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Japan Cup produces an unlikely Hero
In the early going, Demuro managed to angle Screen Hero across from his outside post and minimize ground loss as he settled into sixth position. A rather deliberate pace was set by 112-1 longshot Never Bouchon (Marvelous Sunday), with 107-1 outsider Cosmo Bulk (Zagreb) poised right on his flank in second. The champion filly Vodka (Tanino Gimlet), the 7-2 second choice and one of three Japanese Derby winners in the field, raced a bit too keenly in third along the fence. Matsurida Gogh (Sunday Silence) stalked in fourth to her outside, while just behind Vodka came Meisho Samson (Opera House [GB]), the 2006 Japanese Derby hero, and Screen Hero. Reserved much farther back was 3-1 favorite Deep Sky (Agnes Tachyon), the reigning Japanese Derby winner. At the top of the demanding homestretch at Tokyo Racecourse, Matsurida Gogh threw down his challenge to Never Bouchon. Vodka made a bid along the inside, but her effort seemed to ebb away quickly, along with her hopes of becoming the first female to take the Japan Cup in 19 years. As Matsurida Gogh struck the front from the tiring Never Bouchon, Vodka found another gear, and she began to claw her way back into contention in midstretch. Meanwhile, just when Vodka's renewed energy emboldened her fans, Screen Hero erupted down the center of the course, and even wider out came the late-running Deep Sky. The closers had too much firepower for the battling duo of Vodka and Matsurida Gogh. Screen Hero and Deep Sky swept past and soon had the finish all to themselves. Screen Hero had gotten the jump on Deep Sky and held a narrow advantage, but the favorite had built up tremendous momentum of his own and put his older rival to a severe test. The unwavering Screen Hero passed with flying colors, holding on by a determined half-length in a final time of 2:25.5 for about 1 1/2 miles on firm turf. "I kept my mark on Matsurida Gogh," Demuro explained, "as I knew that horse was also in good form and well positioned, and everything worked out as planned. I thought 'Oh my God!' when I saw the horse closing up from the outside (Deep Sky), but I know that Screen Hero is a fighter, and I believed in him as he finished well in his last start." "When he broke out of the gate smoothly and blended into the flow of the race, he responded," Shikato said, "although I could not be sure until the very end as it was a very close race -- holding off three Derby winners. I was overwhelmed." Deep Sky crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Vodka, who bravely outdueled Matsurida Gogh by a head for third. Oken Bruce Lee (Jungle Pocket) stayed on strongly to grab fifth, just a neck astern of Matsurida Gogh. Meisho Samson plugged on for sixth and was trailed by Never Bouchon, Asakusa Kings (White Muzzle [GB]), English invader Purple Moon (Galileo [Ire]), Toho Alan (Dance in the Dark), Osumi Grass One (Grass Wonder), Admire Monarch (Dream Well [Fr]), English raiders Sixties Icon (GB) (Galileo [Ire]) and Papal Bull (Montjeu [Ire]), Tosen Captain (Jungle Pocket), Daiwa Wild Boar (Agnes Tachyon) and Cosmo Bulk. American shipper Marsh Side (Gone West) was scratched after developing fever and a cough. The jockeys of all three English runners believed that their horses were compromised by the lack of pace. "The pace was a bit too slow," said Jamie Spencer, whose Purple Moon fared the best of the trio. "I was able to position him well but was caught between horses in the stretch." "The pace was too slow and we were forced to travel in the rear," Johnny Murtagh said of his experience aboard Sixties Icon. "I think the (firm) course was too fast for the horse." "His start was better than last year but the pace was too slow," summed up Papal Bull's rider Ryan Moore. Screen Hero advanced his record to 17-5-5-2 while boosting his earnings to $3,550,530. He did not prove himself as a stakes performer until last fall, when he placed behind the talented Roc de Cambes (Red Ransom) in the Radio Nikkei Sho and R.F. Radio Nippon Sho St Lite Kinen. Screen Hero returned from his injury-enforced absence with an August 16 allowance score at Sapporo, his debut for Shikato. He followed up with two straight seconds in the Sapporo Nikkei Open and in another allowance, but he broke through with his first stakes victory in the Copa Republica Argentina at Tokyo last time out. Bred by Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan, Screen Hero is out of the Sunday Silence mare Running Heroine, herself a full sister to multiple Japanese Grade 3 victress and classic-placed Prime Stage (Sunday Silence). Running Heroine is a half-sister to Stage Champ (Real Shadai), a Japanese Grade 2 winner and classic-placed performer. Screen Hero's second dam is two-time Japanese champion older mare Dyna Actress (Northern Taste), who finished third in the 1987 Japan Cup, and his third dam is Japanese three-year-old filly champion Model Sport (Model Fool). He comes from the immediate family of champion Japanese steeplechaser Maruka Rascal (Grass Wonder). The Japan Cup is the third of four races in the newly constituted Japan Autumn International. Little Amapola (Agnes Tachyon) opened the series by capturing the November 16 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (Jpn-G1), and Blumenblatt (Admire Vega) took the next leg, the November 23 Mile Championship (Jpn-G1). The series concludes with next Sunday's Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1).
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