Nonkono Yume Scores Powerfully in February Stakes To Gain First Entry In Breeders’ Cup Classic (2018)
Fourth favorite Nonkono Yume captured this year’s Gr.1 February Stakes and gained the first automatic berth for 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic. He displayed an impressive stretch run to defeat the defending champion Gold Dream in second. It is the six-year-old gelding’s second title at the highest level since his Japan Dirt Derby victory in 2015. In the same year at the age of three, the dark chestnut also notched two G3 wins and showed a runner-up effort in the Champions Cup before landing another two runner-up finishes the following year in the February Stakes and the Teio Sho. His best finish was a fourth after being gelded in the summer of his four-year-old season, but finally found his form in his latest start, the Negishi Stakes three weeks earlier, where he tenaciously dug in to claim the win. For trainer Yukihiro Kato, who has 12 JRA graded wins since opening his stables in 2002, this is his first JRA-G1 win while he already obtains the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup title with Shadow Gate in 2007. Jockey Hiroyuki Uchida has now claimed his 12th JRA G1 victory—his latest with Verxina in the 2014 Victoria Mile—and his second February Stakes triumph since the 2009 version with Success Brocken.
Breaking from stall 12, Nonkono Yume was settled in the far rear as the field of 16 cruised down the backstretch with Nishiken Mononofu setting the early pace up front. After taking a wide route on the heels of gold dream rounding the last two corners and still near the rear when entering the straight, the son of Twining had no trouble to find his best stride as he blew past his rivals while producing the fastest last three-furlong speed, eventually pinning Incantation and a stubborn gold dream in the last 100 meters to clear the wire first for the title.
“The staff tuned him up beautifully and he was in very good form. I kept him wide and in good striking position so that he could unleash his good late charge at any point, which is probably the reason why we were able to win today,” commented Hiroyuki Uchida after the race.
After breaking from a wide stall, race favorite Gold Dream was off slow sitting third to fourth from the rear and lost ground on both turns but displayed his trade-mark turn of foot down the lane under good urging from Ryan Moore. Although the five-year-old fought back persistently against the fast closing winner, he was eventually caught and finished a neck behind in second.
By Ritesh Jamkhedkar - ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com