|
|
Isla Bonita strongest late in Satsuki Sho
"I tried to race him with his own pace until the first corner and took him to the outside to avoid the crowd," Ebina recapped. "He was responding well, and as I was able to race him toward the front, I urged him to go earlier. Although he seemed a bit distracted, he was able rally strongly with the other horses. He is able to run a smooth race and I think the Tokyo racecourse, where the Japanese Derby is held, will suit him well." To the World edged a stubborn Win Full Bloom by a half-length for second. One and Only rattled home from last to grab fourth, posting the fastest final three-eighths in :34.3, and Staphanos also finished with interest for fifth. Asia Express, a Florida-bred son of Henny Hughes who was trying to become the first foreign-bred to take the Satsuki Sho, was in the thick of contention for a long way. But his stamina limitations were likely exposed in the final yards, and he was relegated to sixth at the wire. Isla Bonita now boasts a record of 6-5-1-0, ¥232,921,000. The Satsuki Sho marked his first attempt over a right-handed course. After capturing a newcomers' event at a metric mile at Tokyo last June, he made his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Niigata Nisai and beat all bar the highly-touted Harp Star. That piece of form looks even better now, considering that Harp Star just won the April 13 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas) and has her sights set on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October. Rebounding in the October 19 Icho Stakes back at Tokyo, Isla Bonita concluded his juvenile season with a neck decision in the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai. The Hironori Kurita trainee kicked off 2014 on a winning note in the February 24 Kyodo News Service Hai, another Grade 3 at Tokyo, and extended his winning streak to four on Sunday. The next leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), is scheduled for June 1, and the series finale is the October 26 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) at Kyoto. Isla Bonita is the first registered foal produced by Grade 2-placed stakes winner Isla Cozzene since her export to Japan. The Cozzene mare has two American-bred offspring, and both are stakes performers -- Montejo was black-type placed in Trinidad, Jealous Girl was a stakes victress at Penn National. Before they hit the track, Isla Cozzene was purchased by Nobuo Tsunoda for $77,000 as a broodmare at the 2009 Keeneland January Sale, as part of the reduction of Everest Stables. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
