Tosen Ra gives Take his 100th top-level victory

Tosen Ra, twice a winner at the group level prior to Sunday's Grade 1 Mile

Championship, had never raced below 1 1/16 miles with the majority of his 20

starts between 1 3/16 miles and 1 5/16 miles, but his love of Kyoto Racecourse

prompted his connections to bypass next week's Grade 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo in

favor of Sunday's contest, and that move paid dividends, with the veteran

galloper earning his first top-level victory and providing jockey Yutaka Take

with his 100th.

A winner over this course at first asking just over three years ago, Tosen Ra

collected the Kisaragi Sho here three months later. It was two years before

Tosen Ra would win again, but that third lifetime victory came in the Kyoto

Kinen February 10. Second in the Tenno Sho Spring April 28, he checked in fifth

in the Takarazuka Kinen, and warmed off for this with a third-place effort off

more than three month's rest in the Kyoto Daishoten October 6.

Sent off the second choice here, Tosen Ra bided his time near the back of the

pack early and tipped wide turning for home. He came with a devastating charge

down the center of the track, hit the lead inside the final furlong and won with

ease while never feeling the sting of the whip.

"The horse was really strong and ran a great race," Take said. "He responded

impressively when urged at the top of the stretch. He was in good form and

everything seemed to fit in well for this victory.

"I am very pleased to be able to achieve this milestone of 100 career Group 1

wins, but I hope to capture more titles in the future."

Supersire Deep Impact was responsible for three of the top five finishers --

Tosen Ra, third-placer Danon Shark and fifth Donau Blue. Runner-up Daiwa

Maggiore and the fourth-placer Copano Richard are both by Daiwa Major, two-time

winner of the Mile Championship in 2006-07.

Tosen Ra's 18-year-old dam Princess Olivia was offered as a broodmare at

three different sales between 2001 and 2004, and was bought back for $10,000,

$9,500 and $23,000 before her Distorted Humor son Flower Alley won the Travers,

Lanes End and Jim Dandy in 2005 before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup

Classic. Princess Olivia was sold later than year to Shadai Farm for $825,000 at

Keeneland November. Spielberg, the year-younger full brother to Tosen Ra, is a

stakes winner and multiple Grade 3-placed in Japan.

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