Salios

Salios (Japanese サリオス, foaled 23 January 2017) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the leading juvenile colt in Japan in 2019 when he was undefeated in three races including the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

Salios
Salios winning his first race in June 2019
Sire	Heart's Cry
Grandsire	Sunday Silence
Dam	Salomina
Damsire	Lomitas
Sex	Colt
Foaled	23 January 2017[1]
Country	Japan
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Northern Farm
Owner	Silk Racing
Trainer	Noriyuki Hori
Record	5: 3-2-0
Earnings	¥250,115,000
Major wins
Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (2019) Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (2019)

Background

Salios is a chestnut horse with a narrow white blaze bred in Japan by Northern Farm. He was sent into training with Noriyuki Hori and carries the colours of the Northern Farm associate Silk Racing. He is a large Thoroughbred, weighing over 530 kg.[2]

He was from the tenth crop of foals sired by Heart's Cry a horse whose wins included the Arima Kinen and the Dubai Sheema Classic. His other foals have included Suave Richard, Admire Rakti, Just A Way and Lys Gracieux.[3] Salios's dam Salomina was a German-bred mare who showed top-class form in her native country, winning the Preis der Diana in 2012 before being exported to Japan.[4] Salomina's dam Saldentigerin won the Group 3 Baden-Württemberg-Trophy and was a female-line descendant of the German broodmare Suleika (foaled 1954), making her a relative of Slip Anchor, Buena Vista and Manhattan Cafe.[5]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

Salios made his debut in an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse on 2 June and won from Absolutismo and six others.[2] After a break of four months the colt returned to the track and was stepped up in class to contest the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup at Tokyo on 5 October when he was ridden by Shu Ishibashi and started the 0.5/1 favourite against eight opponents. He raced in third place before moving up to dispute the lead in the straight and got the better of the filly Cravache d'Or to win by one and a quarter length in a race record time of 1:32.7 for 1600 metres.[6][2]

On 15 December Salios was partnered by Ryan Moore when he started favourite for the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse. His fifteen opponents included Taisei Vision (winner of the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes), Red Bel Jour (Daily Hai Nisai Stakes), Bien Fait (Hakodate Nisai Stakes) and Meiner Grit (Kokura Nisai Stakes). After racing in third place behind Bien Fait and Meisho Titan he went to the front early in the straight and steadily increased his lead to win by two and a half lengths from Taisei Vision. His winning time of 1:33.0 was a new record for the race, beating the mark of 1:33.3 set by Danon Premium in 2017. Ryan Moore commented "He was a lovely horse... he was still very green on the turn so he should run even faster in the future. He’s a big powerful colt and when I sat on him you get the impression that he’s very strong already, but he should improve and be even better as he gets older being the size that he is and hopefully he’ll carry on".[7]

In January 2020, at the JRA Awards for 2019, Salios finished runner-up in the poll for Best Two-Year-Old Colt, losing to Contrail by 77 votes to 197.[8] In the official Japanese rankings however, Salios was rated the best two-year-old of 2019, one pound ahead of Contrail.[9]

2020: three-year-old season

On his first run of 2020 Salios faced Contrail in a "much-anticipated showdown"[10] for the Satsuki Sho over 1200 at Nakayama Racecourse and went off the 2.8/1 third choice in the betting. Ridden by the Australian jockey Damian Lane he raced up the inside before taking the lead in the straight but came of second best in a sustained struggle with Contrail, beaten half a length.[11] Noriyuki Hori later said, "It was a difficult race last time, and he didn't change leads in the homestraight, as well as not getting the best ground, making things tough for him".[12] Lane was again in the saddle when Salios was moved up in distance and started 3.4/1 second favourite behind Contrail for the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres at Tokyo. After being restrained in mid-division he was forced to race on the wide outside to obtain racing room and finished strongly but was never able to get on terms with Contrail and finished second, beaten three lengths by the winner.[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Salios (JPN), chestnut colt, 2017[1]

Sire Heart's Cry (JPN) 2001	Sunday Silence (USA) 1986	Halo	Hail to Reason
			Cosmah
		Wishing Well	Understanding
			Mountain Flower
	Irish Dance (JPN) 1990	Tony Bin (IRE)	Kampala (GB)
			Severn Bridge (GB)
		Buper Dance (USA)	Lyphard
			My Bupers
Dam Salomina (GER) 2009	Lomitas (GB) 1988	Niniski (USA)	Nijinsky (CAN)
			Virginia Hils
		La Colorada (GER)	Surumu
			La Dorada (IRE)
	Saldentigerin (GER) 2001	Tiger Hill (IRE)	Danehill (USA)
			The Filly (GER)
		Salde	Alkalde
			Saite (Family: 16-c)[5]

References

1. "Salios pedigree". Equineline.
2. "Race Records:Lifetime Starts Salios(JPN)". JBIS.
3. "Heart's Cry progeny". Racing Post. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
4. "Salomina Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
5. "Little Agnes - Family 16-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
6. "Saudi Arabia Royal Cup result". Racing Post. 5 October 2019.
7. "Salios Delivers as Favorite in Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes". Horse Racing in Japan. 15 December 2019.
8. "Winners of the 2019 JRA Awards announced". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 January 2020.
9. "JPN Thoroughbred Rankings". Horse Racing in Japan. 23 January 2019.
10. "Rising star Contrail denies Salios in epic Japanese 2,000 Guineas duel". Racing Post. 19 April 2020.
11. "Unbeaten Race Favorite Contrail Claims This Year's Satsuki Sho Title". Horse Racing in Japan. 19 April 2020.
12. "Tokyo Yushun - Preview". Horse Racing in Japan. 26 May 2020.
13. "Unbeaten Contrail Emulates Sire Deep Impact with Tokyo Yushun Victory". Horse Racing in Japan. 31 May 2020.