Natural Rise Leads Field for Haneda Hai
The Haneda Hai (G1), the first leg of the Dirt Triple Crown for 3-year-olds in Japan, takes place April 29 at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo, going 1,800 meters. Fifteen runners, including four Japan Racing Association-based horses, are entered in the race which carries a purse of ¥87,500,000 (approx. US$607,175).
Natural Rise , the likely favorite, was bred by Grand Stud and is trained by Keizo Ito at JRA’s Miho Training Center. The colt by Kizuna was bought by Hiroyuki Yoshioka during the foal session of the 2022 JRHA Select Sale for ¥33,000,000 (approx. US$244,445). He made a successful debut last July, when he won a maiden race at Sapporo, followed by a win in the Cattleya Stakes Nov. 23 at Tokyo, the first leg of Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1). Although he was beaten fourth in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, the second leg on the road to the Kentucky Derby Dec. 11 at Kawasaki, Natural Rise recently captured the Keihin Hai March 26, one of the important prep races for the Haneda Hai, earning a rating 111.
The flag-bearer of National Association of Racing-trained horses is Night of Fire, who finished third to Natural Rise in the Keihin Hai. Other runners of interest in the Haneda Hai are Sunday Racing’s Janadriyah, unbeaten winner of the Kumotori Sho at Oi Feb. 19, and Carrot Club’s Grad Giorno, runner-up to Janadriyah in the Kumotori Sho
