Two-time champ Lord Kanaloa goes out in blaze of glory in HK Sprint

Japanese superstar Lord Kanaloa was an impressive winner of last year's Group

1 Hong Kong Sprint, but his repeat victory on Sunday was a pure annihilation.

Not even the unfavorable 12 post at Sha Tin could pose so much as a speed bump,

let alone an obstacle, to the defending champion, who stormed a full five

lengths clear in his last hurrah. But a pall was cast on this otherwise joyous

occasion: the English Group 1-winning filly Jwala, who was likewise bound for

retirement, suffered a fatal injury.

Lord Kanaloa, who emulated previous back-to-back winners Falvelon (2000-01)

and Silent Witness (2003-04), will now embark upon his stud career with a

sky-high reputation as Japan's greatest sprinter. At the same time, Lord Horse

Club's son of King Kamehameha stated his case for Japanese Horse of the Year

honors.

When the gate opened, 2011 Sprint hero Lucky Nine fluffed the start and found

himself at the back. Rich Tapestry sped to the lead, with Go Baby Go lapped onto

him through fractions of :23 4/5 and :46 1/5. The ill-fated Jwala forced them in

a wide third from post 14.

Yasuda observed that Lord Kanaloa far exceeded his official international

rating of 120.

"He's a champion and I don't care about his rating of 120, that's not so

important in Japan," the trainer said. "Today I think he ran probably to 125."

Irish shipper Sole Power flew from near the tail of the field for second,

edging Frederick Engels by a neck.

"That was a huge run," jockey Johnny Murtagh said of Sole Power. "He's used

to running on straight tracks at home, and he's not the best turning horse in

the world and he didn't come around the bend well here -- but it was still a

great run. The winner is something special."

Also marveling at Lord Kanaloa from afar were Zac Purton, who was aboard

Frederick Engels, and Ryan Moore on Rich Tapestry.

"We had a perfect run, and we did have every chance, but the winner was just

in a different league," Purton said.

Lord Kanaloa enhanced his resume with a five-for-six mark in 2013. After

taking the February 24 Hankyu Hai, he garnered the March 24 Takamatsunomiya

Kinen by blitzing about six furlongs in a course-record 1:08.1 at Chukyo. Lord

Kanaloa stretched out for the June 2 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo and proved that even

that metric mile was within his compass with a rallying victory, capping another

five-race win skein. The September 8 Centaur turned out to be his nemesis again,

for he couldn't quite catch the loose-on-the-lead Hakusan Moon.

But Lord Kanaloa swiftly took revenge when repeating in the September 29

Sprinters Stakes, and turned in his strongest performance in Hong Kong Sunday,

doubling his winning margin from last year.

"It's wonderful to win for a second time here, especially as it is his last

race," Yasuda said. "I look forward to training his offspring, and I hope one

day I have one good enough to bring back here."

Lord Kanaloa was bred in Japan by K.I. Farm and produced by the winning Storm

Cat mare Lady Blossom. Herself a half-sister to stakes scorer Al Kazan, Lady

Blossom is also responsible for the multiple stakes-placed Lord Balius.

Lord Kanaloa's second dam is 1992 champion three-year-old filly Saratoga Dew,

whose victories in the Beldame and Gazelle propelled her to an Eclipse Award.

His fourth dam is multiple Grade 2 vixen Alada, and his fifth dam is Syrian Sea,

a multiple stakes-winning full sister to 1973 Triple Crown legend Secretariat.