Chrono Genesis Heads for Retirement After Arima Kinen

A cavalcade of retiring stars continues Dec. 26 in the Arima Kinen (G1) at Nakayama Racecourse as Chrono Genesis  tries to emulate Contrail, Gran Alegria , and Loves Only You  with a career-ending win.

As always, the revolving door continues to spin, and some accomplished younger rivals are ready to step up in the Arima Kinen to help fill the void.

Japanese fans are encouraged to vote for the horses they want to see run in the Arima Kinen. The top vote-getters' participation is, of course, not guaranteed, but this year the first three in the balloting included not only Chrono Genesis but also 3-year-olds Efforia and Titleholder and all are expected to take part.

Chrono Genesis, a 5-year-old Bago  mare, won the 2020 Arima Kinen and will make just her fourth start of 2021 as trainer Takashi Saito has spaced out her efforts amid an ambitious travel schedule.

She started the year with a dramatic second, just a neck short of Mishriff (IRE) and a neck in front of Loves Only You, in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) at Meydan in March. She came home to score a repeat win in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin in June, then did not race again until unsuitable ground saw her finish seventh in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp Oct. 3.

Christophe Lemaire got the call in the Takarazuka Kinen after regular rider Yuichi Kitamura was injured in May, and Lemaire is expected to be up for the mare's final race.

Loves Only You, part of that desperate stretch battle in the Sheema Classic, bowed out a winner Dec. 12 at Sha Tin Racecourse after the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1).

As the stars of seasons past flicker out in the early darkness of winter, Efforia looks more than ready to take his place in the pantheon of Japanese equine heroes.

The Epiphaneia colt already has mastered some of his elders, coming off a solid victory over Contrail and Gran Alegria in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse Oct. 31. He has five wins from six starts with his only defeat coming in a second-place finish in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1).

Trainer Yuichi Shikato expressed his satisfaction with the colt's final fast work.

"It was fine for a week out," Shikato said. "He came back from the farm looking happy and healthy and training has gone well."

Contrail, the 2020 Japanese Triple Crown champion, went to his breeding career after bouncing back from the Tenno Sho loss with a win in the Japan Cup (G1) Nov. 28. Gran Alegria also returned from defeat to end her career with an impressive score in the Mile Championship (G1) Nov. 21 at Hanshin.

Titleholder, a Duramente  colt, has been more in-and-out through his 3-year-old season. After finishing second behind Efforia in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1), he was sixth in the Tokyo Yushun and 13th in the Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen Sept. 20 when seriously hampered by traffic. He reversed form completely Oct. 24 in the 3,000-meter (about 1 7/8 miles) Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1), winning by five lengths.

Four of the last 10 winners of the Arima Kinen came directly from the Kikuka Sho—three winners of that marathon and the other, fourth. This year's Kikuka Sho fourth, Stella Veloce, another promising 3-year-old colt, also is in the Arima Kinen field.

The 2,500-meter (about 1 mile, 4 1/2 furlongs) Arima Kinen starts on the outer loop of the Nakayama Racecourse turf, passes the grandstand for the first time, and then follows the inner loop around and down the stretch a second time to the winning post.

The Arima Kinen is the penultimate grade 1 on the 2021 Japanese racing calendar, followed two days later by the Hopeful Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds at the same track. Top-level racing then goes on hiatus until the February Stakes (G1) Feb. 20 at Tokyo Racecourse.