A masterful ride by Keita Tosaki on Justin Milano resulted in the Kizuna colt edging out Southern Speed’s son Cosmo Kuranda in Sunday’s $4,200,000 Group1 Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas) over 2000m at Nakayama.
The Yasuo Tomomichi-trained colt extended his unbeaten run to three in defeating Cosmo Kuranda by a neck and stopping the clock at a course record 1.57.1.
Joao Moreira was forced widest of all on the turn on Cosmo Kuranda who made his run with the winner. Jantar Mantar looked the likely winner when setting up a two-length margin at the 200 but could not hold the finishing runs of the first two, finishing a half-length back in third.
Like the win of Andrea Atzeni on Circle Of Fire (GB) in the Sydney Cup at Randwick, the result was touched with sadness.
“Going into the race, I was told the horse was in really good condition. (The late jockey) Kota Fujioka had ridden him for consecutive weeks heading into this race,” Keita Tosaki revealed.
“He gave me very detailed information of the horse when we met at Hanshin last week. The difference between the top two finishers today (neck), I think Kota was watching from above and pushed my back in the final stretches of the race. I’m just grateful for the win today.”
Justin Milano made a winning debut under Tom Marquand at Tokyo in November at his lone start at two. At his 3-year-old bow on the same track on February 13 he captured the Group III Kyodo News Hai (Tokinominoru Kinen), defeating Jantar Mantar.
Bred by Northern Racing, Justin Milano is out of Exceed And Excel’s daughter Margot Did (IRE). The Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner at York, Margot Did was honoured as the Champion 3YO Filly in Great Britain in 2011. She has carried her success to the breeding barn, leaving the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks winner Magic Attitude (Galileo) and the Group II Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassable (Galileo), who was second in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, and third in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly.
Margot Did (IRE) has not had a foal since Justin Milano and was covered by Kitasan Black this year.
Justin Milano is the third Group 1 winner for Shadai Stallion Station’s Japanese Derby winner Kitzuna.
