Japan: Danon Scorpion earns narrow win in NHK Mile
Danon Scorpion overcame an outside post in a field of 18 to win Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
Danon Scorpion ($15.60) closed from the middle of the field to prevail by a neck over 6-1 Matenro Orion, who was a neck in front of Kawakita Reverie, who was 228-1 in Japan. Serifos, the 5-2 favorite, led in the stretch, but faded to finish fourth.
“It was a close victory,” winning rider Yuga Kawada told Japan Racing Association publicists.
“I knew that the horses on the outside were all coming up with a lot of force. Danon Scorpion was in perhaps his best condition coming into this race, so I had a lot of confidence.”
Kawada won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar last November with Loves Only You, who later won the Eclipse Award as the champion turf female of 2022. Earlier this year, Kawada won the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas aboard Stars on Earth.
Danon Scorpion, trained by Takayuki Yasuda, won his second consecutive graded stakes in the $1.94 million NHK Mile. Danon Scorpion won the Grade 3 Arlington Cup at a mile at Hanshin Racecourse in his second start of 2022 on April 16.
By Lord Kanaloa, Danon Scorpion is out of Lexie Lou, the 2014 Canadian Horse of the Year who was purchased for $1 million at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale.
Danon Scorpion has won 4 of 6 starts. The NHK Mile was his second start in a Grade 1. Last December, Danon Scorpion was third in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, Japan’s top race for 2-year-olds.
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