The final leg of Japan's Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) Oct. 16 at Kyoto Racecourse, lacks the winners of the first two races in the series but makes up for it nicely with a full, competitive field of potential future stars, including Shohei.
That's Shohei, the 3-year-old son of Saturnalia, of course, and not the human Shohei Ohtani who's otherwise occupied in a different sport in America.
The Kikuka Sho is run at 3,000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles) and presents a unique challenge for contenders. Only three of the 18 have ventured as far as 2,600 meters (about 1 5/8 miles) so far and the best-favored have not gone beyond 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles).
It's not just the distance, either. Run on Kyoto's outer turf course, the marathon starts partway up the backstretch hill, descends while rounding the turn into the first stretch run, then requires another full circuit. That imposes the added burden of a full climb up the backstretch, which rises about 4 meters over 200 meters.
With all that to consider, Shohei is the only one of the first three finishers from the first two races of the series set to give it a shot. He finished third in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) and comes off a second in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2) behind Eri King, who also joins the Kikiuka Sho field.
"The Kobe Shimbun Hai was his first race of the autumn and he went all out," Shohei's trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said. "However, the way the race unfolded worked more for the horse that won.
"I'd admit that 3,000 meters is a bit long for him, but I've been working him behind another horse to help him be better able to handle the distance. Competing against horses of the same age, I don't foresee any problems."
While his colt is a relative youngster, Tomomichi is a grizzled veteran. He has won 23 JRA grade 1 races since opening his barn in 2002 and has fielded a Kikuka Sho runner every year since 2014. He won the race with World Premiere in 2019.
Shohei and four other colts made the field through performances in trial races. Yamanin Bouclier and Red Bande enter from the Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen (G2) and Eri King, Shohei, and Giovanni from the Kobe Shimbun Hai.
Eri King attracted some early support after finishing fifth in the Yushun Himba after missing the start badly. His career was interrupted during the winter by injury, but after promising efforts in his last two starts, both at 2,400 meters, trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida seemed less concerned about the distance abilities of the Kizuna colt.
"Of course, we had the Kikuka Sho in mind when racing in the Kobe Shimbun Hai," Nakauchida said. "He ran well-balanced and had a good turn of foot in the final stage. I think it was an adequate performance. He showed improvement after that race and his overall condition is better too.
"He still isn't fully mature, but in a test amongst his peers, I think he's at a good place."
Also well regarded are Energico, Excite Bio, and Goltzschtal (JPN), all entering the oversubscribed field on earnings.
