Loves Only You

Loves Only You
SireDeep Impact
GrandsireSunday Silence
DamLoves Only Me
DamsireStorm Cat
SexFilly
Foaled26 March 2016[1]
CountryJapan
ColourBay
BreederNorthern Farm
OwnerDMM Dream Club Co Ltd
TrainerYoshito Yahagi
Record16: 8-2-3
Earnings913,948,700 JPN[2]
Japan : 338,749,000 JPN
UAE : 500,000 USD
HK : 31,350,000 HKD
USA : 1,040,000 USD
Major wins
Wasurenagusa Sho (2019)
Yushun Himba (2019)
Kyoto Kinen (2021)
Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2021)
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2021)
Hong Kong Cup (2021)
Awards
American Champion Turf Female (2021)
JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare (2021)
Last updated on 10 February 2021

Loves Only You (Japanese: ラヴズオンリーユー, foaled 26 March 2016) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed promise as a two-year-old when she won both her races. In the following spring she took the Wasurenagusa Sho before extending her unbeaten run to four by winning the Yushun Himba in record time. She sustained he first defeat in November 2019 when she ran third in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She failed to win in five starts as a four-year-old in 2020, but returned to her best form in 2021 when she won the Kyoto Kinen, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the United States and the Hong Kong Cup. She was awarded an Eclipse Award as the American Champion Female Turf Horse for 2021, as well as the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare of the same year.

Background

Loves Only You is a bay mare with a short white blaze and a white socks on her left hind and forelegs bred in Hokkaido by Northern Farm. As a yearling in 2017 he was consigned to the Select Sale and was bought for ¥172,800,000 by DMM.com Co Ltd,[3] as one of the horses that the company offered for shared ownership among users of the website.[4] She was sent into training with Yoshito Yahagi.

She was from the ninth crop of foals sired by Deep Impact, who was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Harp Star, Kizuna, A Shin Hikari, Marialite and Saxon Warrior.[5] Loves Only You's dam Loves Only Me, a half-sister to Rumplestiltskin, was trained in Ireland but never raced and was exported to Japan after being sold for $900,000 at Keeneland in November 2009.[6] She was a granddaughter of the outstanding racehorse and broodmare Miesque.[7] Loves Only Me has also produced Loves Only You's full brother Real Steel.

Racing career

2018: two-year-old season

On 3 November at Kyoto Racecourse Loves Only You began her track career in an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1800 metres and won from Arden Forest.[8] Twenty-two days later at the same track the filly started the 1.3/1 favourite for the Shiragiku Sho over 1600 metres in which she was ridden by Yasunari Iwata and won by one and three quarter lengths from Rambling Alley.[9]

2019: three-year-old season

Loves Only You made her three-year-old debut in the Listed Wasurenagusa Sho over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 7 April in which she was ridden by Mirco Demuro. Despite starting badly and meeting with interference she produced a strong late run and won by three lengths.[10] Demuro later commented "It was an easy win... She got bumped a bit at the break and got upset and clamped down on the bit until the first turn. But, she's a very clever horse and calmed right down".[11]

On 19 May Loves Only You was stepped up in class and distance for the Grade 1 Yushun Himba over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse in which she was partnered by Demuro and started the 3/1 favourite. Second choice in the betting was Chrono Genesis (winner of the Daily Hai Queen Cup) while the other sixteen runners included Contra Check (Flower Cup), Danon Fantasy, Shigeru Pink Dia (runner-up in the Oka Sho), Victoria (Flora Stakes), Schon Glanz (Artemis Stakes), Figlia Pura (Fairy Stakes) and No One (Fillies' Revue). The outsider Jodie set the pace from Contra Check and Aile Voix while Loves Only You raced in mid division before moving to the outside to make her challenge in the straight. Curren Bouquetd'or went to the front approaching the last 400 metres but Loves Only You produced a sustained run on the outside to gain the advantage in the final strides and win by a neck with two and a half lengths back to Chrono Genesis in third.[12] The winning time of 2:22.8 was a new race record. After the race Demuro said "I was a bit worried at the final corner since we were in a lower position than planned, but she showed an incredible burst of speed and stretched beautifully. She has a heart of steel".[13]

It was intended to bring Loves Only You back in autumn for the Shuka Sho but she missed the race after being found to have an inflamed tendon.[14] The filly eventually made her comeback in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup when she was matched against older fillies and mares for the first time. Starting the 1.5/1 favourite she raced in second place for most of the way but was unable to quicken in the straight and came home third behind Lucky Lilac and the front-running Crocosmia.

In January 2020, at the JRA Awards for 2019, Loves Only You finished runner-up to Gran Alegria in the poll to determine the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly, taking 99 of the 274 votes.[15]

2020: four-year-old season

In the spring of 2020 Loves Only You was sent to Meydan Racecourse in Dubai to contest the Sheema Classic in March, but the meeting was abandoned owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17] The filly returned to Japan and made her 2020 debut on 17 May when she started 8.5/1 third choice in the betting for the Victoria Mile at Tokyo, but after racing in mid-division she struggled to obtain a clear run and came home seventh behind Almond Eye and Sound Chiara.[18] The filly dropped to Grade 3 class and matched against male opponents in the Naruo Kinen over 2000 metres at Hanshin on 6 June when she started the 0.8/1 favourite but was beaten a nose by the eight-year-old Perform A Promise.

After a five month break Loves Only You returned to the track at Tokyo in October and finished fifth behind Salacia when favourite for the Grade 2 Fuchu Himba Stakes over 1800 metres. On 15 November the filly started the 4.5/1 third choice for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2200 metres at Hanshin. After racing in eleventh place she produced a strong late run on the outside and finished third behind Lucky Lilac and Salacia, beaten half a length by the winner.[19] The filly ended her season in the Arima Kinen over 2500 metres at Nakayama Racecourse when she started the 14.5/1 sixth choice in the betting and came home tenth of the sixteen runners behind Chrono Genesis, beaten six lengths by the winner.

2021: five-year old season

Loves Only You started her 2021 season at the Kyoto Kinen, where she won her first race in 21 months after passing fellow stablemate Stay Foolish.[20] She then returned to Dubai to once again run the Sheema Classic, where she finished third behind Mishriff and Chrono Genesis after briefly being in the lead.[21][22] Loves Only You did not return to Japan after the Sheema Classic but instead went to Hong Kong to compete in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She entered the race with Vincent C Y Ho as her jockey, and won the race after beating the 2nd place by 3/4 lengths.[23] With this win, this marked not only her second GI victory, but also finishing the race where the top four were Japanese-trained horses (Loves Only You, Glory Vase, Daring Tact, and Kiseki, in respective order).[23][24]

Loves Only You returned to Japan for a brief period to race in the Sapporo Kinen with an American race in mind, where she finished in second place behind Sodashi. She was the most favored in that race, but was stuck in the back and had to run the fastest among the entrants for the last three furlongs to catch up.[25]

Loves Only You was the third favored at 4.30 odds on the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf behind War Like Goddess and Love, who was the two filly crown winner of the previous year in England.[26][27] The race started with Loves Only You and her jockey Yuga Kawada placing themselves in fourth or fifth place with Going to Vegas leading early. War Like Goddess and Love then each moved five wide to take the lead at the far turn, with My Sister Nat engaging the former in the final stretch, before Loves Only You passing over them and winning against My Sister Nat in a half-length lead.[28][29] Her victory marked the first Japanese-trained horse to win the race, as well as her jockey and trainer also being the first to win the race. This race also marked Kawada's first victory abroad.[30]

After her victory at Del Mar, Loves Only You did not return to Japan but instead headed back to Hong Kong to compete in the Hong Kong Cup, which was announced to be her final race.[31][32] During the race, she was briefly stuck among the crowd of horses but managed to push herself through, and won the race after passing Russian Emperor as Hishi Iguazu came up to her and narrowing the lead.[33][34]

After winning her final race, Loves Only You returned to Japan. A retirement ceremony was held at the Tokyo Racecourse on January 30, 2022 before she was returned to the Northern Farm for the 2022 breeding season.[35][36]

Honors

Loves Only You was named the Best Older Filly or Mare of 2021 by the JRA for her victories abroad.[37] She was also awarded the Eclipse Award as the American Champion Female Turf Horse in 2021 for her victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.[38]

Offspring

Loves Only You gave birth to her first foal in Japan on February 27, 2023.[39] The foal is a colt by Shadai Stallion Station's Epiphaneia, the winner of the 2014 Japan Cup victor.[40] The colt was later named Loves Premium.[41]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Loves Only You (JPN), bay filly 2016[1]
Sire
Deep Impact (JPN)
2002 		Sunday Silence (USA)
1986 		Halo Hail to Reason
Cosmah
Wishing Well Understanding
Mountain Flower
Wind in Her Hair (IRE)
1991 		Alzao (USA) Lyphard
Lady Rebecca (GB)
Burghclere (GB) Busted
Highclere
Dam
Loves Only Me (USA)
2006 		Storm Cat (USA)
1983 		Storm Bird (CAN) Northern Dancer
South Ocean
Terlingua Secretariat
Crimson Saint
Monevassia (USA)
1994 		Mr. Prospector Raise a Native
Gold Digger
Miesque Nureyev
Pasadoble (Family: 20)[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Loves Only You pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^ "「2021年度JRA賞」決定！年度代表馬はエフフォーリア！". 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  3. ^ "Sales Results – Select Sale: Yearlings". JBIS.
  4. ^ Tsuji, Tomoko (2017-07-11). "リアルスティール妹をＤＭＭが落札／セレクトセール｜極ウマ・プレミアム". Gokuuma (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  5. ^ "Deep Impact – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  6. ^ "Keeneland Association November 2009 Breeding Stock – Catalogue". Racing Post.
  7. ^ a b "Daffodil's Dam – Family 20". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  8. ^ "Race Records:Lifetime Starts – Loves Only You". JBIS.
  9. ^ "Shiragiku Sho result". Racing Post. 25 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Yushun Himba Preview". Horse Racing in Japan. 14 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Yushun Himba – Comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 17 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Yushun Himba result". Racing Post. 19 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Undefeated Loves Only You Claims Yushun Himba with Record-Breaking Speed". Horse Racing in Japan. 19 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) – Comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Winners of the 2019 JRA Awards announced". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 January 2020.
  16. ^ Ward, Tom. "Dubai World Cup latest big event to be cancelled due to coronavirus crisis". Racing Post.
  17. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) - Preview". Horse Racing in Japan. 10 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Almond Eye Claims This Year's Victoria Mile to Register Record-Tying 7th G1 Title". Horse Racing in Japan. 17 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Lucky Lilac Becomes Fourth Mare to Mark Back-to-Back Victories in Queen Elizabeth II Cup". Horse Racing in Japan. 15 November 2020.
  20. ^ "【京都記念結果】オークス馬ラヴズオンリーユーが快勝！ 1年9か月ぶりのV | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  21. ^ "Results | Emirates Racing Authority". emiratesracing.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  22. ^ "【ドバイシーマクラシック結果】ミシュリフがV、日本のクロノジェネシス・ラヴズオンリーユーわずかに及ばず | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  23. ^ a b "Race Meeting: 25/04/2021 Sha Tin". racing.hkjc.com. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  24. ^ "【香港・クイーンエリザベス2世C結果】ラヴズオンリーユーが海外GI初制覇！ 日本馬1-4着独占！ | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  25. ^ "１番人気ラヴズオンリーユー２着に矢作師「５頭分外を回されて」／札幌記念". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  26. ^ "【BCフィリー＆メアターフ 枠順】ラヴズオンリーユーは8番ゲート | JRA-VAN World - 海外競馬情報サイト". JRA-VAN Ver.World - 海外競馬 (in Japanese). 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  27. ^ "DEL MAR - November 6 2021 - Race 7". www.equibase.com. 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  28. ^ "2021 Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf". breederscup.com. 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
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  30. ^ "ラヴズオンリーユーがブリーダーズカップ制覇！日本調教馬初の快挙【BCフィリー＆メアターフ】". TV Tokyo. 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
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  32. ^ "【香港C（G1）展望】BC制覇の偉業から1か月、ラヴズオンリーユー有終の美へ！レイパパレはC.スミヨンと新コンビ、最大のライバルは最高レーティングの英国馬". GJ | 真剣勝負の裏にある真実に斬り込むニュースサイト. 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  33. ^ Kieckhefer, Bob (2021-12-12). "Loves Only You, Glory Vase Score for Japan in Hong Kong". www.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  34. ^ "【香港C結果】ラヴズオンリーユーが日本馬初の海外G1年間3勝で有終の美！ヒシイグアスが2着 | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
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  39. ^ "G1通算４勝ラヴズオンリーユー初子出産、エピファネイアの牡馬 母と同じ矢作厩舎でデビューへ - 競馬 : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  40. ^ McCroskey, Corrie (1 March 2023). "Champion Loves Only You Gives Birth to First Foal The 7-year-old mare gave birth to an Epiphaneia colt Feb. 27 in Japan". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  41. ^ "ラヴズプレミアム". DMMバヌーシー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-03-23.