Second choice Leontes won the biggest title for the season’s two-year-olds in only his second career start—he is the first colt in JRA history to accomplish the feat since the grade system was implemented in 1984. Out of Cesario, a G1 Oaks winner in Japan and the U.S., and half-brother to 2014 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia, the King Kamehameha colt certainly lived up to expectations in his 2,000-meter debut against other two-year-olds with superb pedigrees four weeks back where he was forwardly positioned around sixth before drawing away to a 1-1/2 length victory and he did not disappoint in his leap in class against proven two-year-olds, giving trainer Katsuhiko Sumii and jockey Mirco Demuro, who had teamed up to win the Champions Cup with Sambista just two weeks ago another big title. Leontes’ win this time marked the 23rd JRA-G1 victory—the first Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes title—for Sumii and the 14th for Demuro including two in this race in 2010 and 2012 with Grand Prix Boss and Logotype, respectively.

Leontes was positioned this time at the rear end of the 16-horse field after breaking from stall 15 and gradually made headway with 800 meters to go and approaching the last corner. Circling the whole field and wide into the homestretch, the dark bay colt unleashed a tremendous turn of speed that enabled him to mow down the whole field and pin down race favorite Air Spinel soon after the 100-meter marker then pull away to a 3/4-length victory.

“I had been told that this colt was powerful and he certainly showed that when I rode him in training on Wednesday—he was pretty keen but smart and an honest colt. It was his first time over a mile but he responded and really stretched well on the outside. He’s got a lot to look forward to in his three-year-old season. This really has been a great year for me to have won four G1 wins,” said Mirco Demuro in Japanese.

Air Spinel was rated in mid-division outside a rival, almost ten lengths behind pace-setter Win Oscar, edged closer to the leaders before the last turn, sprinted clear once taking command before the furlong pole and opened the gap before challenged and overtaken by the winner.

Shadow Approach kept a close watch on Air Spinel from early in the race, rated a few lengths behind the favorite in mid-field and while unable to make a sharp change of speed once entering the straight, maintained a strong pace that was unable to match the top two finishers but bested the rest of the field