PDF(33kb)

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) - Two-Year-Old Alfredo caps off debut season with first G1 victory

Race favorite Alfredo cruised to a clear victory to capture his first G1 win in his first grade race bid in this year's Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, tying the race record set by Meiner Recolte in 2004. The two-year-old Symboli Kris S colt, under Australian jockey Craig Williams, unleashed a powerful closing kick to easily prevail over runner-up Meiner Robusto by two lengths, and capped off his bright debut season undefeated in all three of his career starts. A half-length behind Meiner Robusto in third was Leo Active, and Tokei Halo was a neck from that in fourth.

The race got underway with Hakusan Moon sent to the front before entering the backstretch to set the pace as Ninja and Makoto Reversal fought for second. While Alfredo took a ground saving trip in third followed by Meiner Robusto two lengths behind that also on the rail, Leo Active, breaking from a wide stall, was unhurried and camped second from the rear as the field raced down the backstretch. Approaching the final turn, Tokei Halo, who was reserved within easy striking distance on the outside just off the pace earlier, challenged the front and was able to pick off the tiring leaders at the top of the stretch.

Stalking the leaders for the final run, Williams asked for his run and got it, powering through a gap that opened on the rail, and surged to the front with a furlong to go. While the winner romped to an easy two-length victory, Tokei Halo held on stubbornly, however was overtaken by runner-up Meiner Robusto in the last 50 meters, and also by Leo Active in the final strides, who entered the straight near the rear but showed an explosive burst of speed being timed the fastest in the last three furlongs.

5th: (16) Dahlonega― was off slow from widest draw, lost ground in latter mid-pack, unable to threaten
6th: (1) Sudden Storm― saved ground in mid-field, improved position without reaching contention
7th: (7) Clarent― third from rear and 3w, mustered mild rally
8th: (10) Jono Bacchus― trailed in rear of field, last to enter stretch, responded well but too late
9th: (2) Laurel Bullet― hugged rail near rear, fought willingly along rail in stretch, flattened after uphill
10th: (5) Neo Vainqueur― upper mid-pack, ran out of steam in uphill
11th: (8) Shonan Lambsey― traveled 3w in mid-division, met traffic in straight, lost momentum
12th: (6) Snowdon― camped near rear of mid-pack, even-paced throughout
13th: (11) Makoto Reversal― chased pace in 2nd to 3rd, blocked by horse in stretch, tired in last furlong
14th: (14) Hishi Wild― 3w in mid-field, came up empty in stretch
15th: (9) Ninja― pressed pace down backstretch, gradually retreated thereafter
16th: (13) Hakusan Moon― set pace, weakened from early efforts before final furlong

1. Alfredo (JPN), bay, colt, 2-year-old
   Symboli Kris S / Princess Camellia (Sunday Silence)

   Breeder: Northern Farm	Owner: U. Carrot Farm
   Trainer: Takahisa Tezuka	Jockey: Craig Williams
   3 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money: ¥71,176,000	Career earnings: ¥88,414,000

   
   
2. Meiner Robusto (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 2-year-old
   Zenno El Cid / Koei Bella Donna (Mejiro Ryan)

   Breeder: Koizumi Bokujo	Owner: K. Thoroughbred Club Ruffian
   Trainer: Yutaka Takahashi	Jockey: Masayoshi Ebina

   
   
3. Leo Active (JPN), chestnut, colt, 2-year-old
   Admire Moon / Leo Soleil (Opera House)
   

   Breeder: Taniguchi Bokujo	Owner: Hiroyuki Tanaka
   Trainer: Hiroaki Sugiura	Jockey: Norihiro Yokoyama

* Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes
The race for two-year-olds was held for the first time in 1946 at the Tokyo Racecourse. As the number of contenders had increased over time, championship races—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Futurity Stakes) for two-year-old colts and fillies and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies) for two-year-old fillies—were established three years later to determine the top two-year-olds of the season. The two races were upgraded to G1 status in 1984 in conjunction with the new grading system implemented by the JRA.
The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, which started off as a 1,100-meter sprint, was extended to 1,200 meters in 1959 and again to 1,600 meters in 1962. The event was formally restricted to fillies and colts only, but it was opened to geldings for a short time between 1991 and 2003 while excluding fillies. In 2004, however, it was re-opened to fillies and has ever since been contested only by non-gelded horses, just like the three-year-old classics. The race received its current name in 2001.
Last year's race winner Grand Prix Boss succeeded in adding another G1 victory this season in the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m).
This year's lineup included Dahlonega who came off a runner-up effort behind Clarente in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) in October, following two wins out of three starts since his debut in June. Clarente had claimed the G2 title in his second win out of as many starts and considered a powerful candidate if he could bounce back from an unfortunate 13th place finish in his last start, the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,800m), following an incident in which he had used up most of his energy while breaking loose during the post parade prior to the start of the race. Alfredo came off two wins out of as many starts while showing a fine turn of speed in both races—he timed 32.5 seconds over the last three furlongs in his last start over a mile. Leo Active was also well appreciated for his turn of speed, which he repeatedly demonstrated in his six past races and had come off a G2 title in the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,400m). Other favorites included Sudden Storm who finished second in the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes and Snowdon an improving colt who has come off consecutive wins in his last two starts.
Meiner Recolte (JPN, by Chief Bearhart) set the race record at 1:33.4 over the mile distance in 2004.