Gold Ship Seeks Third Takarazuka Kinen Win
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Gold Ship will bid for an unprecedented third win in the Takarazuka Kinen (Jpn-I) June 28 at Hanshin.
The 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8-mile) race, which offers a US$2.608 million purse, provides the winner an automatic berth into the $3 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) this fall at Keeneland.
Eiichi Kobayashi's 6-year-old gray son of Stay Gold, trained by Naosuke Sugai and to be ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, will bid for a record-equaling seventh group I race Sunday, and also his seventh win at Hanshin, where he has been beaten just once.
Gold Ship has won 11 times from 23 career starts, and seeks to be become the first horse in Japan to win the same group I race in three consecutive years. Gold Ship enters the Takarazuka Kinen following a sharp win in the two-mile Tenno Sho (Jpn-I) May 3 at Kyoto. It was his second win of the year, following a 1 3/4-triumph in the 1 7/8-mile Hanshin Daishoten in March. He will break from post 15.
"We were surprised by his performance in the Tenno Sho more than anyone. I think the jockey did an incredible job of reading the horse as well," trainer Naosuke Sugai said, referring to Norihiro Yokoyama, who will continue to take the reins. "(Gold Ship) had a setback after the Hanshin Daishoten and we struggled to get him fit, but he did us proud. We're out to win a third consecutive Takarazuka Kinen title, and he seems to get fired up when he runs at Hanshin."
Among the challengers to Gold Ship is the runner-up in last year's race, Curren Mirotic. A 7-year-old son of Heart's Cry, Curren Mirotic finished fourth in the Hanshin Daishoten and was third in the Tenno Sho, less than a length behind Gold Ship. Trained by Osamu Hirata, Curren Mirotic will be ridden by Masayoshi Ebina and break from post 5.
Masaya Oshima's Lachesis, a 5-year-old daughter of Deep Impact, enters the race off a victory in the 1 1/4-mile Sankei Osaki (Jpn-II), her season's debut April 5, in which she defeated Japanese Derby (Jpn-I) winner Kizuna by two lengths. Trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, Lachesis won last year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Jpn-I) at Kyoto. She will be ridden by Christophe Lamaire from post 13.
"The 2,200 meters is just right for her, the distance is perfect," said Lamaire, who was aboard for the Sankei Osaki. "The long straight at Hanshin is good for her because she has a great closing rush."
Reiko Hara's homebred Nuovo Record is another top female in the Takarazuka Kinen. Trained by Makoto Saito, the 4-year-old daughter of Heart's Cry who won last year's Japanese Oaks (Jpn-I) has been off the board just once in eight career starts, and it came in her most recent race, a sixth-place finish May 17 in Victoria Mile (Jpn-I) at Tokyo against fillies and mares.
Trained by Makoto Saito, Nuovo Record opened the year March 1 against male rivals with a neck victory over Logotype in the Nakayama Kinen (Jpn-II) at Nakayama.