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Northern Farm-bred Geoglyph wins Satsuki Sho
The Shadai Stallion Station-based Drefong (Gio Ponti) sired his first Group 1 winner on Sunday when the Tetsuya Kimura-trained Geoglyph (3 c ex Aromatico by King Kamehameha) won the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (Gr 1, 2000m) at Nakayama, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown.
Winner of the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (Gr 3, 1,800m) last year, Geoglyph and capped off his two-year-old season with a fifth in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1,600m) in December. The colt had commenced his classic season with a second to Danon Beluga (Hearts Cry) in the Kyodo News Hai (Gr 3, 1,800m) back in February and on Sunday, the colt settled in midfield before he finished off strongly to beat his stablemate Equinox (Kitasan Black) by a length with Do Deuce (Heart's Cry) beaten two and a quarter lengths for third.
"His start was good and we were able to sit in an ideal position which was crucial in winning today. I already knew that he was in good form when I rode him during workouts and had every belief that, although the colt was fifth pick, he was capable of winning today," said winning jockey Yuichi Fukunaga.
Geoglph is the fourth foal and one of three winners out of the Grade 1 placed mare Aromatico (King Kamehameha) and he became the first stakes winner for Drefong when he won the Nisai Stakes last September.
Standing for a fee of Y3,000,000 this year, Drefong is also the sire of the Listed winner Desierto and the stakes placed duo Kawakita Reverie and Consigliere.
