Jo Cappuccino turns up grande in NHK Mile Cup

The NHK Mile Cup (G1) paid out a punter's dream as 10th pick Jo Cappuccino became the top 3-year-old miler after winning in a race record time of 1 minute, 32.4 seconds on firm going at Tokyo Racecourse.

With fifth choice Red Spada trailing two lengths behind to take second, and 13th favorite Grand Prix Angel - one of two fillies in the field along side One Carat, who ended up seventh - crossing the finish line third, the trifecta payout came out at 2,381,660 yen to the minimum wager of 100 yen.

As was the case in last week's Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto, the top choices crashed and burned in the first of five consecutive Grade 1 races to be held at Tokyo.

Yutaka Take's Smart Strike-sired favorite Break Run Out slumped to ninth place, second pick Iron Look finished eighth and third choice San Carlo was demoted to last in a full field of 18. The stewards penalized the Yutaka Yoshida-ridden San Carlo after ruling that the colt had cut off both Iron Look and Daiwa Prevail on the final straight.

The victory was the first Grade 1 victory for Jo Cappuccino, as well as his 20-year-old jockey Kota Fujioka and trainer Kazuya Nakatake. Naturally, Fujioka, who was riding in his first NHK Mile Cup, was in the clouds after producing a tough performance on a tough course to cash in the winner's check of 92 million yen.

"It still hasn't hit me yet," said Fujioka, who had previously won twice aboard Jo Cappuccino. "I'm just grateful that I was given an opportunity to ride a Grade 1 winner, and I'm glad I was able to come through.

"I didn't really have a position in mind, thought I'd decide after we left the barrier. I didn't know what was what on the straight. We came through pretty early so I was just praying that no one would catch up to us."

The 14th NHK Mile Cup started with Get Full Marks breaking for the lead without a challenge after Mikki Pumpkin got a bad jump off the blocks, as his trainer Takaki Iwato had been saying all week. Jo Cappuccino followed out of the third barrier four lengths back, keeping second position during the trip before Fujioka unleashed him turning for home.

The furious pace set by Get Full Marks, ridden by Katsuharu Tanaka, fried the late runners such as Break Run Out and Iron Look. It was of no coincidence that the top three finishers traveled toward the front.

Jo Cappuccino overtook Get Full Marks halfway through the 525-meter stretch and he never looked back to finish comfortably ahead of Norihiro Yokoyama's Red Spada, who had taken a narrow second to newly crowned Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) champion Unrivaled in the 1,800-meter Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes on March 22.

Jo Cappuccino was coming off a third-place finish in the 1,600-meter New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama last month, won by San Carlo. His previous start was the 1,200-meter Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon Stakes at Chukyo Racecourse on March 21, which he won for his third victory in eight starts.

Joe Cappuccino, by former Tenno Sho (Spring), Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and Arima Kinen winner Manhattan Cafe out of Jo Psykhe, took his earnings to more than 171 million yen.

"(Masami) Matsuoka rode him in the last race, and we knew he had no problems covering 1,600 meters," Fujioka said. "He's maturing with each race, and I hope he keeps it up. Personally, I just hope to continue getting the opportunity to ride in Grade 1 races."