By Alan Carasso
The Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby does not officially begin until the end of November with the running of the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo, but Sanshisuimei Co. Ltd.'s debuting Magna Victor (c, 2, Maxfield–Eyeinthesky, by Sky Mesa) became one of the earliest to join the party when storming clear to take his 1400-meter debut by the better part of 10 lengths Saturday afternoon at Hanshin.
With Yuga Kawada in the irons, Magna Victor was not the quickest away, but he quickly recovered and by the time the field had transitioned onto the dirt track, the colt had poked his head in front. Allowed to cross down onto the fence after racing about four deep through the opening furlong, the bay lobbed them along under a light hold on the turn and when Kawada slipped his mount the slightest bit of rein in upper stretch, the 1.1 (1-10) mortal careered away under hands-and-heels encouragement to score in the time of 1:24.6 on a track rated 'good.' He covered his final 600 meters in a race-best :37 flat, his last 400 in :24.1 while never out of a high gallop.
Magna Victor becomes the first 2-year-old to break 1:25 at Hanshin since the subsequent multiple group winner Emperor Wakea (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in November 2022.
“There are some difficult aspects to his temperament, but there's no doubt about his ability,” the winning rider told Netkeiba following the race.
Kawada also rode $1-million Keeneland September purchase Matenro Da Vinci (Uncle Mo) to a six-length debut victory for trainer Mitsu Nakauchida last weekend. The conditioner has helped orchestrate the careers of the late Liberty Island (Jpn), Prognosis (Jpn) and Serifos (Jpn), among others.
Magna Victor is the 11th winner for his freshman sire (by Street Sense) and was a $75,000 Keeneland September yearling before blossoming into a $1-million OBS March juvenile (see below) to top the opening session of that auction. Nakauchida outbid Donato Lanni for the colt.
“Physically, he looks really strong and his movement is really smooth–very nice,” the trainer told TDN's Christina Bossinakis at the time of the sale. “I liked his breeze at first and then I looked at the physical and I really liked him. And he's by freshman sire Maxfield and he looks like he will be good.”
Dam Eyeinthesky, a stakes-winning and Grade II-placed turf sprinter for Gary Barber and Mark Casse, was purchased by Dana and Kevin McCreary's War Horse Place for $300,000 carrying to War of Will at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. Not only does Magna Victor carry 4×4 inbreeding to the legendary A.P. Indy, he is also inbred 3×3 to Caress, responsible for Maxfield's dam Velvety and the dam of his broodmare sire Sky Mesa. Eyeinthesky foaled a colt by Candy Ride (Arg) on Apr. 9 and was bred back to Maxfield.
6th-Hanshin, ¥14,250,000 ($96,658), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m, 1:24.6, gd.
MAGNA VICTOR, c, 2, by Maxfield
1st Dam: Eyeinthesky (MSW-US, GSP-Can, $301,788), by Sky Mesa
2nd Dam: Ruliontome, by Lion Heart
3rd Dam: Cahill Connection, by Cahill Road
Sales history: $75,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $1,000,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $50,873. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree and VIDEO (SC 10).
O-Sanshisuimei Co Ltd; B-War Horse Place (KY); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida.
強っ💦#阪神６R#マグナヴィクトル pic.twitter.com/KbmVAnd5GH
— 杏仁オブジョイトイ (@anhinPyejoyjoyP) September 6, 2025
2025.09.06 阪神6R
メイクデビュー阪神#マグナヴィクトル くん#川田将雅 騎手
めちゃつよかった pic.twitter.com/D6m769BSkE— マリンバ👻 (@maominkanao) September 6, 2025
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