Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Series Takarazuka Kinen Japan

August 1, 2013

Dear Readers,

As promised I researched the Grade 1 - Takarazuka Kinen run over the turf course at Hanshin Racecourse in western Japan on June 23, 2013.

Take a look at the size of that Toteboard and that’s just the one for the walk ring, impressive. Built shortly after the end of World War II, Hanshin boasts two turf courses, a jump course and a dirt course. With a patron capacity of nearly 140,000 and only 12,600 seats, that leaves a lot of people standing. Didn’t seem to matter on the day Gold Ship won the Takarazuka Kinen, the place looked like Times Square on New Year’s Eve and the atmosphere was just as festive.

The gray 4-year-old by Stay Gold and out of the mare Point Flag, was Japan’s Champion 3-year-old male of the year for 2012. Breaking sluggishly from the ten post, the jockey Hiroyuki Uchida had to hustle Gold Ship to get him lined out and into the bit. Cruising along on the outside, the horse never seemed particularly focused in my opinion, and his rider seemed content to stay close to Gentildonna.

The opposite was going on with Silport whose jockey was committing racing Seppuku on the front end. Sprinting to an early lead, Silport separated from the field by more than fifteen lengths, and when the inevitable came to pass, he faltered badly and ultimately finished well out of the money. Unless you’re Secretariat, you can’t open up on a field of this quality, and expect any other outcome than that which came to pass.

Gold Ship, with a good deal of adjusting of the reins and continued urging by his rider, charged up the slight rise to the wire and finished with his ears flopping around, a clear but unenthusiastic winner. The course was rated good but I have to say it was really chewed up, and clearly in need of a season break to repair the damaged turf.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for a dappled gray horse, and Gold Ship is a particularly pretty color. But pretty dapples don’t make a horse run faster, and I don’t know why, but I didn’t get the feeling that this was a particularly impressive race for this horse; perhaps he didn’t find the course condition to his liking. The jockey certainly earned his fee, having to keep up the pressure on his mount throughout the race. Winning the Takarazuka Kinen made Gold Ship eligible for the $3 million dollar Breeder’s Cup Turf at Santa Anita this fall. He wouldn’t be my pick to win it, but then I have been wrong before.

Here is a picture of Gold Ship after the race, and I would point out the massive bridle teeth on this horse. You can see them, about two inches in front of the bit. You can see a bigger picture by Googling it. Granted I’ve seen bigger, but certainly not on a racehorse. Bridle teeth have no use, other than to interfere with the bit, and are easily removed by the vet or equine dentist when they first appear. I’m just saying…it’s a curiosity.




Thanks for reading. Tomorrow I'll add a book review.

Take care,
Shelley Riley
www.shelleyriley.com

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