Kitasan Black
| Kitasan Black | |
|---|---|
 Kitasan Black in October 2015 | |
| Sire | Black Tide |
| Grandsire | Sunday Silence |
| Dam | Sugar Heart |
| Damsire | Sakura Bakushin O |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 10 March 2012[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Yanagawa Bokujo |
| Owner | Ono Shoji |
| Trainer | Hisashi Shimizu |
| Record | 13: 8-1-3 |
| Earnings | 946,531,000 yen |
| Major wins | |
|
Spring Stakes (2015) St Lite Kinen (2015) Kikuka Sho (2015) Tenno Sho (Spring 2016) Kyoto Daishoten (2016) Japan Cup (2016) | |
Kitasan Black (Japanese キタサンブラック, foaled 10 March 2012) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He is a stayer who has produced most of his best performances over distances of 2400 metres or further. Unraced as a juvenile in 2014 he proved himself one of the best colts of his generation in Japan in the following year with wins in the Spring Stakes St Lite Kinen and Kikuka Sho as well as third place finishes in the Satsuki Sho and the Arima Kinen. He cotinued his good form in the first half of 2016 with a win in the spring edition of the Tenno Sho and a close third in the Takarazuka Kinen. He returned to the track in autumn with a win in the Kyoto Daishoten before recording his biggest success to date in the Japan Cup.
Background
Kitasan Black is a bay horse with a narrow white blaze bred in Japan by the Hokkaido-based Yanagawa Bokujo. During his track career he has been owned by Ono Shoji, a company owned by the popular singer Saburo Kitajima. He has been trained for all of his races by Hisashi Shimizu. Kitasan Black is a large Thoroughbred who has weighed more than 530kg in several of his races.
Kitasan Black is from the third crop of foals sired by Black Tide, who was a full-brother to Deep Impact. Black Tide was a high-class performer in his own right, winning the Spring Stakes in 2004[2] before his career was severely disrupted by an injury sustained in the Satsuki Sho.[3] His dam Sugar Heart was an unraced daughter of the Japanese Champion Sprinter Sakura Bakushin O. Her dam Otome Gokoro was a half-sister to Cee's Tizzy, the sire of Tiznow.[4][5]
Racing career
2015: three-year-old season
Kitasan Black began his track career in a contest for unraced three-year-olds over 1800 metres at Tokyo Racecourse on 31 January 2015 and won by a length from Mikki Joy and fourteen others. Three weeks later he followed up with a victory in a minor race over 2000 metres at the same track beating Tosen Rasen by about three lengths. The colt was then stepped up to Grade II level for the Spring Stakes (a trial for the Satsuki Sho) over 1800 metres at Nakayama Racecourse on 22 March. He started at odds of 11.3/1 against eleven opponents including Danon Platina, who had been name Japanese champion two-year-old colt after winning the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and Real Steel who had defeated Duramente in the Grade III Tokinominoru Kinen. Ridden a in most of his races that year by Hiroshi Kitamura he won by a neck from Real Steel, with Danon Platina three quarters of a length back in third place.[6] In the Satsuki Sho over 2000 metres at the same track on 19 April he started the 8.7/1 fourth choice in the fifteen runner field and finished third behind Duramente and Real Steel with the favoured Satono Crown (winner of the Yayoi Sho) in sixth place. Following the race his trainer Hisashi Shimizu explained "our horse gave it everything he had and I thought he turned in a good performance. He doesn’t give in easily".[7] On 31 May at Tokyo Racecourse the colt contested the 82nd running of the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres but after racing in second place he dropped away quickly in the last 300 metres abd finished fourteenth of the eighteen runners behind Duramente.
After a break of almost four months, Kitasan Black returned on 21 September for the Grade II St Lite Kinen (a trial race for the Kikuka Sho) over 2200 metres. He started at odds of 11.5/1 in a field headed by Satono Rasen who had finished second in the Tokyo Yushun, with the other fancied contenders including the Grade III winners Bright Emblem and Beruf. In a closely contested finish, he won by three quarters of a length and a head from the outsiders Musee Alien and Jun Tsubasa.[8] On 25 October Kitasan Black was partnered by Kitamura when he started at odds of 12.4/1 in an eighteen-runner field for the Kikuka Sho over 3000 metres at Kyoto Racecourse. The favourite was Lia Fail, the winner of the Grade II Kobe Shimbun Hai, whilst the other runners included Real Steel, Satono Rasen, Beruf, Bright Emblem, Musee Alien and Jun Tsubasa. After racing in fifth place on the inside, Kitasan Black took the lead early in the straight and held off the late challenge of Real Steel by a neck with Lia Fail half a length back in third.[9] After the race Shimizu, who was recording his first Grade I win as a trainer, commented "There were concerns over his aptitude for long distances but I wanted to prove that this was wrong, as his form and movements showed that he is suited to long distances. There were horses chasing us on the outside after we took command so I just hoped that he will hold on until the wire."[5] Owner Saburo Kitajima celebrated by serenading the crown with a rendition of his hit song "Matsurida (It’s Festival Time)".[10]
On his final appearance of 2015 Kitasan Black was matched against older opponents for the first time when he was one of sixteen horses invited by public vote to contest the Arima Kinen over 2500 metres at Nakayama on 27 December. Ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama he finished third behind the four-year-olds Gold Actor and Sounds of Earth, beaten a length by the winner with Gold Ship, Lovely Day, Marialite (Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup) and One and Only (2014 Tokyo Yushun) among the beaten runners.
2016: four-year-old season
In 2016 the veteran Yutaka Take took over as Kitasan Black's regular jockey. The colt began his four-year-old campaign in a strong renewal of the Grade II Osaka Hai over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 3 April. He led from the start and looked likely to win before being caught in the final strides and beaten a neck into second place by Ambitious (who was carrying 2kg less)[11] with the next four places being filled by Shonan Pandora (Japan Cup), Lovely Day, Isla Bonita (2014 Satsuki Sho) and Nuovo Record (Yushun Himba).
On 1 May Kitasan Black moved back up in distance for the spring edition of the Grade I Tenno Sho over 3200 metres at Kyoto and started second favourite behind Gold Actor. The other sixteen runners included Cheval Grand (Hanshin Daishoten), Fame Game (runner-up in the 2015 race), Albert (Stayers Stakes), Sounds of Earth and Toho Jackal (2014 Kikuka Sho). Kitasan Black disputed the lead from the start and held on to win by a nose from the 98/1 outsider Curren Mirotic after a "nail-biting duel"[12] over the last 150 metres.[13] Take, who was winning the race for the seventh time said "I was intending to settle him in a good position after the start. He ran an ideal race, he responded beautifully. He’s not the type with an enormous burst of speed, so we made an early bid. It was so close but I’m glad he never gave up and stretched the way he did".[12] On his next start the colt was then one of seventeen horses invited to contest the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 metres at Hanshin on 26 June. In another close finish he took third place, beaten a neck and a nose by Marialite and the odds-on favourite Duramente after leading until the final strides.
On 10 October Kitasan Black returned from a three and a half month absence for the Grade II Kyoto Daishoten and started 4/5 favourite against eight opponents headed by Lovely Day and Sounds of Earth. After racing in second place he took the lead in the straight and won the race by a neck from the outsider Admire Deus with Lovely Day and Sounds of Earth in third and fourth.[14] The 36th running of the Japan Cup over 2400 metres at Tokyo on 27 November attracted a field of seventeen runners and Kitasan Black was made the 2.8/1 favourite. Before the race Take said "I’m not cooking up any special strategies... I’m going to do my best to answer the fans’ expectations as a representative of Japan".[15] The overseas contingent comprised Nightflower (Preis von Europa) and Iquitos (Grosser Preis von Baden) from Germany and Erupt (Grand Prix de Paris, Canadian International Stakes) from France. The leading Japanese contenders included Real Steel (who had won the (Dubai Turf in March), Gold Actor, Dee Majesty (Satsuki Sho), Sounds of Earth, Cheval Grand and the filly Rouge Buck. Ktasan Black led from the start, established a clear lead entering the straight and stayed on strongly in the closing stages to win by two and a half lengths from Sounds of Earth.[16] Take, who was winning the race for a record fourth time descibed the winner as "perhaps the strongest [horse] I've ever experienced".[17] Shimizu indicated that the horse would end his season in the Arima Kinen before being campaigned internationally in 2017 saying "He did everything we asked him to do in the workouts so I was confident of his form. The jockey unleashed him at just the right time. You can’t help but consider Dubai and the Arc as they are natural fits for him".[18]
Assessment and awards
In the JRA Awards for 2015 Kitasan Black finished runner-up to Duramente in the voting for the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt and fourth in the poll to determine the Japanese Horse of the Year.[19] In the 2015 World's Best Racehorse Rankings he was give a rating of 117 making him the 97th best racehorse in the world and the fourth best three-year-old in the world over extended distances.[20]
Pedigree
| Sire Black Tide (JPN) 2001 |
Sunday Silence (USA) 1986 |
Halo | Hail to Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmah | |||
| Wishing Well | Understanding | ||
| Mountain Flower | |||
| Wind In Her Hair (IRE) 1991 |
Alzao | Lyphard | |
| Lady Rebecca | |||
| Burghclere | Busted | ||
| Highclere | |||
| Dam Sugar Heart (JPN) 2005 |
Sakura Bakushin O (JPN) 1989 |
Sakura Yutaka O | Tesco Boy |
| Angelica | |||
| Sakura Hagoromo | Northern Taste | ||
| Clear Amber | |||
| Otome Gokoro (JPN) 1990 |
Judge Angelucci | Honest Pleasure | |
| Victorian Queen | |||
| Tizly | Lyphard | ||
| Tizna (Family: 9-g)[4] |
- Kitasan Black was inbred 4 × 4 to Lyphard, meaning that this stallion appears twice i the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
- 1 2 "Kitasan Black pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ↑ "Black Tide (JPN) race record". Japan Bloodhorse Breeders'Association.
- ↑ Tony Arrold (28 November 2016). "Kitasan Black leads Japan Cup all the way to a pop star welcome". The Australian.
- 1 2 "Young Melbourne Mare - Family 9-g". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- 1 2 Myra Lewyn (25 October 2015). "Kitasan Black Game Kikuka Sho Winner". The Blood-Horse.
- ↑ "Spring Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 March 2015.
- ↑ "Tokyo Yushun - comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 29 May 2015.
- ↑ "St Lite Kinen". Racing Post. 21 September 2015.
- ↑ "Kikuka Sho result". Racing Post. 25 October 2015.
- ↑ "Fifth Favorite Kitasan Black Captures First G1 Title in This Year's Kikuka Sho". Horse Racing in Japan. 25 October 2015.
- ↑ "Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) - Preview". Horse Racing in Japan. 26 April 2016.
- 1 2 "Kitasan Black Captures Tenno Sho (Spring) Title in Nail-Biting Duel". Horse Racing in Japan. 1 May 2016.
- ↑ "Tenno Sho result". Racing Post. 1 May 2016.
- ↑ "Kyoto Daishoten result". Racing Post. 10 October 2016.
- ↑ "Japan Cup (G1) - comments from five Japanese runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 24 November 2016.
- ↑ "Japan Cup result". Racing Post. 27 November 2016.
- ↑ Bob Kieckhofer (27 November 2016). "Kitasan Black Leads Local Sweep in Japan Cup". The Blood-Horse.
- ↑ "Kitasan Black romps to victory in Japan Cup". Japan Times. 27 November 2016.
- ↑ "2016.01.08 Winners of the 2015 JRA Awards announced". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 January 2016.
- ↑ "The 2015 World Thoroughbred Rankings". Horseracingintfed.com. Retrieved 2016-01-19.