Blast Onepiece Outduels Elders in Arima Kinen

Blast Onepiece, the sole 3-year-old in the field for the Dec. 23 Arima Kinen (Gran Prix), outfinished the favorite, Rey de Oro, to land the grade 1 contest, in which fans choose the entrants of the race by popular vote, at Nakayama Racecourse by a neck. 

Cheval Grand finished third in the final Japanese grade 1 of the year for older horses, as Kiseki, runner-up in the Japan Cup (G1), faded through the final 100 meters after leading most of the way.

Oju Chosan, primarily a hurdler, captured the popular imagination in Japan and was the No. 3 choice in fan voting to make the field. The 7-year-old was never in serious contention in the Arima Kinen, however, and finished ninth under Utaka Take.

Blast Onepiece, a 3-year-old colt by Harbinger out of the King Kamehameha mare Tsurumaru Onepiece, raced outside rivals in mid-pack through most of the clockwise-run 2,500 meters (about 12 1/2 furlongs) and made up significant ground around the final turn. As Kiseki shortened strides heading for home, both Blast Onepiece and Rey de Oro shot past and battled to the wire.

With Kenichi Ikezoe in the irons, Blast Onepiece got home in 2:32.20 over turf rated good.

"As I had drawn a middle gate (8), I was a bit worried of being caught between horses," Ikezoe said. "So I settled him toward the outside. He ran well, and though we were closed in by the race favorite at the end, he held on really well.

"I've been telling everyone that he is a grade 1 horse, and I'm happy that I was able to prove it," added Ikezoe, who won the race for the fourth time. Two of the previous wins came aboard Orfevre in 2011 and 2013. Trainer Masahiro Otake notched his first grade 1 victory.

Blast Onepiece, bred by Northern Farm and owned by Silk Racing, won for the fifth time in seven starts. In his two previous grade 1 outings, however, he finished fifth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and fourth in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger).