GEOGLYPH came through the final strides to win the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse by a length over Equinox.

The final furlong was a battle between Geoglyph (Drefong) ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga and Equinox, a Kitasan Black colt ridden by Christophe Lemaire.

Equinox took the lead as Geoglyph seemed to falter briefly before he found another gear through the final strides to get on top by a length.

The favourite Do Deuce, was left too much to do through the stretch run and finsihed third, another length and a quarter in arrears and a neck in front of Danon Beluga.

Yuichi Fukunaga kept Geoglyph in mid-field through most of the race, outside of his rivals. “His start was good and we were able to sit in an ideal position, which was crucial in winning today,” the rider said.

“I already knew that he was in good form when I rode him during workouts and had every belief he was capable of winning today.”

Geoglyph carries the familiar silks of Sunday Racing Co. and the success makes the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), more interesting.

The Satsuki Sho is over 10 furlongs and was the longest race of Geoglyph’s five-race career, and his pedigree could cause concern over his ability to get longer distances.

His sire, Drefong, was the 2016 Eclipse Award champion sprinter for Bob Baffert with Grade 1 victories including the Bishop Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita at seven and six furlongs respectively.

Drefong’s sire Gio Ponti was however, a Grade 1 winner on both turf and dirt at distances out to a mile and a quarter. Drefong was the leading freshman sire in Japan in 2021.

Geoglyph won his first two races, both at nine furlongs, then finished fifth in the Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity behind Do Deuce.

He returned in mid-February in the Group 3 Kyodo News Hai behind Danon Beluga.

Tetsuya Kimura, who trains both the top two, put the February defeat down to training issues.

“This time, his race jockey has got a good feel for him and has made sure the horse has started smoothly in his training, and also got him into a good rhythm, so he could save his legs for the finish,” Kimura said.

The first four finishers were all bred by Northern Farm.