Master Fencer Wins Kintei Stakes

Master Fencer made his 4-year-old debut a winning one Feb. 22, galloping to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Kintei Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse.

Fifth in the 2019 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and sixth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the son of Just a Way returned to Japan after running 13th in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) in July. Given time to recover from his travels, he returned to the races in November and notched an allowance score at Chukyo before closing his sophomore campaign with a fourth in the Maya Stakes in December at Hanshin. 

Out of the Deputy Minister mare Sexy Zamurai, Master Fencer is campaigned by owner/breeder Katsumi Yoshizawa and trained by Koichi Tsunoda. The chestnut colt broke from post 10 in a field of 16 in the 2,100-meter (about 10 1/2-furlong) Kintei, kicked in with his typical late-closing run, and eked out a clear victory inside the final sixteenth. The win moved him into the "open class" in Japan, meaning he can now contest graded stakes on the JRA circuit.

Stamina is a common element in many Japanese pedigrees, and Master Fencer's is no exception. His sire won the 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) Dubai Duty Free (G1) in a stakes-record time in 2014 and took the 2013 Autumn Tenno Sho (G1) at 10 furlongs.