Saudi Arabia and Dubai are being considered as lucrative targets for Mikki Fight after the talented five-year-old took the Jpn1 Teio Sho for the second year in a row at the National Association of Racing (NAR)’s flagship Oi racetrack Wednesday night.
Mikki Fight’s trainer-on-the-up Hiroyasu Tanaka is in a rich vein of form. This was his fourth major victory this year following Finger’s wins in the Jpn1 Haneda Hai and Jpn1 Tokyo Derby, also at Oi, and Sixpence’s triumph in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo last month.
Finger and Sixpence were already set for overseas assignments, with Finger being pointed to west coast USA for the G1 Pacific Classic and Sixpence slated for France’s G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. Now Mikki Fight could be boarding a plane early next year.
“A trip to the Middle East is on the table. We will make our plans accordingly,” Tanaka said after Mikki Fight joined only Meisho Hario as a back-to-back winner of Japan’s premier summertime dirt race.
The chestnut was the 1.7 favourite to bounce back from two recent defeats – latterly a torrid run to second in the Jpn1 Kashiwa Kinen over a mile at Funabashi – and he did not disappoint, even if Tanaka is not convinced the 2000m trip is ideal.
Mikki Fight broke well, was eager early, then settled handily in third under Oi icon Keita Tosaki who had also been Finger’s pilot when winning the Tokyo Derby at his old stamping ground. Mikki Fight ranged up powerfully on the home turn, cruised to the lead then kept on under a drive to win with a degree of ease.
“I haven’t won this race since Furioso when I was still based at Oi, so it is nice to win this race again,” Tosaki said, recalling the second of his three wins in the contest, back in 2010 before he made the switch to ride in the top tier Japan Racing Association (JRA).
Tosaki and Tanaka both credited Christophe Lemaire who had ridden the horse in his previous five races going back to April last year, but who is currently taking a summer break in Europe. Tosaki had partnered Mikki Fight in his six races prior to that.
“Christophe developed the horse into who he is today,” Tanaka said, while Tosaki commented, “I could feel he had made a big step forward, he is really an exciting horse.”
But with travel in mind, Tanaka added a note of caution, given Mikki Fight’s mental disposition: “I think he is still inexperienced in travel, and since he is such a sensitive horse we have to take extra care about transportation. But if we think he can overcome all that, we are willing to race him overseas.
Tanaka has tested the international arena in recent seasons with the likes of Lemon Pop, Rousham Park and Alohi Alii, and the fact that he has tasted Group 2 success in France, but has not yet nailed a Group 1 victory off-shore seems only to have increased the trainer’s keenness for the challenge.
He is using the experience he gained when Rousham Park placed second in the 2024 G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar to prepare Finger for next month’s G1 Pacific Classic at the same track. That means Finger will be taking on older horses rather than face his own age group in a race like the G1 Travers on the east coast.
“The west coast is just easier for us to travel to and I think sending him to the US this time is more about gaining experience in American races than for the win,” Tanaka explained.
“Of course, winning is important as well, and after we took his chance of winning into account and thought about the whole picture, we just thought the Pacific Classic was our best option.”
And Tanaka revealed that the American plan has been in place for some time, prompted in part by the fact that Finger “really is a tough horse” as he put it.
“We made the decision even before the Tokyo Derby, it was actually after the Haneda Hai,” he said. “At that time, he had already been through a few tough races. And, pedigree-wise, he is by Gun Runner, and his dam also ran well in the U.S., so we thought his running style might be suitable for America.
“After his win in the Haneda Hai I told the owner if Finger ran well and won the second leg of the Dirt Triple Crown, he might be a prospect for going to the States, and the owner took the opportunity.”
Sixpence’s French assignment is on August 16 at Deauville, followed six days later by Finger racing in California on August 22.
“It will be a busy summer,” the ambitious Tanaka said. “I think it is important for my entire stable to gain experience of travelling horses overseas. Although I had ridden in France for an extended period before, nothing compares to you actually sending a horse there and winning a race.
And referencing Alohi Alii’s win in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano also at Deauville last summer, the former jockey added, “This year it will be a different race, but I think that experience will benefit me this time.” ∎
