Costa Nova, the champion who chose the exact moment to bite back
- Turf Diario
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Defended his crown in the February Stakes (G1) and joined an exclusive club in Tokyo, confirming that the 1600 meters of dirt are his sacred territory
TOKYO, Japan (Special for Turf Diario).- It was not a desperate charge. It was calculation; patience; memory. When the dirt straight of this city's racetrack began to steepen, Costa Nova was still far back, hidden in the pack, traveling among horses as if history were not waiting for him a few meters ahead. But the champion knew.
The second favorite in the betting, the son of Lord Kanaloa became only the third horse to win the February Stakes(G1) in consecutive years, joining Copano Rickey (Gold Allure, 2014-2015) and Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah, 2021-2022). An achievement that is not attained by chance at the highest Japanese level.
The development was intense from the start. Wilson Tesoro (Kitasan Black), W Heart Bond (Kizuna), and the rest of the contenders did the early work. Costa Nova, on the other hand, was managed with coldness by Christophe Lemaire, positioned in the middle of the group, around eleventh place, without haste, without anxiety.
As they turned the last corner, the outlook seemed complex. Sixteen horses launched, a demanding straight, and the favorite trying to make history as the first female to take the race. But that is when the most dangerous version of the defending champion appeared.
Lemaire pulled him outside, and the response was immediate. The stride became longer, deeper. With 200 meters to go, he was in full charge, joining a rally of 4 contenders alongside Wilson Tesoro, W Heart Bond, and Brian Sense(Hokko Tarumae). When the leaders began to feel the toll of the initial pace, Costa Nova found the right gap.
In the final 100 meters, he took a slight advantage and, far from speculating, kept pushing until crossing the line with a 1/2 length lead over Wilson Tesoro, with W Heart Bond completing the trifecta another half-length back. It was not a crushing victory; it was a confirmation. Of character. Of class. Of specialization.
"I am happy to have won the first G1 of the year with Costa Nova, with whom I have been partnered for a long time," noted Lemaire, who thus achieved his 58th G1 title in the JRA, following his success last year in the Tenno Sho(Autumn) with Masquerade Ball (Duramente). "He responded immediately when I moved him out. He was extremely strong until the wire."
For trainer Tetsuya Kimura, it meant his 15th JRA G1 trophy, the first since the 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Regaleira (Suave Richard). A grand return to center stage.
The statistics in Tokyo explain a lot: 7 victories and one second place in 8 starts over the racetrack's dirt. There are horses that adapt. Costa Nova dominates.
The horse had been coming off an irregular sequence after his double in the Negishi Stakes (G3) and the Februaryitself last year: third in the Kashiwa Kinen, eleventh in the Sakitama Hai, and second in the Musashino Stakes. He had not been able to return to the winner's circle. Until now.
In addition, Costa Nova's victory came with an extra prize: it guaranteed his place in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile(G1) at Keeneland, as the race is part of the Challenge Series.
At 6 years old, far from fading, he chose the most demanding stage to remind everyone who he is. It is not always the fastest who wins. Sometimes the one who waits wins. And when Costa Nova waits, he does so knowing exactly when to attack.
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