Birdwatcher, son of five-time G1 winner Apapane, to return on Sunday
Friday, 10 May, 2024 18:42
Birdwatcher (Photo: Hanshin Yusho)
Birdwatcher, a three year old colt, aims for his second victory in the 3-year-old One Win class race in Tokyo, Race 6 on Sunday.
Birdwatcher is beautifully bred, with Black Tide as his sire and Apapane as his dam, with King Kamehameha as the damsire. His dam, Apapane, is renowned as the third filly in history to achieve the Triple Tiara. She claimed victory in five G1 races: the 2009 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the 2010 Oka Sho, Japanese Oaks, and Shuka Sho, and the 2011 Victoria Mile. Additionally, his half-sister, Akaitorino Musume, emerged as the winner of the 2021 Shuka Sho. His half-brothers, Jinambo and Rhinebeck, have also progressed to compete in open class races.
Birdwatcher has had 3 starts with 1 victory so far. In last November's Newcomers race, despite a slow pace, he impressively surged to victory with final sectional times of 11.6-11.5-11.3 seconds. His pedigree background fueled expectations of him being a potential Classic contender. However, subsequent races in the Keisei Hai and Freesia Sho resulted in challenging finishes, with 7th and 8th place respectively. Now, after a period of refreshment and reevaluation during pasture time, he is ready to make a fresh start in this upcoming race.
While he missed out on the spring Classics, Birdwatcher remains a promising talent expected to compete at the highest levels in the future. It's crucial for him to seize victory convincingly in this race and reaffirm his potential.
Birdwatcher is beautifully bred, with Black Tide as his sire and Apapane as his dam, with King Kamehameha as the damsire. His dam, Apapane, is renowned as the third filly in history to achieve the Triple Tiara. She claimed victory in five G1 races: the 2009 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the 2010 Oka Sho, Japanese Oaks, and Shuka Sho, and the 2011 Victoria Mile. Additionally, his half-sister, Akaitorino Musume, emerged as the winner of the 2021 Shuka Sho. His half-brothers, Jinambo and Rhinebeck, have also progressed to compete in open class races.
Birdwatcher has had 3 starts with 1 victory so far. In last November's Newcomers race, despite a slow pace, he impressively surged to victory with final sectional times of 11.6-11.5-11.3 seconds. His pedigree background fueled expectations of him being a potential Classic contender. However, subsequent races in the Keisei Hai and Freesia Sho resulted in challenging finishes, with 7th and 8th place respectively. Now, after a period of refreshment and reevaluation during pasture time, he is ready to make a fresh start in this upcoming race.
While he missed out on the spring Classics, Birdwatcher remains a promising talent expected to compete at the highest levels in the future. It's crucial for him to seize victory convincingly in this race and reaffirm his potential.