Contrail returns with victory in Japanese 2000 Guineas

Contrail began his 3-year-old season Sunday in the same manner he ended his 2019 campaign in Japan – winning a Grade 1 race to emphasize his positon as the leader of his generation.

The champion 2-year-old male of 2019 in Japan, Contrail (8-5) won Sunday’s $2.27 million Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse over 7-2 Salios. The half-length margin was the closest any rival has come to Contrail in his four-race career and is likely to lead to a rematch in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby on May 31 at Tokyo Racecourse.

Contrail, by Deep Impact, closed from off the pace with a wide rally in the final half-mile and fought off a game Salios, who was beaten for the first time in his fourth start.

“He won strongly,” winning jockey Yuichi Fukunaga told Japan Racing Association publicity.

“The race itself wasn’t the way as I had expected. I actually had the idea of him racing further up in front as usual. As it turned out, he wasn’t keen to go up front early, and I didn’t push him.”

Contrail raced on the inside of the field before Fukunaga moved him to the outside on the turn.

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“I had every confidence in him entering the stretch,” Fukunaga said. “His power was so that I thought we might pull away, but Salios didn’t let us win so easily.”

The Japanese 2000 Guineas, formally known as the Setsuki Sho, was run at 1 1/4 miles. The Japanese Derby is run at 1 1/2 miles.

“Winning the way he did, I am confident that he has every reason to handle the extended distance in the coming [Japanese[ Derby,” Fukunaga said.

Contrail is trained by Yoshito Yahagi for Shinji Maeda, who won the 2013 Japanese Derby with Kizuna.

In 2019, Contrail ended his season with a win in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes in December.