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Sim Trainer Stats Sim Race Stats |
TURNING JAPANESE Owner/Trainer: dkyoung7 Record: 31-13-3-6; $3,651,160
Win: Breeders’ Bowl Distaff-G1 (2x), Demona H-G1, Rich and Famous H-G1, Flower Pot S-G1, Brown Fields H-G3, Li’l Drummer Boy H-G3, Our Mouth H, River Hannah H, Senorita Majestic H Place: Japan Classic-G1, Couldn’t Train a Frog to Jump-G1, Hong Kong Mile S Show: Pennsylvania Marathon-G1, San Francisco Capitan H-G1, Flower Pot S-G1, Cedora D S-G1, Good Vista H-G3, Celestial Cozzene Special Turning Japanese is a tiny gray mare with a ton of heart and a closing kick to match. Named after the song by The Vapors (which is also the name of one of Turning Japanese’s foals), her name is also a play on Sunday Silence, who was sent to Japan after a brilliant racing career in the United States. Dkyoung7 was patient with his filly, letting her grow and fill out, as much as a 15.1 hand filly can grow and fill out. It wasn’t until the summer of her 3yo year that she was put into training, and quickly impressed the barn with her talent. She would debut in a turf maiden late in the fall, broke last, but despite her greenness, closed quickly for fourth. Wheeled back two weeks later, she found the winner’s circle, and in her final start of the year, put it all together in a conditioned allowance, finishing the mile in 1:35 1/5 (107 SF). With that flashy win, it was time to try stakes company. Unfortunately, the Celestial Cozzene had attracted a graded stakes caliber field. I Can Hear You, a Grade 1 winner, and Wishing Wells, a Grade 3 winner, also answered the call to the post. The grey broke last, spotting the field almost 15 ½ lengths after the first quarter mile. She came charging hard at the end, but had simply left herself too much to do. Turning Japanese made up nine lengths in the last furlong to get third. After an easy allowance score, she returned to stakes competition. Once again, this was no easy race – this would be against the boys, many of them seasoned veterans. The bettors dismissed the grey at 21-1, and she made them regret it. Once again breaking near the back of the pack, Turning Japanese was almost 14 lengths behind the leaders before closing like a freight time. She would finish second, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Real Squeal Deal (who would win the Sydney Mile-G1 next time out). Both horses were absolutely flying at the end. The final time for the mile was 1:33 4/5, garnering the Sunday Silence filly a 119 SF. Next was the Adrian Adonis-G2, which was a quarter mile longer than Turning Japanese had ever raced before. Classy fillies like Ice Queen, Joe’s Angels and Saddle Up Partner were also in the field. With her closing kick, it seemed like Turning Japanese would like the added distance, but you never know until they actually do it. As was rapidly becoming habit, dkyoung7’s filly broke last, letting the leaders get far ahead of her. She didn’t have quite the same closing kick, and managed only fourth. Still, she had earned a 107 SF. Her connections dropped her down in class, and the filly responded by going on an absolute tear, winning seven stakes in a row. First, she beat Simulated Champ, winner of the Black Betty-G2 two starts back, in the Senorita Majestic Handicap. Next, she exploded in the stretch, making up ten lengths in the blink of an eye, to win the Lil’ Drummer Boy Handicap-G3 going away. The River Hannah was next, and once again, the filly would fall behind by double digits before flying past her rivals to win by daylight. Her closing kick was quickly attracting a fan base. After winning one more listed stakes (over Grade 1 winners Nurey Evermore and Pam Flint), Turning Japanese would face the boys, this time in the Brown Fields H-G3. In the field were Grade 1 winners Shore Lunch and Kayla’s Missile. Kayla’s Missile had already won three Grade 1 events that year. It was no contest. Turning Japanese beat up the boys, falling 14 lengths behind half way through the race, before sizzling down the stretch to win by six. The jockey never touched the whip. She earned a 115 SF for that performance. Her connections had dreams of the Breeders’ Bowl, which was fast approaching. So, two weeks after that scintillating performance, Turning Japanese returned to the races in the Flower Pot S-G1. Top fillies Crimson Pirate (the betting choice), Wonderwoman and Marie were all in the field. There were some concerns whether the small grey could recover so quickly from her earlier heroics. Turning Japanese emphatically dispelled those concerns, going from last to first once again, scoring by three easy lengths with a 108 SF. From there it was on to the Breeders’ Bowl Distaff-G1, where an all star field was assembled. SJ’s Silver Ghost, Grand Caffreys, Ice Queen, Leprechaun Hunt, Black Tricky, Sender Burglar (who was sent off as the slight favorite), Mother Lois, Marie, Ice Princess, Wonderwoman, Jaw Dropper, Electrical Ransom and Rhino Safari were all there. But, at the end of the day, the only filly fans were talking about was Turning Japanese. Next to last early, she stormed home a six length winner, her rider never having to move. Final time was 2:01 2/5 (113 SF). What a seven race streak it had been! Dkyoung7 could have gone the easy way with his prize filly, but to end the year, he had her tackle the very best in the turf route division. First came the Japan Classic-G1, where she finished a best of the rest second to Rain God after falling 18 lengths behind in the early going. From there, it was on to the Pennsylvania Marathon-G1, where she finished third behind the immortal duo of Allied Assault and Sunnybank Memo. Very few male horses could beat either horse on their best day, much less a filly. Turning Japanese concluded her year by winning the Eclipse Awards for both Champion Older Mare and Champion Turf Mare. At five, Turning Japanese would take a little while before she found the winner’s circle again, but she certainly was not taking the easy route. After an 11 week break, she needed a race and it showed. She closed for third behind Dreaming of Love and Compelling Grace in the Good Vista H-G3 (108 SF). From there, it was off to the sands of Dubai where she tackled the boys in the Sand Castle Fee Duty-G1. She fell 13 ¼ lengths behind, which left her too far behind against that caliber field, and while she was flying late, she could do no better than fourth behind Jacques. After that, dkyoung7 sent his filly to compete against Sunnybank Memorial once again in the San Francisco Capitan H-G1, and while she gave her best, Memo won easily. Next came the NY Island Cap-G1, also against the boys, and after lagging by 10 in the early going, Turning Japanese closed quickly forfourth, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Bright Sunset. Finally, she returned to the filly and mare ranks, and Turning Japanese made the most of it, winning the Rich and Famous H-G1 by ½ length after falling behind by more than 15 lengths early on. Dkyoung7 had mentioned trying his star filly on dirt, and the experiment finally happened in the First State Distaff-G1. The filly never ran a step. So, back to the turf it was. After racing 10 furlongs or more for her last several starts, Turning Japanese was not quite prepared for the cutback to 9 ½ furlongs in the Cedora D Stakes-G1, and ran out of ground, losing to Giddyup Diddie and Arc Over Danzig. The grey had her “A” game on next out, when she turned the tables on both Giddyup Diddie and Dreaming of Love, making up 13 lengths in the final quarter-mile to win the Demona H-G1 by 2 ½ emphatic lengths. Dkyoung7 decided to go the same route as before to the Breeders’ Bowl, sending his filly to the Flower Pot S-G1. After falling 14 lengths behind early, and still almost 8 lengths back in the final furlong, Turning Japanese found her final gear just a touch late, coming home third behind Leprechaun Hunt and Devil’s Slide. This year, the Breeders’ Bowl Turf Distaff-G1 would be run at 11 furlongs, not 10, and the field was once again a strong one. The contingent included Grand Caffreys, Krishna, Devil’s Slide, A Gold City (the favorite after winning the Princess Di-G1 and Flounder Distaff-G1), and La Pata Daisy. Still, there were plenty of Turning Japanese fans in the stands. A different rider would be aboard, but it did not matter. The grey was near last early, ending up 14 lengths back. She began motoring on the turn, picking off rivals, moving faster and faster with each stride. With a quarter mile left, she still had almost 8 lengths to make up, but as the field straightened away for the final run to the wire, Turning Japanese found still another gear, her small body absolutely lengthening out as far as she could go. And just like that, four strides from the wire, she reached the front, and was almost two lengths clear as she hit the wire. Final time was 2:15 4/5 (105 SF). History had been made – Turning Japanese had won back to back Breeders’ Bowls. After her second Breeders’ Bowl win, Turning Japanese once again tackled the boys, but without quite the same success as the year before. She would only manage fifth in the Coxless S-G1 and seventh in the Japan Classic-G1. Still, it was another solid year, capped off with the Turf Distaff victory, although championship honors would go to the amazing sprinter Elsinore. Turning Japanese would race only three times at six. She came out guns blazing in her seasonal debut, taking on males in the Couldn’t Train a Frog to Jump-G1. She was the second choice behind Horse of the Year (and future Hall of Famer) Horseshoe Bay. The mare lost little in defeat, a best of the rest second behind the champ. However, that effort apparently took more out of her than her connections originally thought. She would finish off the board in her next two starts, and, unwilling to risk seeing her continue to decline, dkyoung7 retired his prize mare. As a broodmare, she has been somewhat of a disappointment. As of this writing, all five of her foals have won, and Kittyhawke (Teofilio) has won a pair of stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Her youngest foal, The Vapors (Lonhro) is unbeaten in two starts on dirt. Still, none of them have come close to matching the brilliance of their dam. Her career may have been short by Hall of Fame standards, but pulling off back to back Breeders’ Bowl wins is no small achievement. Turning Japanese is currently thirteenth on the all-time money list for fillies and mares. Once she hit the big time, she danced every dance, taking on the boys on numerous occasions, and winning more often than not. |
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