On Sunday February 28 New York-bred A SHIN FORWARD continued to build on his impressive credentials, and sizable bankroll by besting fifteen rivals to capture the Grade 3 Hankyu Hai Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan by a length and a half. The race, for four-year-olds and up, was run on firm turf over a distance of 1,400 meters (6.96 furlongs).
Second choice in the betting at 3.40-to-1 odds, A Shin Forward broke well from post two, stayed out of traffic and pursued a ground-saving strategy, running in third, fourth and fifth positions just a couple of lengths off the pace-setters. In a perfectly timed move in deep stretch, he drew up alongside the three frontrunners, burst through a gap in the two-path, and got himself clear within two or three strides. The final time for the race was 1:21.40. A Shin Forward has now compiled a 5-3-2 record from 18 starts and amassed $1,696,322 in earnings, which makes him the seventh highest all-time New York-bred earner just behind Fleet Indian.
A five year old son of Forest Wildcat, A Shin Forward is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner and New York-bred Champion Turf Female Wake Up Kiss (Cure the Blues). Vivien Malloy’s Edition Farm purchased Wake Up Kiss when she was in foal to Forest Wildcat for $380,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. She has produced two winners from three foals of racing age and has a yearling by Any Given Saturday. A Shin Forward, who is inbred 5×5 to Nearctic and Bold Ruler and has an A++ Werk Nick Rating (based on the Forest Wildcat-Cure the Blues cross), sold as a yearling for $125,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select Sale in Saratoga and was then purchased by Hirotsugo Hirai the following March at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training sale for $290,000. He races for Hirai’s Eishindo Co. Ltd. and is trained by Masato Nishizono.
I pinhooked this Forest Wildcat as a two year-old, and was wondering why they took a NY-Bred all the way to Japan. Now I know why! Brilliant move, and a great horse.