My Favorite Ibis SD (2023 All at Once) - A Victory Born from a Deep Bond Between Horse and Rider

The Ibis Summer Dash is a very popular race, partly because it is the only graded stakes race held over a 1000m straight course (often called 'sen-choku').

◆ Characteristics of the 1000m Straight
In typical races, most horses run on the inside, so the inner track surface becomes worn and rough. Conversely, the area along the outer rail remains in good condition because almost no horses run there.

For this reason, in a 1000m straight race, basically all horses run diagonally from the start, aiming for the outer rail where it is easier to run.
Therefore, horses in the outer gates are overwhelmingly advantageous, as they avoid the loss of running diagonally and the risk of being boxed in by the pack.

◆ Before Looking Back at the 2023 Ibis SD
The story of the 2023 Ibis SD was woven over the two years preceding it.

・2021
The then 3-year-old All at Once took advantage of a light 51kg handicap and an outer gate to break away from the pack early and win.

Incidentally, the runner-up Lion Boss carried 57kg, so I believe the weight difference was one of the reasons for the win.
By the way, he ran in the Ibis SD for five consecutive years, with one win and two runner-up finishes, making him a figure who could be called 'Mr. Ibis SD'.

The third-place finisher was Baccarat Queen, the only horse to run along the inner rail.

・2022
All at Once drew the number 3 gate.
Following the example of the previous year's Baccarat Queen, she tried running along the inner rail but finished 6th.
Drawing the number 1 gate and also choosing the inner rail was Lion Boss.

Perhaps the difference in track conditions between the inside and outside was indeed significant, as All at Once finished 6th and Lion Boss sank to 10th.

◆ 2023
Now 5 years old, All at Once had issues with her legs and had been resting for a year since the previous Ibis SD.
The Ibis SD was her return race. However, her gate position was the same number 3 gate as the year before.

Using the experience from the previous year, she ran slowly for the first 500m and moved to the outside where the track condition was better.
Then, for the final 500m, she kept searching for a path behind the pack, and once she finally found space, she burst through like a flash of light.

I remember being surprised, thinking, 'I can't believe I'm seeing such a sharp finishing kick in a 1000m straight race.'
It was a magnificent comeback victory after a year away from competition.
And this would be her final victory of her career.

Also, Lion Boss made this race, his 30th career start, his final run in the JRA. All six of the wins he achieved were over 1000m.

◆ Jockey Ishikawa
Jockey Ishikawa rode All at Once in the Ibis SD for three consecutive years.
However, for 2023, Jockey Ho, who was visiting Japan on a short-term license, was initially scheduled to ride.

But due to an injury from a fall the day before the race, there was a sudden change to Jockey Ishikawa.

In the winning jockey interview, it was impressively memorable in a good way when Jockey Ishikawa powerfully declared, 'I was allowed to ride with confidence because I know her best.'

All at Once's finishing kick was a testament to the masterful riding of the jockey who knew her best and trusted her completely.

◆ The Bond Between Horse and Rider
All at Once ran two more races after that and retired at the end of her 5-year-old season. Jockey Ishikawa escorted her until her final race.

There was a time when Jockey Ishikawa was taken off All at Once's back.
That is why the 2023 Ibis SD, where Jockey Ishikawa returned to her back and won—even if it was due to Jockey Ho's injury—is so deeply memorable to me.

The story was woven from the races of the two years prior, and including the winning jockey interview after the race, it was the best Ibis SD ever.