Serifos wins this year’s Mile Championship at Hanshin.
Sixth favorite Serifos landed his first G1 victory in this year's Mile Championship and has become the first three-year-old to win the race since Stelvio in 2018. Sired by Daiwa Major, who won the Mile Championship in 2006 and 2007, the chestnut colt marked three consecutive wins from his debut including the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,600m) and the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) and capped off his first season with a runner-up effort in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m), half a length behind subsequent Derby winner Do Deuce. The colt then turned in a fourth in the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in May this year before his first challenge against older foes in the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m), in which he was fourth again. Serifos had just come off his Fuji Stakes (G2, 1,600m) win on October 22. Since the 2020 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes victory with Grenadier Guards, trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida pocketed his fourth JRA-G1 title while jockey Damian Lane, who is riding in Japan under a short-term license, also registered his fourth G1 victory and first since the 2019 Arima Kinen with Lys Gracieux.
Breaking from stall number 10, Serifos traveled fourth from the rear and three wide in the backstretch, was unhurried under Damian Lane in shifting out wide into the lane still near the rear and with the fastest closing speed in the 17-horse field, stormed down the stretch to grab the lead 50 meters out and win by a growing 1-1/4-lengths.
"I'm very happy, the horse was super today. He's very consistent and I knew he would improve after watching his videos. I wanted to show how really competitive he is. The pace was good and he was a bit keen early but I was always confident," commented Damian Lane after the race.
Eighth choice Danon The Kid settled around seventh early, slightly dropped position rounding the final corners, met traffic but squeezed through horses and just while digging in to grab the lead, was overtaken by the winner in the final strides for runner-up.
Second pick Sodashi sat in fourth to fifth in the early going, persistently showed effort to rally for the lead in the straight but failed to keep up with the top two finisher's late speed, while holding off the fast-closing rivals by a nose for third place.
Race favorite Schnell Meister camped in mid-pack, struggled briefly for room in early stretch and found his best stride late, but dug in the last half furlong to finish fifth.
Other Horses:
4th: (11) Soul Rush—ran 4-wide around 9th, made headway after 3rd corner,
quickened but needed more in last 50m
6th: (7) Justin Cafe—unhurried in 15th, showed 2nd fastest late kick while met
traffic 200m out
7th: (13) Air Lolonois—traveled 4-wide around 11th, showed belated charge
8th: (8) Lotus Land—raced forwardly in 4th on rails, took command 200m out,
outrun in last 100m
9th: (9) Piece of Eight—set pace early, entered lane in 2nd, weakened in last 100m
10th: (1) Matenro Orion—hugged rails in 11-12th, showed effort until 100m out,
outrun thereafter
11th: (15) Danon Scorpion—ran 3-wide in 6th, failed to respond, fell back
12th: (2) Win Carnelian—restless in stall but broke sharply, eased back to 7th, was
bumped 200m out
13th: (17) Falconia—advanced to take command before 3rd corner, showed tenacity
until 200m pole
14th: (5) Salios—settled around 11th in front of winner, even paced at stretch
15th: (12) Ho O Amazon—tracked leaders in 3rd, was bumped 200m out, faded
16th: (16) Happy Hour—traveled 2nd from rear, unable to reach contention
17th: (14) Besten Dank—trailed in rear, no factor
