Contrail stretched through Satsuki Sho at Nakayama

All pin hopes were on Contrail, Japan’s champion 2-year-old of 2019, made no errors when making his debut on Sunday in the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho at Nakayama Race Course near Tokyo.

The Satsuki Sho is considered Japan’s equivalent of England’s Two Thousand Guineas as first in the Triple Crown series. The Deep Impact colt did not disappoint.

Under jockey Yuichi Fukunaga, Contrail went off as market leader among 18 others. His powerful stretch run proved that support to be justified.

Lagging well behind early pacesetter, Chimera Verite, Contrail made a dramatic move on the far outside of the 1.4 miles race on a clockwise turf course, caught Salios and zoomed away to an impressive half-length stint in 2:00:7/10 seconds.

Salios who got a perfect inside run under Damian Lane, was 3 ½ lengths clear of Galore Creek in third. Two foreign-bred starters did not threaten: Darlington Hall (by New Approach), bred in Great Britain, finished sixth; US-bred American Seed (by Tapit out of Sweet Talker) was 12th.

UNBEATEN
Contrail, now unbeaten in four career starts, races for Shinji Maeda and is trained by Yoshito Yahagi. Bred in Japan by North Hills, Contrail was produced from the Unbridled’s Song mare Rhodochrosite, who was bred in Kentucky by Robert and Beverly Lewis, sold at Keeneland as a yearling and raced in Japan. The quality in Contrail’s female family goes back to generations.

“Winning the way he did today, I am confident that he has every reason to handle an extended distance in the coming (Yushun) Derby,” said winning jockey Fukunaga.

Contrail’s sire, the late Deep Impact, by US Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, won the Japanese Triple Crown in 2005, was two-time Horse of the Year, and eight times leading sire there.

The Japan Racing Association continues to hold meetings with no on-site spectators. All wagering is conducted by personal computer or smartphone.

There was $142.5 million gambled on the Satsuki Sho, with a total of $228-million bet on the 12-race Nakayama program.

Contrail’s sire, the late Deep Impact, by US Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, won the Japanese Triple Crown in 2005, was two-time Horse of the Year in Japan and eight times leading sire there.

$228-MILLION BET
The Japan Racing Association continues to run races with no on-site spectators because of the global coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

With all OTBs also closed, all wagering is conducted by personal computer or smartphone. There was $142.5 million wagered on the Satsuki Sho, with a total of $228-million bet on the 12-race Nakayama programme.

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Ce Ce was up in the final yards of Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, catching front-running Ollie’s Candy to win by a head, and giving the West Coast a 1-2 finish in one of the year’s premier races for fillies and mares.

Trained by Michael McCarthy with Victor Espinoza in charge, Ce Ce covered 1.1 miles in 1:43:1/10 seconds. Point of Honor trailed for most of the distance, ran wide, but still managed third place. Street Band followed behind.

Ce Ce was always loaded with energy. She is something easy and classy to handle.