Japan: Gaia Force the up-and-comer in St. Leger
When the first two races of the Japanese Triple Crown were run in April and May, Gaia Force was only a maiden race winner. When the third race in the series is run on Sunday, Gaia Force will be the center of attention.
The $2.22 million Japanese St. Leger, run at 1 7/8 miles at Hanshin Racecourse, will be the Grade 1 debut for Gaia Force, who has won 3 of 5 starts. The colt, by Deep Impact, reached prominence with a win in the Grade 2 St. Lite Kinen at 1 3/8 miles at Nakayama Racecourse on Sept. 19, his graded stakes debut.
Trained by Haruki Sugiyama, Gaia Force rallied from sixth of 13 to win the St. Lite Kinen by a head over Ask Victor More, who started in the first two races of the Japanese Triple Crown. Ask Victor More finished fifth in the Japanese 2000 Guineas behind Geoglyph in April, and third behind Do Deuce in the Japanese Derby in May.
Geoglyph and Do Deuce are not in the field of 18 for the Japanese St. Leger, a race formally known as the Kikuka Sho. Geoglyph is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho on Oct. 30, while Do Deuce is a candidate for the Japan Cup on Nov. 27.
Gaia Force was second in an allowance race at 1 1/4 miles in May and won an allowance race in July before the St. Lite Kinen, the longest race of his career.
Ask Victor More is part of the Japanese St. Leger field along with Justin Palace, who was ninth in the 2000 Guineas and Japanese Derby and won the Grade 2 Shimbun Hai at 1 3/8 miles at Chukyo Racecourse on Sept. 25.
The Japanese St. Leger has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.