Danon Scorpion Holds On to Win NHK Mile Cup

Danon Scorpion took a late lead in the May 8 NHK Mile Cup (G1) for 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse and barely managed to hold it long enough to avert an upset that would have beggared the outcome of the previous day's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Like the Derby, the early fractions of the Mile Cup went in a rapid clip and at the end a couple of the favorites, Danon Scorpion and Matenro Orion, were fighting it out for the win.

But as the finish line loomed, along came Kawakita Reverie, outrunning odds just short of 230-1 while gaining stride by stride. But unlike Louisville, the long shot ran out of ground as Danon Scorpion prevailed by a neck over Matenro Orion with Kawakita Reverie just another neck behind.

Danon Scorpion, a Lord Kanaloa  colt out of Canadian Horse of the Year and 2014 Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou, showed promise with a third-place finish in the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) at Hanshin in his 2021 finale. He could only manage seventh in the Kyodo News Hai (G3) in his first start as a 3-year-old, but returned from that to win the April 16 Arlington Cup (G3).

In the Mile Cup, jockey Yuga Kawada got Danon Scorpion away cleanly from the outside post 18 and maintained a solid position in midpack around the sweeping Tokyo Racecourse stretch turn. As the leaders tired climbing the hill toward the finish, race favorite Serifos, who had saved ground, took a brief lead. He, in turn, was found wanting and finished fourth as Danon Scorpion took over in the final 50 meters.

Kawada said the margin of victory was diminishing so fast in the closing strides he wasn't sure of the outcome.

"It was a close victory and I knew that the horses on the outside route were all coming up with a lot of force," Kawada said. "So although I felt we had won crossing the wire, I had to be sure by watching the video after the race."

Kawada dismissed concerns about starting from the outside gate.

"Danon Scorpion was in perhaps his best condition coming into this race so I had a lot of confidence," the jockey said. "He was in good rhythm and balance so I had no worries.

"He was very much out of form going into the Kyodo News Hai, but he managed to perform well while still at the stage of improving in his last start. I think that really boosted his motivation for this race and I felt it today in his movement during the post parade."

Bred by K.I. Farm, Danon Scorpion races for Danox Company. He is trained by Takayuki Yasuda.

The would-be upsetter, Kawakita Reverie, by Drefong  out of the Deep Impact mare Kafuji Venus, entered the Mile Cup off an 11th-place finish in the Arlington Cup (G3). His only placing in a graded stakes was a third in the Nov. 13 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) at Hanshin.

"He is definitely the type to improve with his races," trainer Yoshiaki Sugiyama said of Kawakita Reverie before the Mile Cup, "and he'll be better for his latest run. After that run, this race became his target, and he's a lot more switched on now than before."

The Mile Cup has a history of churning out stars. King Kamehameha  in 2004 and Deep Sky  in 2008 went on from the Mile to win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). Other winners include El Condor Pasa , Kurofune , and Admire Mars, the subsequent winner of the 2019 Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1).