It was a first Japanese winner from a first Japanese starter for MASTERY on Saturday when the Japanese-bred Success Laurel won on debut at Tokyo.
The one-mile dirt race saw Success Laurel break as one of the best in the field and immediately take up his spot as the race leader. The colt didn’t have a wide margin for much of the race but had enough of a margin to gallop along comfortably without ever being truly challenged.
In the stretch, jockey Heart Kameda gave him a few taps and Success Laurel proved that the speed he’d shown out of the gate was no fluke as he romped off to a four length victory.
Trained by Yoshihito Kitade for Takashima Co, Success Laurel’s multiple stakes winning dam Courtesan was sold for $250,000 to J.S. Company while carrying the colt. She is a half-sister to stakes winner Chary, who herself has produced two stakes performers.
Another one of Courtesan’s half-sisters also produced stakes winner Broadway Run an Courtesan’s dam is a daughter of Grade 1 winner Pretty Discreet, who also produced two Grade 1 winners and the dam of another.