Japan: Orthoclase should fire best shot in Japanese St. Leger
Orthoclase, 3, was a good third in the Grade 2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse on Sept. 20 in his first start since December.
The comeback race was the foundation of an autumn campaign that continues in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger at Hanshin Racecourse, a $2.38 million race formally known as the Kikuka Sho. Run at 1 7/8 miles, the Japanese St. Leger does not have as strong of a field this year as in past seasons.
Efforia, the winner of the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in April, is not in the field. He is scheduled to start against older horses in the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho on Oct. 31. Shahryar, winner of the Japanese Derby in May, was not nominated to the St. Leger, which drew a field of 18.
Orthoclase, who will be ridden Christophe Lemaire, drew the outside post, which not be a major hindrance considering the colt races from off the pace. Lemaire is the leading rider at Japan Racing Association tracks, including Hanshin and Nakayama.
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In the St. Lite Kinen, Orthoclase closed from eighth of 14 to finish second by two lengths to Asamano Itazura, who is part of the St. Leger field.
There are clues Orthoclase can handle the longer trip. Not only did he run well in his last start, but the colt is out of Marialite, who beat males in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen against males at 1 3/8 miles at Hanshin in 2016.
Other leading hopefuls for the St. Leger are Stella Veloce and Red Genesis.
Stella Veloce was third in the Japanese 1000 Guineas and Japanese Derby. Stella Veloce had the summer off and won the Grade 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai at 1 3/8 miles at Chukyo Racecourse on Sept. 26 for his third win in seven starts.
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Red Genesis was 11th in the Japanese Derby and second in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, losing by a half-length.
The field includes one Kentucky-bred in Air Sage, a colt by Point of Entry who has won 3 of 4 starts and will have his stakes debut in the Japanese St. Leger. Air Sage won an allowance race at 1 5/8 miles at Sapporo Racecourse on Aug. 21 in his latest start.
Post time for the Japanese St. Leger is 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.