Falbrav Triumphs in Close Japan Cup

Falbrav, an Italian-based horse, won the $3.8-million Japan Cup by a nose Sunday in Nakayama, after a foul claim by the trainer and jockey of the American runner-up was disallowed by the track stewards.

Trainer Neil Drysdale and jockey Corey Nakatani thought their protest on behalf of Sarafan was given short shrift. “My horse ran great, but the stewards did a bad job,” Nakatani said. “[Falbrav] bumped me four times and I was just cruising to pass him. They made up their minds before I got to talk to them. I don’t think [jockey Frankie Dettori, aboard Falbrav] ever made an attempt to straighten out his horse. I did.”

The first two finishers were longshots, Falbrav at 20-1 and Sarafan, the Eddie Read Handicap winner at Del Mar, at 34-1. Symboli Kris S., the 7-5 favorite, finished third, beaten by a neck, and Jungle Pocket, the winner of the Japan Cup last year, ran fifth. The time for 1 3/8 miles over a firm grass course was 2:12 1/5.

After Falbrav passed Magnaten to take the lead in the late stretch, Sarafan tried to rally on the inside. There was bumping between the two horses near the wire.

Drysdale went to the stewards with the foul claim.

“It was impossible,” Drysdale said. “They had already made up their minds while I was trying to show them [on the replay] what happened. The other horse came in on us, but they said [responsibility for the contact] was equal.”

Falbrav, an Irish-bred, had finished ninth in France’s Arc de Triomphe. The Italian-born Dettori, who has been based in England since he was a teenager, also won Saturday’s $2-million Japan Cup Dirt Stakes with Eagle Cafe.

“I’m the happiest man in the country,” Dettori said after Sunday’s win.

At Hollywood Park on Sunday, Victor Espinoza took over for the globetrotting David Flores and won the $100,000 Cat’s Cradle Handicap with Cee’s Elegance at 5-1.

After riding Reba’s Gold to a ninth-place finish in the Japan Cup Dirt, Flores ran into a late flight to Los Angeles and was also delayed going through customs at LAX. He arrived at the track in time to watch the Cat’s Cradle. Flores rode two winners later on the card.

Cee’s Elegance, who had been winless, with three seconds, in six starts this year, beat Catling by four lengths as Super High, the 4-5 favorite, was a well-beaten fourth. The win ended an 11-race losing streak for Cee’s Elegance, dating to May of last year.