Grade 1-winning stallion Kitasan Black secured his first winner on the Japan Racing Association circuit July 18 when the colt Kona Black won a maiden race for 2-year-olds over 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on turf in 1:49.4 at Kokura Racecourse on Kyushu Island.
Kitasan Black, by Black Tide, a full brother to the late Deep Impact, won seven grade 1 stakes, including back-to-back editions of the Tenno Sho (Spring, G1), for Saburo Kitajima, the popular singer/songwriter. It was an established custom for Kitajima to sing his famous numbers during the post-race interview whenever Kitasan Black won a major race.
Kitasan Black was named the JRA Horse of the Year in 2016 and 2017. He began stud duties at Shadai Stallion Station in 2018 with a fee of ¥5 million and covered 130 mares. Eighty-four foals by Kitasan Black were born in 2019, including Kona Black, who is out of Kona Brewers (by King Kamehameha) and bred by Northern Racing.
Kona Black, trained by Hisashi Shimizu, who also trained Kitasan Black, made his first start at Hanshin June 20 where he finished third in a 1,600-meter (about one-mile) turf maiden race. Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga Sunday, his second start, Kona Black tracked leaders from the fourth position and accelerated well in the stretch to collect his first win by a neck for Sunday Racing.
"The extra furlong helped him today," Fukunaga said after the race.
Kitasan Black has also sired Un, a winner on Japan's National Association of Racing circuit June 24 at Mombetsu Racecourse.
