Museum Mile Leads Home Sunday Racing One-Two in Satsuki Sho

[Wandering Eyes]

The Sunday Racing silks were carried to a famous one-two at Nakayama on Sunday, but not in the order expected as Museum Mile (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) toppled the unbeaten Croix du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) to claim the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas).

It was a blistering performance from Museum Mile as he lowered the course record for the 2,000-metre distance at Nakayama in a time of 1:57.00, passing the post with a length and a half to spare over fan favourite Croix du Nord, with another neck back to the fast-finishing Masquerade Ball (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), the winner of February's G3 Kyodo News Hai. Only Giovanni (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) stood between the market leaders and a clean sweep of the first four places, finishing narrowly ahead of Satono Shining (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who was the second choice of punters after his win in February's G3 Kisaragi Sho.

For Croix du Nord, the Japanese champion two-year-old colt of 2024, everything appeared to be going to plan when he surged to the front early in the straight, bidding for a fourth victory from as many starts, having ended his juvenile campaign with a first top-level success in December's Hopeful Stakes. However, he ultimately proved powerless to the challenge of Museum Mile, whose run was timed to perfection by Joao Moreira, the Brazilian-born jockey celebrating his second Classic triumph in as many weeks after that of Embroidery (Jpn) (Admire Mars {Jpn}) in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas). Settled in mid-division through the first part of the contest, Museum Mile swung wide turning for home and was never stronger than at the line after being produced to lead inside the final furlong.

“When I sat on him this afternoon, I could feel that he's very special,” said Moreira. “He's got a very nice body and temperament. I thought this might be the horse to win. When we were turning for home, we were a bit unbalanced, maybe because the ground was not so smooth, but when I got him on the stretch he just dashed home. When he took the lead with 150 metres to go, he kept running away, showing me that he's got so much ability. It was so nice to ride this horse and I believe he's got plenty more to give.”

Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi was winning his first Japanese Classic with a colt who was returning to Nakayama after a fourth-place finish in the G2 Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen over the same course and distance on his most recent outing. Prior to that he'd won two of his four starts as a juvenile, culminating with a runner-up effort in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Kyoto. Kyoto was also the scene of his two victories as a two-year-old, after he'd finished third on his debut at Chukyo in August last year.

The Sunday Racing team will be hoping Museum Mile can now emulate their Orfevre (Jpn), who was the seventh winner of the Japanese Triple Crown in 2011, before Contrail (Jpn) became the eighth in 2020. The next leg of the Triple Crown, the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), is scheduled to take place at Tokyo on Sunday, June 1.

 

G1 3yo 2000m Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas) at Nakayama:

Won by 3c 11. MUSEUM MILE (Leontes x Museum Hill (Heart's Cry)) under the Magic Man – Joao Moreira

Amazing turn of foot

1.57.0 New Race Record for the 10F

2nd CROIX DU NORD
3rd MASQURADE BALLpic.twitter.com/2sfPKv2WOs

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) April 20, 2025

 

Pedigree Notes

Museum Mile becomes the second individual Group 1 winner for Leontes, who is based at the Breeders Stallion Station in Hokkaido. The Japanese champion two-year-old colt of 2015, before posting one of his best efforts as a three-year-old when finishing fifth in the Satsuki Sho, Leontes is also responsible for last year's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) winner T O Royal (Jpn).

This colt is the first foal out of the Listed Sweet Pea Stakes runner-up Museum Hill (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) who, in turn, is out of a half-sister to the G3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap hero King's Trail (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) and the Listed-placed Santa Fe Soleil (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}). His third dam, the winning Northern Taste mare Santa Fe Trail (Jpn), is a half-sister to Shinko Lovely (Caerleon), the one-time champion older mare in Japan.

 

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥419,920,000, Nakayama, 4-20, 3yo, c/f, 2000mT, 1:57.00 (NTR), fm.
1–MUSEUM MILE (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Leontes (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Museum Hill (Jpn) (SP-Jpn, $772,865), by Heart's Cry (Jpn)
      2nd Dam: Loretto Chapel (Jpn), by French Deputy
      3rd Dam: Santa Fe Trail (Jpn), by Northern Taste
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Daisuke Takayanagi; J-Joao Moreira; ¥227,924,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-1-0, ¥282,579,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Croix du Nord (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Rising
Cross (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥87,984,000.
3–Masquerade Ball (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Duramente(Jpn)–Mask Off
(Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.
O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥53,992,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, HF. Odds: 10.60, 1.50, 13.70.
Also Ran: Giovanni (Jpn), Satono Shining (Jpn), Magic Sands (Jpn), King Squall (Jpn), Alohi Alii (Jpn), Vincentio (Jpn), Kalamatianos (Jpn), Eri King (Jpn), Tjuta (Jpn), Nishino Agent (Jpn), G T Adamant (Jpn), Faust Rasen (Jpn), Fukuno Blue Lake (Jpn), Dragon Boost (Jpn), Piko Chan Black (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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