Prominent Owner/Breeder Fipke Breaks New Ground In Japan

[Wandering Eyes]

Kana Tape (Jpn), a 6-year-old mare by perennial leading sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), gave North American owner/breeder Charles Fipke–one of just a handful of foreign owners to be granted a full-time license in Japan–his first feature-race winner in the country when coming from far back in the final quarter mile to take out the 1600-meter G3 Sekiya Kinen at Niigata Racecourse on Sunday, July 27.

Ridden by the visiting Rachel King to a Tokyo allowance success Feb. 9, the mare–trained by Noriyuki Hori–returned from a 133-day absence to finish runner-up in the 1800-meter G3 Fuchu Himba Stakes back at headquarters on June 22. A tepid post-time favorite at 17-5 with King back in the saddle from gate 14, Kana Tape was void of early speed and raced fourth from last as American import Shin Forever (Complexity) was loose on the lead.

Asked to sprint on the grandstand side with just less than two furlongs to travel, the bay mare entered the final eighth of a mile in full flight and was along in the final couple of strides to score by a neck, covering her final 600 meters in a race-best :32.5 while stopping the clock in a course-record 1:31 flat. Godolphin's Off Trail (GB) (Farhh {GB}) and second choice Bond Girl (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), a daughter of Coasted (Tizway) and half-sister to GSW & MG1SP Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), dead-heated for second.

Kana Tape is a daughter of 2004 GI QE II Challenge Cup and GI American Oaks victress Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), who was purchased by Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida in foal to Giant's Causeway for $950,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale and was exported to Japan.

Fipke, who has shopped the JRHA Select Sale off and on since 2016, acquired Kana Tape for ¥84 million (about US$772,800) at the 2019 Foal Sale and she gave her owner his first winner of any variety in Japan when breaking her maiden at first asking going 1800 meters at Tokyo in January 2022. Sunday's victory took Kana Tape's record to 5-4-3 from 17 starts for earnings of $975,617.

 

WATCH: Charles Fipke's Kana Tape (#14) flashes home in the G3 Sekiya Kinen

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