Photo: japanracing.jp
Internationally-accomplished New York-bred millionaire A Shin Forward, a five-year-old son of Forest Wildcat bred by Vivien Malloy’s Edition Farm, shot off his biggest fireworks yet on Sunday, winning his first Group 1 race, the Mile Championship at Kyoto racetrack, crossing the wire in stakes record time, and giving breeder Vivien Malloy something to celebrate in difficult times.
A Shin Forward got his first Group level victory for trainer Masato Nishizono at the end of February in the 1,400-meter (6.96-furlong) Group 3 Hankyu Hai Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse. In his first attempt at the Group 1 level – the 1,200-meter (5.97-furlong) Takamatsunomiya Kinen on the Chukyo Racecourse at the end of March – A Shin Forward ran third by a neck. The dark bay son of Forest Wildcat failed, however, to hit the board in his next three starts (in May, June and – after a summer freshening – October) leaving Sunday’s bettors highly skeptical as they sent him to the post for the Mile Championship under Yasunari Iwata as 13th choice at odds of 52-to-1.
The 1,600-meter (7.95-furlong) contest, run at one turn on a right-handed course, was a thriller. Breaking from post 13, A Shin Forward managed to grab an advantageous position near the rail after the first 200 meters or so, and raced evenly mid-pack down the back stretch and through the turn as the frontrunners set a torrid pace. As the field straightened for the sprint to the finish, A Shin Forward surged and put himself on even terms with the two who had emerged on the lead, in between horses in the two path. Then, with another burst of speed, A Shin Forward opened daylight on the leaders. He sustained his momentum to the wire under a vigorous ride by Iwata to hold off three hungry rivals, who were closing fast mid-course. The final time for the race was 1.31.8 on the firm turf, 0.3 seconds faster the previous Mile record set by Hat Trick five years ago. After the race, jockey Iwata, who had just returned from injury, sounded delighted. “I’ve only been back riding since last week and I never thought I’d win a grade I race so soon. It was a really easy race. The pace and the trip were just right and the early high pace was perfect for (A Shin Forward).” But there was also a note of relief. “I was out there alone thinking, ‘Isn’t it over yet?’ … and the stretch seemed really long.” [Click here for Horseracing in Japan, which contains a link to a video replay of the race with a race call in English.]
The Group 1 victory also held a very special significance for A Shin Forward’s Breeder Vivien Malloy. Mrs. Malloy’s husband – and racing and breeder partner – Henry “Harry” Malloy passed away on October 22. After the race on Sunday, Mrs. Malloy said “Harry had his arms around the horse! I knew Harry was still with me, but I didn’t know he went to Japan last night. A Grade One win for Dad!”
The Group 1 triumph is A Shin Forward’s sixth lifetime victory in 23 starts, second win in a Group race and fourth stakes victory. The winning purse of 100 million yen brings A Shin Forward’s earnings $3,302,052, making him the second-highest all-time New York-bred earner after Funny Cide.
Bred and foaled at Edition farm, A Shin Forward is the first foal out of Wake Up Kiss (Cure the Blues/Good Morning Smile), winner of the 2001 New York Stallion Perfect Arc Stakes, the 2003 Yaddo Handicap and voted NYTB’s Champion Turf Female in 2003. Wake Up Kiss retired with a record of five wins and a third from ten starts, and earnings of $248,997. Edition Farm purchased the mare in 2004 for $380,000 at the Keeneland November Sale when she was in foal with A Shin Forward. Both of her foals to start have won. Wake Up Kiss also has a yearling colt by Any Given Saturday, a weanling by Elusive Quality and was bred in the spring to Malibu Moon.
A Shin Forward, himself, sold as a Fasig-Tipton New York Select yearling in 2006 for $125,000, and was then purchased by Hirotsugo Hirai the following March at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training sale for $290,000. He has raced exclusively in Japan under the banner of Eishindo Co.
