Going to Sky rallied to a narrow victory in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) Oct. 25 at Kyoto Racecourse, denying Lovcen a sweep of the Triple Crown.
Instead of a third win in the series for Lovcen, it was the sixth Kikuka Sho crown for legendary Japanese jockey Yutaka Take, who timed the 3,000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles) perfectly, justifying trainer Yuke Uehara's confidence the rider would make the difference in the race.
Going to Sky, a son of 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail, saved ground in midfield through most of the marathon as unheralded King Glory sprinted off to a massive lead approaching 20 lengths. Predictably, King Glory's moment of glory was over as the field hit the final turn on the outside loop of the Kyoto turf oval.
As the leader faded, Take found room for Going to Sky between rivals and smoothly worked into contention. Lovcen, under Kohei Matsuyama, also launched a bid. Going to Sky got to the front about 100 meters from the finish and held off Basse Terre to win by a nose while Lovcen was unable to sustain his rally and reported 14th, just one spot ahead of King Glory.
Danon History and jockey Christophe Lemaire finished third as Going to Sky was timed in 3:04.5, well shy of the race and course record established by Toho Jackal in 2014.
Going to Sky came into the Kikuka Sho with just two wins to his credit from six starts. He finished sixth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) and returned from his summertime break to finish sixth in the Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen (G2).
Uehara opened his yard in 2023 and was still seeking his first grade 1 win. Despite the St. Lite result, the 36-year-old trainer said before the race he was putting his faith in his 57-year-old jockey, whose first professional start came nearly three years before Uehara was born.
"The horse is physically strong," Uehara said during preparations. "We don't know about the 3,000 meters until we try, but the race jockey thinks he has a chance. So I'll take him at his word."
Take delivered, crediting experience.
"I've ridden this colt several times now and I'd given a lot of thought to how best to ride him," said Take, whose first Kikuka Sho win came in 1988. "He settled nicely in a good spot along the rail and I felt we were in a very good rhythm.
"I decided to wait and make our move in the stretch. He responded well once given a green light and with about 200 meters to go, I thought we might win. He ran a good race in the Derby and I felt we had a good chance in the last leg of the Triple Crown."
Going to Sky, bred by Chiyoda Farm Shizunai and owned by Field Racing, is out of the Tapit mare Goin to the Window, who finished in the first three in 11 of her 12 starts, all at Emerald Downs. His paternal grandsire, Deep Impact, and great-grandsire, Sunday Silence, dominated Japanese breeding for decades and shaped much of the current Japanese racing landscape.
Lovcen, a son of 2019 Kikuka Sho winner World Premiere, was the heavy favorite to complete the Triple Crown. His record of five wins from six starts also included the Hopeful Stakes (G1) last December, making him by far the most accomplished of the 18 starters.
