Blow the Horn has made steady progress since moving to trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka early this year and reached the heights with a late-running victory in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) June 23 at Kyoto Racecourse.
The 5-year-old son of Epiphaneia went to Yoshioka upon the retirement of his former trainer, Eiji Nakano, and promptly finished third in the Hanshin Daishoten (G2) and second in the Tenno Sho (Spring) G1 before claiming his first grade 1 victory in the Takarazuka Kinen.
With the win, Blow the Horn earned a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 2 at Del Mar and in Australia’s iconic Cox Plate (G1) in the Southern Hemisphere spring.
Heavy rain and a yielding course faced the field for the 2,200 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) and the conditions may have taken their toll as favorites played little part in the outcome.
Blow the Horn, with Akira Sugawara in the irons, started No. 12 in the 13-horse field and settled right at the back of the pack, alongside race favorite Do Deuce. Swinging around the outer loop into the straight, Sugawara steered Blow the Horn extremely wide, nearly to the stands-side rail, to chase down the front-runners.
As the others were toiling, Blow the Horn found new energy and blew by on his way to a 2-length victory. Sol Oriens finished second, followed by Bellagio Opera. Do Deuce found some late foot to finish sixth and the second-favorite, Justin Palace, finished 10th.
Japanese fans voted for the horses they wanted to see in the race and got that wrong, too. Do Deuce was the top vote-getter with Bellagio Opera third, Justin Palace fifth, and Sol Oriens 10th. Blow the Horn finished 24th in the non-binding referendum, missing the top-10 cut for automatic eligibility to run but started anyway due to the short field.
The winning connections with Blow the Horn
“We were able to win the race because the horse ran really hard despite the heavy going,” Sugawara said.
“Although we were positioned further back than planned and took the widest route, the horse seemed to have plenty of strength left when we turned the fourth corner so I urged him to go at the stretch and he responded with a remarkable turn of speed.”
The outcome justified the trainer’s pre-race optimism.
“His training’s been good these past two weeks, and he’s found a good rhythm in his work. He’s in good shape,” said Yoshioka, who opened his stable in 2020 and, like Blow the Horn, earned his first Grade 1 win.
Out of the Durandal mare Halteclare, Blow the Horn was bred by Okada Stud and races for Makio Okada.
He took nine tries to claim his first win in June of 2022. Since then, he’s missed a top-three finish only twice in 12 starts while specializing in long-distance events. In his last two starts, both won by T O Royal, he was competitive at 3,200 meters (about 2 miles) and 3,000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles). He has won on turf rated from firm to heavy, including the soggy conditions of the Takarazuka Kinen.
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