Sire Lines In The Satsuki Sho

[Wandering Eyes]

To the surprise of no one, pride of place in Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho belongs to the Sunday Silence sire line with eight representatives spread throughout the 18-strong field.

The late Shadai Stallion Station luminary's first foals arrived in Japan in 1992, and from that first crop was 1995 Satsuki Sho winner Genuine (Jpn). Six others followed (Ishino Sunday {Jpn}, 1996, Air Shakur {Jpn}, 2000, Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}, 2001, Nishino Sunday {Jpn}, 2003, Daiwa Major {Jpn}, 2004, and Deep Impact {Jpn}, 2005). Sunday Silence saved the best for last, with Deep Impact also winning the Japanese Triple Crown. A 13-time Japanese Champion Sire before his premature death, the American Horse of the Year would also sire a litany of other Classic winners and champions, excelling as both a sire-of-sires and a broodmare sire.

However, it is a different Sunday Silence branch from Deep Impact that gives us the antepost favourite on Sunday in 2024 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Male and G1 Hopeful Stakes winner Croix Du Nord (Jpn). By Kitasan Black (Jpn), the sire of 2023 Satsuki Sho hero Sol Oriens (Jpn), 2022 runner-up (and international wunderkind) Equinox (Jpn) and 2025 rival and G2 Spring Stakes winner Piko Chan Black (Jpn), Croix Du Nord counts Black Tide (Jpn), a less heralded full-brother to Deep Impact, as his grandsire. He will leave from stall 10 under Yuichi Kitamura.

Trainer Takashi Saito said of the champion, “Last time in the Hopeful Stakes, he got a position quite naturally, and the jockey rode him well. It was the horse's first run at Nakayama, but he ran a strong race. He's had a break at Northern Farm Shigaraki since, and on returning to the stable, he looks about the same, and things seem as usual with him.”

A total of three sons of Deep Impact have won this Classic including Dee Majesty (Jpn) ('16), Al Ain (Jpn) ('17) and Triple Crown Winner Contrail (Jpn) in 2020. Deep Impact's 2024 Japanese Champion Sire son Kizuna (Jpn) boasts a trio of colts hoping to dethrone Croix Du Nord, with the three-for-three Eri King (Jpn) shortest in the market. Like the Hopeful Stakes hero, the G3 Kyoto Nisai Stakes victor and son of G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Youngstar (Aus) (High Chaparral {Ire}) will be making his 2025 bow in the Satsuki Sho and will be ridden by Yuga “King” Kawada from stall two. Satono Shining (Jpn) defeated subsequent G1 Oka Show third Lynx Tip (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G3 Kisaragi Sho, while Magic Sands (Jpn) claimed the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes.

Nishino Agent (Jpn) already sports a win in the G3 Keisei Hai over the Satsuki Sho course and distance, and traces to Sunday Silence through his grandson, 2014 Satsuki Sho hero Isla Bonita (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}).

King Kamehameha's Influence

Kingmambo horse King Kamehameha (Jpn) also excelled as a sire in Japan, and seven members of the Satsuki Sho field trace to the 2004 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner through their male line. The late Japanese Champion Sire and 2015 Satsuki Sho scorer Duramente (Jpn) is represented by a quartet of sons with the three-for-four Masquerade Ball (Jpn) appearing the best on paper. He defeated Kalamatianos (Jpn), by King Kamehameha's son Rey De Oro (Jpn), in the G3 Tokinominoru Kinen.

Trainer Takahisa Tezuka said of Masquerade Ball, “He had a break at the farm after his last race, before returning to the stable at the end of March. He's been working as usual on the uphill track, and he's done well enough when considering the ground at the time of his work.”

One of the most intriguing runners on pedigree is G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes second Museum Mile (Jpn), by King Kamehameha's Leontes (Jpn). Leontes's dam, the dual Group 1 winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), also produced Celia (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the dam of fellow Satsuki Sho entrant and group-placed Vincentio (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). Museum Mile will be ridden by Joao “Magic Man” Moreira, who won the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) aboard Embroidery (Jpn) (Admire Mars {Jpn}) last Sunday. They are booked for stall six.

Cutting back in distance is Rulership (Jpn)'s 2200-metre Listed Sumire Stakes winner G T Adamant (Jpn). Seventh choice ahead of Sunday's contest, the colt is currently 18-1 and will exit stall eight.

Alternative Bloodlines

• One of only three in the race not tracing to either Sunday Silence or King Kamehameha, ante-post fourth choice Giovanni (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was runner-up in the Hopeful Stakes. He is a descendant of Hail To Reason's son Roberto through Kris S. to Symboli Kris S, the sire of Epiphaneia (Jpn). The last-named sire already has 2021 Satsuki Sho hero Efforia (Jpn) to his credit.
• Another branch of Roberto is represented by the multiple group-placed long shot Dragon Boost (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}). His grandsire Grass Wonder was by Silver Hawk (Roberto).
• The only horse in the race tracing tail male to Northern Dancer is Hopeful Stakes third Faust Rasen (Jpn), by Frankel (GB)'s G1 February Stakes/G1Yasuda Kinen scorer Mozu Ascot. He won the course-and-distance Guineas prep–the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen–on March 9.

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