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Race favorite and 4YO Cafe Pharoah captured his first Gr.1 victory in this year’s February Stakes. The bay colt debuted claiming his first two career starts and went on to win the Unicorn Stakes (Gr.3, dirt, 1,600m) but failed to deliver in the following Japan Dirt Derby (dirt, 2,000m) where although sent off race favorite, he was beaten to seventh. Bouncing back and marking a win against older foes in the Sirius Stakes (Gr.3, dirt, 1,900m) last autumn, he finished sixth in the other JRA-Gr.1 dirt event, the Champions Cup (Gr.1, dirt, 1,800m), as the second favorite.
Absent of the fans and cheers, the first Gr.1 event of the season was on its way on the backstretch with Air Almas, Helios, and Wide Pharaoh fighting for the lead. As Helios slipped back in the early stages, Cafe Pharoah, breaking from stall three, stalked the two frontrunners while saving ground before smoothly angling out right beside them to enter the lane in third. From there on, the American Pharoah colt unleashed a powerful stretch drive stealing the lead by the furlong marker, and held off the fast-closing Air Spinel by a 3/4-length margin.
“His condition was super, and I had confidence already at the paddock. We decided to use cheek pieces hoping for more aggressive performance. His start was good, we were positioned well and he responded beautifully. The colt has such high potential. I had no doubt that he could land a Gr.1 win if he gave his best. I’m happy that it all worked out today,” commented Christophe Lemaire after the race.
Ninth favorite Air Spinel was settled on the rails in mid-division and struggled to find room in the early stretch but once angling out and finding a clear path 300 meters out, shot out with the fastest closing speed overtaking the tiring pacesetter in the last half-furlong while threatening the winner for a second.
Wonder Lider, sent off the eighth favorite, took an economic route behind the winner up to the last turn, and displayed a powerful stretch drive furiously chasing the runner-up to the line while holding off a strong challenge by Red le Zele for a 2-1/2-length third.