By Margaret Ransom
Chuwa Wizard credit by Erika Rasmussen and Dubai Racing Club
Chuwa Wizard, a 6-year-old son of King Kamehameha, was the Japan Racing Association’s (JRA) dirt champion of 2020 and will be making his second start of 2021 after a ninth-place finish in the Saudi Cup, which followed a win in the Champions Cup (G1) at Chukyo, which was a Saudi Cup “Win & You’re In” event. He will Japan’s lone representatives in this $12 million race.
Chuwa Wizard has won or placed in a total of 11 black-type events throughout his career, and in addition to the Champions Cup, he captured the Heian (G3) at Kyoto and was second in the Tokyo TV Hai Okai (G2) at Chukyo. He also won last year’s JBC Classic and Kawasaki Kinen, the 2019 Diolite Kinen and the 2018 Nagoya Grand Prix.
Chuwa Wizard, who was bred in Japan by Norther Racing, is out of the Durandal mare Chuwa Blossom. He is owned by Shinobu Nakanishi and trained by Ryuji Okubo.
Chuwa Wizard has been training in Dubai for the past couple of weeks after shipping to Meydan following the Saudi Cup.
Trainer: Ryuji Okubo
Jockey: Keita Tosaki
Owner: Shinobu Nakashani
Age: 6 (horse)
Career record: 19-10-3-4
Career earnings: $4,838,789
Top Equibase speed figure: N/A
Pedigree: King Kamehameha—Chuwa Blossom, by Durandal (Japan)
Color: dark bay/brown
Running style: Stalker/mid-pack runner
Notes: Most recently ran a disappointing ninth in the Saudi Cup and now makes his second attempt in Dubai after shipping to the Middle East a year ago in the days before the race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He then spent seven months sidelined and returned in 2021 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack last out in what was his first start of the year… before the Saudi Cup his only unplaced finish was a fourth in last year’s Champions Cup, which was formerly known as the Japan Cup Dirt, at Chukyo… he was his late sire’s 12th group 1 winner and 80th black-type winner overall…
