Danon Smash Raises Status in Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Danon Smash stamped his form as Japan's top sprinter with a smashing victory over his chief rivals in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) March 28 at rainy Chukyo Racecourse.

The rich and prestigious race kept the Japanese turf speedsters home despite the lure of the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) in Dubai and the result was a dramatic and formful finish with the three favorites filling the top three placings.

Last year's winner, Mozu Superflare, took the early lead in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) affair, sprinting out to a daylight lead over yielding turf. He held that advantage well down the stretch as jockey Fuma Matsuwaka opted to hold his ground on the rail.

As Mozu Superflare started to flare out, the three race favorites got into gear farther out as the course began its sharp climb to the finish. Indy Champ was the first to get by the pacesetter but in the final 100 meters it was Danon Smash and Resistencia battling it out with the final margin just a neck. Indy Champ held third while 139-1 long shot Travesura edged Mozu Superflare for fourth. The final time was 1:09.20.

While the first two finishers were clearly best, the condition of the yielding turf impacted the result.

"I knew that the ground condition was going to be the key factor but I decided not to make any plan and let the horse race where he wants to," said winning rider Yuga Kawada. "We were able to race while eyeing Resistencia in the front. He responded really well at the fourth corner and, although there was a long duel at the stretch, he showed his strength at the end."

Trainer Takayuki Yasuda came into the race confident that Danon Smash was operating at peak level.

"The older he gets, the stronger he gets," Yasuda said.

Danon Smash now gets a chance to extend his top-level record to three in a row as he's headed for the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1) back in Hong Kong April 25.

Danon Smash is a 6-year-old son of champion Japanese sprinter Lord Kanaloa and, as he hits his stride, has taken up where that one left off. After failing to find the winner's enclosure in his first seven starts at the grade 1 level—including a 10th-place finish in the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen—Danon Smash broke through in December, winning the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) at Sha Tin.

Lord Kanaloa, a son of King Kamehameha, won the Hong Kong Sprint in both 2012 and 2013 and landed the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in 2013 as part of his six top-level victories. Danon Smash and Lord Kanaloa became the second father-son winners of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen after King Halo in 2000 and Laurel Guerreiro in 2009.

"Last year's result was very disappointing so I'm really glad he was able to register his first grade 1 title in Japan," Kawada said.

The winner, out of the Hard Spun  mare Spinning Wildcat, was bred by K.I. Farm and runs for Danox.

Resistencia, a 4-year-old Daiwa Major filly, won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) in 2019 and now has finished second three times in grade 1 events.