MOZU ASCOT SWEEPS TO VICTORY IN FEBRUARY STAKES AT TOKYO RACECOURSE AND GAINS FIRST AUTOMATIC BERTH INTO 2020 LONGINES BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC
Edited article from Masahiro Usuda, Japan Racing Association
TOKYO (Feb. 23, 2020) – Capital System’s 6-year-old favorite Mozu Ascot swept to the front in the final furlong to win Sunday’s 37th running of the 1-mile, $2 million February Stakes (G1) on dirt by 2 ½ lengths over huge longshot K T Brave (JPN) at Tokyo Racecourse, and gained the first automatic berth into this year’s $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held this year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders’ Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for Mozu Ascot to start in the 1 ¼-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic, and also will provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Mozu Ascot, bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, won his second straight dirt track race, which was preceded by 19 starts on turf. A chestnut son of Frankel (GB) out of India by Hennessy, Mozu Ascot also won his second Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, having taken the 2018 Yasuda Kinen (G1), which was a ”Win and You’re In” for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).
Before a crowd of 50,985, the full gate of 16 opened with Wide Pharaoh (JPN) and Arctos (JPN) sprinting to the front to lead the field while Mozu Ascot was settled behind last year’s winner and second favorite, Inti (JPN) in mid-division. After entering the straight in sixth to seventh, Mozu Ascot, the 2.8-1 favorite, came looming up from the inside, took over the lead from Time Flyer (JPN) before the furlong marker and galloped strongly and unthreatened to the wire.
Mozu Ascot completed the mile in 1:35.20 over a lefthanded course listed as “standard.”
“He broke well and we were able to settle right behind Inti as planned,” said Lemaire. “His acceleration was extraordinary. Although he is a newcomer in dirt racing, he adapted immediately to the surface and gave his best today. After a couple of second-place finishes in the past, I myself, am happy to have won the February Stakes at last.”
Seven-year-old K T Brave (JPN) broke well from a wide stall at 142-1 and sat a length or two behind the eventual winner in mid-pack. The longest shot on the board angled out sharply in early stretch and while displaying a tremendous burst of speed, tagged the tiring Time Flyer (JPN) first before shaking off a stubborn Wonder Lider (JPN) 50 meters out for second. Sunrise Nova (JPN) traveled outside Wonder Lider two to three lengths behind K T Brave and was late in making his bid entering the lane second from last, but with the fastest last three-furlong speed, the third-pick showed a strong stretch charge pinning Wonder Lider at the wire for third. Inti, 31-1, faded to 14th.
Mozu Ascot captured his second G1 victory in this year’s February Stakes and has become the fifth horse to claim G1 titles both on turf and dirt following Kurofune, Agnes Digital, Eagle Café and Admire Don (JPN). After his G1 triumph in the 2018 Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) and struggling with two G2 runner-up efforts after that, he immediately showed his talent on dirt by winning his first outing on the surface in the Negishi Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400m) on Feb. 2 at Tokyo.
Following today’s race, connections to Capital Systems announced their intentions of racing Mozu Ascot next in the Doncaster Mile (G1, 1,600m) at Royal Randwick in Australia on April 4.
BREEDERS’ CUP BOARD OF DIRECTORS INCREASES SAFETY MEASURES AND…
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors met during a regularly scheduled meeting to discuss future business plans for the Company including next steps in advancing safety measures and purse levels for the two-day World Championships.
Safety Measures
The Breeders’ Cup Board continued its commitment to using the organization’s leadership position within the industry to encourage the adoption of increased safety requirements within and beyond the World Championships. Beginning at the 2020 World Championships, the Breeders’ Cup will adopt all six recommendations from Dr. Larry Bramlage’s report, (Pages 18-21). These process improvements are aimed at refining safety and veterinary evaluation protocols for future events. The report was the first of its kind as the Breeders’ Cup leads by example in promoting transparency and accountability in Thoroughbred racing.
In addition to its continued efforts to ensure that the World Championships are conducted under the highest standards of both safety and integrity, the Breeders’ Cup remains heavily involved in the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition’s advocacy for the implementation of the 19 safety and integrity reforms, to include those announced in November and December, at the state and/or track level. To this end, in order to host a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge race, U.S.-based tracks that are not members of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition will be required to agree to adopt all 19 safety and integrity reforms that make up the Coalition platform and must demonstrate a good faith effort in implementing those reforms.
“The implementation of the increased safety measures outlined in the Bramlage report for our World Championships, along with the required adoption of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition safety and integrity reforms by racetrack partners hosting Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, are the latest steps the Breeders’ Cup has taken to strengthen its longstanding commitment to instituting the highest standards in the overall conduct of our racing programs,” said Drew Fleming, Breeders’ Cup President and CEO.
Purse Levels
The Breeders’ Cup Board also approved a $4 million increase in purses, bringing total purses and awards for the two-day World Championships to $35 million. Purse payouts will also be modified to pay down to the 10th position from the current 8th position.
The purse increases begin with this year’s event at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. on November 6 – 7 and will be allocated as follows:
- $1 million to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic for a total purse of $7 million
- $2 million to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf for a total purse of $6 million
- $1 million to the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for a total purse of $2 million
These increases put the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf tied for the richest Group 1 turf race in the world and solidify the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as the richest dirt mile race worldwide. The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic remains the richest race in North America and the third richest Group 1 in the world.
“These purse increases reflect the Breeders’ Cup’s mission to conduct the World Championships at the highest levels of quality and to keep our races competitive on the international stage,” said Fleming. “Our decision to increase purse payouts to 10th place in all our races is a tribute to the loyal participation of our owners and trainers who support the World Championships each year.”
ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.
The 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, will be held on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky and features a total of $35 million in purses and awards. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, breederscup.com.
TICKETS FOR 2020 BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, AT KEENELAND TO GO ON SALE MARCH 9
fonte: breederscup.com
