In a sensational debut, Hayabusa Maca O dominated a maiden race for unraced 2-year-olds at Sapporo July 30, winning easily by 10 lengths.
In the 1,700-meter (approximately 1-mile) dirt event, Hayabusa Maca O broke quickly and led 11 others through a steady pace under jockey Christophe Lemaire. The colt drew clear in the stretch while Lemaire sat motionless, taking two glances back at his competition far behind. Owned by Osamu Taketa and trained by Keizo Ito, the colt finished the distance in 1:47.3.
The connections are considering the Cattleya Sho at Tokyo in November, a race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, as a possible future start.
Hayabusa Maca O is from the eighth crop of grade 1 winner Sinister Minister, who was imported to Japan prior to 2008 breeding season. Winner of the 2006 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), the son of Old Trieste has sired 11 graded stakes winners so far, including King's Guard, winner of the July 9 Procyon Stakes (G3) at Niigata.
Bred by Grand Farm, the colt is the first foal out of Hayabusa Eminence, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro . Hayabusa Eminence is the second foal out of the Japanese-bred mare Preeminence (Afleet), a multiple graded stakes winner in her home country.
