The Satsuki Sho is the Japanese name for the 2000 Guineas. In Japan, the 2000 Guineas is run over 2000 metres. The first classic  (Grade I) race for three year-olds was run on Sunday at Nakayama Racecourse. Eighteen went postward.

It was a sunny day. The track was officially rated ‘fast’ but a downpour had rendered the underfoot conditions ‘soggy.’ The favorite was Meiner Charles. Captain Thule left like a cat whose tail was on fire. A 16-1 chance, Captain Thule set a moderate pace and the fancied runners were content to bide their time. With 600 metres left, one would have expected Captain Thule to throw in the towel. To the surprise of the fans, Captain Thule, in the hands of jockey Yuga Kawada, found another gear. With 300 metres to run, Captain Thule had a four-length advantage and the winner of the 2000 Guineas had been spotted. The margin was two and one half lengths in a time of 2 minutes 1.7 seconds.

Take Mikazuchi headed the beaten brigade and touched off the favored Meiner Charkes. The race had a purse of 1.13 million British pounds.

This was jockey Kawada’s first Classic victory. He said, “I wanted the lead. There was no pacesetter in the race. I looked at the big screen in the stretch and was surprised I was so far ahead.”

Trainer Hideyuki Mori confirned that Captain Thule will head to Tokyo for a crack at the Japanese Derby in the last week of May. “I told Kawada not to wait for the others. I knew we would be tough on the lead,” Mori stated.

Great Leighs, the new track in England opened on Sunday with a seven-race afternoon card. The first race went off at 2 10 P M and was won by Temple Of Thebes, the 7-4 favorite. E A L Dunlop was the winning trainer and the rider was Stephen Donohoe.

At Newmarket on Thursday, two colts distinguished themselves in the 1600-metre Craven Stages. Twice Over and Raven’s Pass waged a duel that had the grandstanders on the edges of their seats. Twice Over, a Henry Cecil trainee, beat Raven’s Pass, from John Gosden’s stable, by a short head. Twice Over was the second choice at 9-4 and Raven’s Pass was the favorite at 11-8. Ted Durcan rode Twice Over who is now three-for-three with all the wins coming at Newmarket.

The time for the Craven Stakes was 1 minute 38.54 seconds. Khalid Abdullah owns Twice Over who is by Observatory out of Double Crossed. Sir Cecil expressed reservation about Twice Over going in the 2000 Guineas. The Dante Stakes at York may be the option with the road leading to the Derby at Epsom on June 7. Doubts have been expressed Twice Over’s stamina.

Dimenticata ran second to Finsceal Beo in the Irish 1000 Guineas last year. Making her 2008 debut at Dundalk on Thursday, Dimeticata, Chris Hayes aboard, justified odds on favoritism. She will now take her chances in graded races.

In the Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne on Saturday, the winner was Golden Velvet. Eibar Coa was the jockey and Kiaran McLaughlin trains. Golden Velvet was third and then second and engaged the pace-setting Tessa Blue, Mike Smith up, to a 400-metre long duel, She won that duel and scooted away to win by three and one half lengths in 1 51.30 seconds for the 1800-metre race on the dirt. Golden Velvet paid $5.80.

Eibar Coa was delighted that his confidence had been justified. “I had no doubt at all. I wanted to be farther back but she (Golden Velvet) wanted to go on. Turning for home, I knew she will pull away and she did.”

The other big race in the Saturday program at Hawthorne was the Bill Hartack Handicap. Ryan’s For Real, making the most of a class drop and relishing a longer trip, came away victorious. The payoff was $14.40. Ridden by Eric Rodriguez, Ryan’s For Real made it all and beat back the challenge from Fairbanks, the favorite ridden by John Velasquez. Ryan’s For Real is trained by Dale Capuano. The winning margin was three and one half lengths in 1 51.18 seconds for 1800 metres on the dirt track.

Todd Pletcher’s Derby prospects were grim a little over a week ago. On April 12, at Keeneland, Pletcher sent out 1-2 in the Blue Grass. On Saturday, April 19, Pletcher had a runner in the Coolmore Lexington. A Forest Wildcat (by Storm Cat) colt, out of Rhiana, a Runaway Groom mare, Behindatthebar, part-owned by Satish Sanan, lay ninth as the field raced down the backside. Samba Rooster, with Garrett Gomez, tried runaway tactics. In the last 200 metres, responding to jockey David Flores’s call, Behindatthebar closed relenetlessly to win by one half length. The 1700-metre race on the polytrack was run in 1 42.14 seconds.

The return was $13.60. Behindatthebar has three wins in five starts. The $201,500 winner’s purse ensured Behindatthebar a place in the Kentucky Derby lineup. Todd Pletcher said that it is unlikely Behindatthebar will go to Louisville. Behindatthebar’s only poor race came at Bay Meadows, a dirt track. On polytrack, the Pletcher charge has been a tiger.

David Flores talked about the fast pace and how it helped him. “I loved those quick fractions. I was on cruise control and started picking up horses at the five-eighth (1000 metres) pole. I just tried to relax. On the turn, he went into a different stride. He drifted in close to the wire but I was able to gather him.”

Stoneside won the Grade III San Simeon on Saturday at Santa Anita. Martin Pedroza went on a ground-saving mission and produced his mount in the lane. The response was brilliant. It was a one and three quarter-length win in 1 12.54 seconds for 1300 metres on firm turf. Stoneside paid $31.80. Trainer Julio Canani said, “Stoneside is a stretch runner and not a front runner.”

Rajiv Maragh is a jockey who is on a hot winning streak. He steered Rite Moment to a clever win in the Bed O Roses handicap at Aqueduct on Saturday. It was a 1400-metre race for distaffers on the dirt. The time was 1 22.66 seconds. Rite Moment returned $9.90. Gary Contessa trains Rite Moment.

Muragh explained his strategy. “There was no true speed horse. I had a lot of horse. We moved a lot earlier because I knew we had a lot left in the tank. This filly can flat out run.”

War Pass was at the top of the list for the Derby with 1.47 million dollars. The Chetokee Run colt has suffered a leg fracture and will miss the Derby. War Pass has not worked since his second in the Wood Memorial on April 12. Nick Zito, the trainer, said that War Pass will be back for an autumn campaign. There is now a vacant spot in the Derby field.

A fire on Saturday claimed the lives of 11 horses. The barn belonged to Fabion Quaki, owner of Nownownow, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile turf last year. The identities of the horses will not be revealed until the cause of the fire is determined. The barn was near Versailles, Kentucky. Owner Quaki had his horses with Pat Biancone. Nownownow was trained by Francois Parisel in the BC win because of Biancone’s suspension on cobra venom charges.

In my next report, I will write about crucial decisions that need to be made by the Santa Anita management before the Breeders’ Cup races in October. The polytrack has been controversial. Drainage problems have raised questions that have not been resolved.

Courtesy:NTRA, Racing Post and TV broadcasts