It had been almost seven years since the day Chrono Genesis opened her career with a newcomer victory over 1800 metres at Kokura on September 2, 2015.
On July 20 2025, the final day of the track’s traditional summer meeting, her first foal debuted in a newcomer at the very same course and distance, with the same jockey, trainer, and Sunday Racing colours.
The colt is Bereshit, trained by Takashi Saito. His renowned dam Chrono Genesis became the first female ever to win back-to-back runnings of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen and the third horse in history to complete a “Grand Prix treble” – the third leg being her 2020 G1 Arima Kinen success.
As her first foal her Epiphaneia son has attracted attention long before raceday. One significant difference from his mother, apart from sex, is colour. Chrono Genesis was a dark iron-grey that looked almost dark bay, whereas Bereshit is a true dark bay and will not whiten with age.
By coincidence, on June 13, the game Umamusume Pretty Derby released Chrono Genesis’ storyline in Japan. Her rising popularity as an Umamusume meant Bereshit’s name was widely known before his debut, and interest grew by the day.
Ten minutes after Ham Tan – the first foal of Chrono Genesis’s old rival Curren Bouquet d’Or – finished second in a newcomer at Sapporo, Bereshit stepped onto the Kokura track.
He jumped slowly, stumbled, and lost momentum, dropping to last. Bettors had made him second choice at 4.7, yet the race could hardly have begun worse.
Even so, jockey Yuichi Kitamura did not chase desperately. He allowed the colt to settle, then advanced into striking range only as the field rounded the final bend. Turning for home, Bereshit had five or six rivals ahead; from there it was a test of how much late speed he could unleash.
Kokura’s run-in measures only 293 metres. Lord Filer struck the front first. Bereshit was still fourth passing the furlong pole but produced a sudden surge to collar the leader in the final strides: the headline act arrived at the very last moment.
“It was just like his mother,” Saito smiled, while pointing out areas to work on. “He is still immature and tricky, so I was worried. If he can do that while fooling around, he clearly has talent.”
Kitamura agreed: “His temperament and steering are difficult, so I was unsure whether the plan would hold. Even in the straight he wasn’t concentrating. I’m glad he still won.”
The run exposed flaws yet showed promise, and the clock confirmed his ability. He closed the last three furlongs in 34.5 seconds, seven-tenths faster than rivals. The early tempo was gentle, each 200-metre split quicker than the one before; despite that overall fast race finish, he was still the strongest closer.
Because they debuted under identical conditions, comparison with his dam is inevitable. Both sliced through a strong finish, but with the first 1000 metres nearly two seconds faster in Chrono Genesis’s race, her winning time was 1:50.0 — 2.5 sec faster than her son.
Looking across history, Do Deuce clocked 1:50.2 off a similarly slow early pace in the 2021 newcomer, an exceptional effort. Bereshit’s 1:52.5 is respectable and easily passes the mark for a debut.
More pressing is his mental immaturity. Kitamura said the colt “has not yet shown his full ability”, revealing genuine power only in the last furlong. How much he grows over the summer, and what he shows in autumn, will be the key to his future.
As for Bereshit’s next start, suitable races are scarce in midsummer, so an autumn return is likely. Chrono Genesis’ second run came in the Listed Ivy Stakes at Tokyo in October, and Bereshit could well take the same route. Last year’s Ivy winner Masquerade Ball went on to be runner-up in the Tokyo Yushun.
Trainer Saito, jockey Kitamura, and Sunday Racing – a partnership that began with Chrono Genesis – also campaigned this year’s Derby victor, Croix du Nord. With the Arc looming this autumn and next year’s Classics ahead, ‘Team Chrono Genesis’ will again be in the spotlight.
The Book of Genesis opens with the Hebrew word Bereshit: “In the beginning.” Whether the colt follows his great mother’s path or forges a different one – like his darker coat – the story has only just begun.
Future Outlook: A top prospect with the potential to become a graded stakes winner ∎
WATCH: Chrono Genesis’ Debut Race
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— JRA公式 (@JRA_Special) July 18, 2025
GⅠ・4勝の名牝
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#クロノジェネシス は2018年に小倉競馬場でデビュー。見事にデビュー勝ちを果たしました🏅
今週はクロノジェネシスの初仔 #ベレシート が母と同じ舞台でデビュー予定です🏇💨 pic.twitter.com/5ORD8RCorP
