On Sunday, July 21, the 29th Mercury Cup (Jpn III, 2000m dirt) was held at Morioka Racecourse. The winner was Kazutanjer (4-year-old colt, trained by Koichi Shintani), representing the JRA, who unleashed a powerful late charge to claim his first stakes title in his debut attempt.
🏇 Race Summary and Winner Profile
The race featured 10 runners (5 from JRA, 3 from Iwate, and 2 from other local circuits). Kazutanjer, the favorite, raced in mid-pack before launching a strong finish in the stretch. He caught last year’s winner Crown Pride (4th favorite) right before the wire. The winning time was 2:03.9.
Kazutanjer boasts a solid pedigree, being sired by Drefong and out of Downtown Boogie (by Asakusa King O). This was not only his first attempt at a graded stakes race but also his first victory in a local exchange race.
- Name: Kazutanjer (4-year-old colt)
- Jockey: Yuga Kawada
- Trainer: Koichi Shintani (JRA)
- Sire: Drefong
- Dam: Downtown Boogie
- Dam’s Sire: Asakusa King O
- Owner: Kazumi Yoshida
- Breeder: Crown Hidaka Farm
📊 Final Results
- Kazutanjer (1st favorite)
- Crown Pride (4th favorite)
- Deep Reborn (3rd favorite)
- Sound Sabot (9th favorite)
- Seraphic Call (1st favorite)
- Light Warrior (5th favorite)
- Maruka Iguazu (7th favorite)
- Meisho Funjin (5th favorite)
- Dryer (10th favorite)
- Hirosingen (8th favorite)
📌 Jockey Yuga Kawada Earns 4th Mercury Cup Victory
This win marked Yuga Kawada’s fourth career Mercury Cup victory, making him the record holder for most wins in this race. His previous wins came aboard Gold Blitz (2011), Master Fencer (2021), and Crown Pride (2023). Kawada once again demonstrated his dominance in dirt exchange races.
🎥 Race Replay
📝 Editor’s Note
The Mercury Cup is a highlight of the summer local racing circuit, and this year again saw a strong showing from the JRA contenders. Kazutanjer, still just a 4-year-old, showed tremendous potential. Keep an eye on him in future dirt stakes races!
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