The 2-5 favorite Make Happy made short work of the boys in Saturday’s Cattleya Sho at Tokyo, taking home 10 points as the winner of the first race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Owned by Kazuko Yoshida and trained by Koichi Shinkai, the California-bred daughter of Square Eddie burst onto the scene with a 10-length conquest, also over males, in a course-and-distance newcomers’ race October 7. The Cattleya Sho marked a step up in class, but Make Happy passed the allowance test with flying colors.
While the far outside post 14 could have posed a complication, Make Happy readily covered the extra ground. She settled just off the pace, within striking range of pacesetting Evacuant, and crept into contention down the stretch. Regular rider Christophe Lemaire gently nudged her to go after new leader Johann, and she lengthened stride to put him away with ease.
Make Happy opened up by 2 1/2 lengths while clocking the metric mile in 1:38.3. Godolphin’s Kingen made eye-catching headway late to take second, good for 4 points on the Japan Road leaderboard. Johann reported home another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, earning 2 points, and fourth-placer Romantico secured 1 point.
Next came Rhein Carina, Naran Huleg, Kanashibari, Seiun Offroad, Peisha Lil Kiss, Washington Tesoro, Peisha Mouton, Evacuant, Seiun Kobe, and Wild Trader.
Now two-for-two, Make Happy is proving well bought for $650,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s Gulfstream Sale. The Reddam Racing-bred, consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, was among the fastest workers at the under tack show when blitzing in :10.
Out of the Ten Most Wanted mare Silar Rules, Make Happy is a full sister to 2015 Hopeful (G1) victor Ralis and multiple stakes scorer and Grade 3-placed B Squared. She is bred on a cross similar to Hall of Famer Curlin, being by Smart Strike son’s Square Eddie and from a Deputy Minister-line mare.
