Orfevre steals show as Buena Vista bows out at Arima Kinen

FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. — The much-hyped showdown between Orfevre and retiring horse of the year Buena Vista turned out to be a one-sided affair as the Triple Crown winner captured the Arima Kinen for his fourth Grade 1 title on Sunday.

The 3-year-old Orfevre, who went off as the narrow first choice ahead of Buena Vista, held off last year's Japanese Derby champion Eishin Flash by three-quarters of a length to win in an ultra slow 2 minutes, 36.0 seconds over the 2,500 meters.

Before a crowd of 115,065 at Nakayama Racecourse eager to see one last run from the history-making mare, Buena Vista finished seventh in a field of 13 in the final race of a career marked by six G1 victories, including last month's Japan Cup.

Taking the bronze in Japanese racing's season finale was ninth favorite To the Glory, who was also third in last year's race and is trained by Orfevre's trainer Yasutoshi Ikee.

"A lot was being said about what he's achieved, that this year's 3-year-olds aren't strong and whatnot," said jockey Kenichi Ikezoe, who also won the Arima Kinen with Orfevre's full-blooded brother Dream Journey two years ago.

"But I believed in him; I knew my horse was the strongest out there. Ever since the Kikka-sho, we've been saying our goal for him is to win the Arc.

"We proved today that he is the best in Japan. Now we're going to try to become the best in the world."

Orfevre's winning time was 6.5 seconds off the race record as Takarazuka Kinen champion Earnestly set a gentle pace for a lap-and-a-half around the Chiba Prefecture track.

In his first start since winning the Kikka-sho to complete the Triple Crown in October, he got a bad jump out of the gate and was traveling at the rear until Ikezoe nudged him to the outside on the backstretch.

"He was a little edgy in the paddock," said Ikezoe, who won his sixth Grade 1 race of the season, tying the record held by Yutaka Take and Katsumi Ando. "He was a step slow out of his stall and we fell into position a lot toward the back than I expected.

"When I brought him outside on the backstretch, he finally settled. And on the home straight, he took the bit hard and accelerated like he always does."

With Buena Vista, who had drawn the No. 1 barrier, trapped on the inside turning for home, Orfevre powered through the middle, leaving the rest of the pack in the dust as he rolled to his sixth straight graded victory.

"There was only one lead horse, so I was expecting it to be slow," said Australian rider Craig Williams, who took fall Tenno-sho winner Tosen Jordan to fifth place. Tosen Jordan is also trained by Ikee.

"I'm happy with the way my horse performed, but the winner was just too strong — very strong."

Ikee felt Orfevre would win bigger in the colt's first test against older horses. The trainer was so convinced by the horse's performance that he will now consider entering him in the Dubai World Cup in March, which was not part of the plans.

"Watching the race, I actually thought he might win by a good three lengths," Ikee said. "But credit the competition, especially the runnerup who is a Derby winner himself.

"We have until (Jan. 18) to apply for Dubai so I'll talk it over with the owner. He already had his wind back by the post-race ceremony while the other horses were still wheezing."

A retirement ceremony was later held for the 5-year-old Buena Vista, whose earnings of ?1.39 billion are the most ever by a female horse, trailing only Hall-of-Fame males T M Opera O and Deep Impact.

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