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Lovely Day upstages Kizuna, Harp Star Sunday's Kyoto Kinen (Jpn-G2) attracted plenty of buzz, as the about 1 3/8-mile event marked the return from injury of champion Kizuna (Deep Impact) and the four-year-old debut of champion filly Harp Star (Deep Impact), on her way to Dubai. But both were upstaged on the day by Kaneko Makoto Holdings' homebred Lovely Day (King Kamehameha). Most recently victorious in the January 4 Nikkan Sports Sho Nakayama Kimpai (Jpn-G3) in a record 1:57 4/5 for about 1 1/4 miles, Lovely Day was sent off as the 7-1 third choice for this step up in class. The Yasutoshi Ikee trainee stalked pacesetter Suzuka Devious (King Kamehameha) through steady fractions on the firm turf, while 4-5 favorite Harp Star raced a bit closer than usual in midpack, and Kizuna bided his time near the rear. The top two continued their match race down the stretch. Although Suzuka Devious desperately tried to fend off Lovely Day, the latter ultimately outdueled him by a nose in a final time of 2:11 2/5. Keita Tosaki was aboard the winner. Kizuna delivered a strong late run to threaten, only to come up just short and crossed the wire another neck away in third. Sidelined since last May with a fracture, the champion three-year-old male of 2013 turned in a terrific comeback for trainer Shozo Sasaki. "I was delighting with his race but the race was for the front runners," Sasaki told Racing Post. "I wondered if he would come back like this after such a big injury with the fracture. I would like him to run the Grade 2 Osaka Hai in April." Harp Star didn't produce her trademark kick and settled for fifth, but the March 28 Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) is still her game plan. "I told the rider to be as near front as he could," trainer Hiroyoshi Matsuda told Racing Post. "I am not sure it was a match for her more than her usual style." Lovely Day is in career-best form at the age of five. He placed in four graded stakes -- the 2012 Keio Hai Nisai (Jpn-G2) as a juvenile, the 2013 Kinko Sho (Jpn-G2) and Kokura Kinen (Jpn-G3) and the 2014 Chunichi Shimbun Hai (Jpn-G3) -- before earning his first stakes score in last April's Metropolitan S. The dark bay was unplaced in his four remaining outings last season, but turned the corner with his record-setting victory at Nakayama. His scorecard stands at 19-5-3-1. Also at Kyoto on Sunday, Gentildonna's full brother Legende (Deep Impact) made a winning debut in the 6TH race, an about 1 1/8-mile race for newcomers. Like his sister, the two-time Japanese Horse of the Year, the sophomore is trained by Sei Ishizaka. Ridden by Tosaki, who guided Gentildonna to her successful finale in the December 28 Arima Kinen (Jpn-G1), Legende prevailed by three-quarters of a length while clocking 1:52 2/5. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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