies’ Triple Crown, the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), on
October 17.
Satono Reinas (JPN, F3, by Deep Impact), who finished a nose and a neck second to Sodashi inthe Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and the Oka Sho, respectively, attracted attention as the first filly in sevenyears to run in the Tokyo Yushun and finished fifth against male contenders. Though she was slated
to start her autumn season in the Shuka Sho together with stablemate and Yushun Himba runner-up
Akaitorino Musume (JPN, F3, by Deep Impact), Satono Reinas was found to have sustained abone fracture in her right hind leg, ruling her out of racing for at least half a year. Meanwhile, Yushun
Himba winner Uberleben (JPN, F3, by Gold Ship) was diagnosed with a minor tendon injury after
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the race, and although it took some time for her to return to training, she will start in the Shuka Sho
if she can recover her form in time.

Satono Reinas
in the 2020 Saffron Sho

Akaitorino Musumein the 2021 Queen Cup

Uberlebenin the 2021 Yushun Himba

The Shion Stakes (G3, 2,000m) on September 11, one of the trial races towards the Shuka Sho, wasclaimed by Oka Sho third-place finisher Fine Rouge (JPN, F3, by Kizuna), who captured her second
graded title following the Fairy Stakes (G3, 1,600m) in January. Through Seven Seas (JPN, F3, by
Dream Journey) and Miss Figaro (JPN, F3, by Deep Impact) came in second and third,
respectively, to earn berths in the Shuka Sho, while Japanese Oaks third-place finisher Hagino Pilina(JPN, F3, by Kizuna) finished eighth.

Fine Rougein the 2021 Shion Stakes

Hagino Pilina
in the 2021 Yaguruma Sho

Andvaranautin the 2021 Rose Stakes

Fourth pick Andvaranaut (JPN, F3, by King Kamehameha) won the Rose Stakes, another trial
race held on September 19, followed by 12th choice A Shin Hiten (JPN, F3, by A Shin Hikari),finishing 1-1/4 lengths behind in second. Race favorite Art de Vivre (JPN, F3, by King
Kamehameha), who was fifth in both the Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba, finished another half alength behind in third, while third choice Cool Cat (JPN, F3, by Screen Hero), Flora Stakes (G2,2,000m) champion, was 11th, and Yushun Himba fourth-place finisher Tagano Passion (JPN, F3,
by King Kamehameha) came in 12th.

Art de Vivrein the 2020 Two-Year-Olds (Newcomer)

Cool Catin the 2021 Flora Stakes

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Tagano Passion
in the 2021 Sweetpea Stakes

As mentioned earlier, Satsuki Sho winner Efforia will pass the last leg of the three-year-old Triple
Crown, the Kikuka Sho, on October 24 and head for the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
The following trial races were held ahead of the Kikuka Sho. The St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m) on
September 20 was won by ninth pick Asamano Itazura (JPN, C3, by Victoire Pisa), who registered
his first graded title with a neck victory. Orthoclase (JPN, C3, by Epiphaneia), who was coming
off a second in the year-end Hopeful Stakes, was third, while Spring Stakes (G2, 1,800m) victor
Victipharus (JPN, C3, by Heart’s Cry) and Keisei Hai (G3, 2,000m) winner Gratias (JPN, C3, byHeart's Cry) finished fifth and ninth, respectively.

Asamano Itazurain the 2021 St. Lite Kinen

Orthoclasein the 2020 Ivy Stakes

Victipharus
in the 2021 Spring Stakes

This year’s Satsuki Sho runner-up Titleholder (JPN, C3, by Duramente) dropped back to 13th after
meeting traffic entering the lane. So Valiant (JPN, C3, by Orfevre), runner-up, is expected to passon the Kikuka Sho due to his slow recovery.

Gratiasin the 2021 Keisei Hai

Titleholder in the2021 Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen

So Valiant
in the 2021 Moiwayama Tokubetsu

Stella Veloce (JPN, C3, by Bago), who was third in both theSatsuki Sho and the Tokyo Yushun, won the Kobe Shimbun Hai
held on September 26, followed by Kyoto Shimbun Hai (G2,2,200m) champion Red Genesis (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact),finishing half a length behind in second, and eighth pick Monte
Dio (JPN, C3, by Just a Way) another three lengths behind in
third. Two-time grade-race winner Wonderful Town (JPN, C3,
by Rulership) was eighth.

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Stella Velocein the 2021 Kobe Shimbun Hai

Red Genesis
in the 2021 Kyoto Shimbun Hai

Monte Dioin the 2021 Rusutsu Tokubetsu

Wonderful Town
in the 2021 Aoba Sho

This year’s Kikuka Sho field will also include Weiss Meteor(JPN, C3, by King Kamehameha), who won the Radio Nikkei
Sho (G3, 1,800m) in July.

Weiss Meteor
in the 2021 Radio Nikkei Sho

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