Chrono Genesis


Chrono Genesis is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She was one of the best two-year-old fillies in Japan when she won her first two races including the Ivy Stakes and then ran a close second in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. In the following year she won the Daily Hai Queen Cup and then contested all three legs of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown, finishing third in both the Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba before winning the Shuka Sho.

Background

Chrono Genesis is a grey filly with a white star bred in Hokkaido by Northern Farm. She was sent into training with Takashi Saito at Ritto, Shiga and carries the red, black and yellow colours of Sunday Racing. She was ridden in most of her races by Yuichi Kitamura.
She was from the tenth crop of foals sired by Bago, an outstanding middle distance runner in Europe whose biggest win came in the included the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. As a breeding stallion in Japan he started well but became disappointing: Chrono Genesis was his first Grade 1 winner since Big Week won the Kikuka Sho in 2010. Chrono Genesis's dam Chronologist, from whom she inherited her grey colour, showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race as a three-year-old in 2006. As a broodmare she also produced the Victoria Mile winner Normcore. She was descended from the American broodmare Nimble Doll, making her a distant relative of Captain Steve.

Racing career

2018: two-year-old season

Chrono Genesis began her racing career by winning an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1800 metres at Kokura Racecourse on 2 September. On 20 October she was stepped up in class for the Listed Ivy Stakes over the same distance at Tokyo Racecourse when she was the only filly in a ten-runner field and won by two lengths from Cosmo Calendula. Saito later commented "She waited patiently and went all out in the final stages and displayed the kind of kick we thought she would from her morning work". On 9 December the filly was moved up to the highest level for the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over 1600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse and started the 2.6/1 second favourite in an eighteen-runner field. After starting slowly she was towards the rear for most of the race before making rapid progress in the straight and finishing second to the favoured Danon Fantasy, beaten half a length by the winner.
In the official ratings for Japanese two-year-olds Chrono Genesis was rated the second best juvenile filly of the year, one pound behind Danon Fantasy and six pounds below the top-rated colt Admire Mars.

2019: three-year-old season

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Chrono Genesis started 1.1/1 favourite for the Grade 2 Daily High Queen Cup over 1800 metres at Toyo on 11 February. She came from sixth place on the final turn to win by a neck and half a length from Beach Samba and Jodie. In the Oka Sho over 1600 metres at Hanshin on 7 April the filly started the 4.7/1 third choice in the betting behind Danon Fantasy and Gran Alegria. After racing in mid-division Chrono Genesis was switched to the outside and produced a "powerful turn of speed" to take third place behind Gran Alegria and Shigeru Pink Dia. On 19 May at Tokyo Chrono Genesis was moved up in distance and made the second favourite behind Loves Only You for the 2400 metre Yushun Himba. She raced just behind the leaders for most of the way before keeping on well in the straight but never looked likely to win and finished third behind Loves Only You and the 93.1/1 outsider Curren Bouquetd'Or.
After a break of almost five months Chrono Genesis returned for the Shuka Sho over 2000 metres at Kyoto Racecourse on 13 October and started the 5.9/1 fourth choice in the betting behind Danon Fantasy, Curren Bouquetd'Or and Espoir. The other thirteen runners included Beach Samba, Shigeru Pink Dia, Contra Check, Passing Through and Schon Glanz. Chrono Genesis settled behind the leaders as Danon Fantasy set the pace before being switched to the outside in the straight and launching a sustained run. She took the lead 200 metres from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win by two lengths from Curren Bouquetd'Or with a further length and half back to Shigeru Pink Dia in third. After the race Yuichi Kitamura said "I was able to race her in an ideal position... I was able to make bid with confidence. I am grateful for having been able to ride the filly since her debut, I'm really glad that I was able to deliver a good result". Four weeks later the filly contested the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup when she was matched against older fillies and mares for the first time and started the 2.5/1 second favourite. She was settled just behind the leaders for most of the way but was unable to make any significant progress in the straight and came home fifth of the eighteen runners, two lengths behind the winner Lucky Lilac.
In January 2020, at the JRA Awards for 2019, Chrono Genesis finished third behind Gran Alegria and Loves Only You in the poll to determine the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly, taking 47 of the 274 votes.

2020: four-year-old season

Pedigree