Japan's Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas heroine Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) returned to the winner's circle with a game victory in the G2 Sapporo Kinen on Sunday.
Second choice behind favoured 4-5 pick and 2019 Apr. 25 G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup victress Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) at 5-2, Sodashi broke widest of all in the 13-horse field and stalked the pacesetter Taurus Gemini (Jpn) (King's Best) from second through splits of :23.40 for the quarter and :47.40 for the half. Despite the drizzle, the 1000-metre split was :59.90 over the firm turf and the 2-year-old champ appeared poised through six furlongs in 1:12.30. She picked up leadership duties shortly before the 600-metre marker and fended off an early rush from Blast Onepiece (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). Turning into the lane glued to the fence, Sodashi buckled down for the run to the line as more challengers began winding up for their runs. Loves Only You whittled into Sodashi's advantage inside the final furlong, with Persian Knight (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) mirroring that move from out in the centre of the course, but both rallying efforts would fall short. The winning margin was a measured three-quarters of a length over Loves Only You with a head back to Persian Knight.
After taking four straight starts at two culminating in the Dec. 13 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the white wonder added the first fillies' Classic of the season on Apr. 11, but tired to eighth in the G1 Japanese Oaks when last seen on May 23.
Pedigree Notes
A daughter of the four-time winner Buchiko, Sodashi is the first foal from her dam and has a juvenile full-sister named Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune). Barren to Maurice (Jpn) for 2020, Buchiko has a 2021 colt by that sire.
Two half-sisters of Buchiko have celebrated victories as stakes producers or granddams to stakes winners in Japan, among them dual stakes winner Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune) whose granddaughter Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) took the G2 Tulip Sho, G3 Kokura Nisai S. and G3 Fantasy S.; while Marshmallow (Jpn) (Kurofune) has already foaled G3 Leopard S. winner Hayayakko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and the listed-placed Pionono (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). This is the extended family of GII Test S. heroine Storm and Sunshine (Star de Naskra), responsible for a trio of stakes winners led by Grade II winner Smile Again (Wild Again).
Sunday, Sapporo, Japan
SAPPORO KINEN-G2, ¥135,300,000, Sapporo, 8-22, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:59.50, fm.
1–SODASHI (JPN), 115, f, 3, by Kurofune
1st Dam: Buchiko (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Shirayukihime (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Wave Wind, by Topsider
O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Naosuke Sugai; J-Hayato Yoshida. ¥70,910,000. Lifetime
Record: Ch. 2yo Filly-Jpn, MG1SW-Jpn, 7-6-0-0. Werk Nick
Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Loves Only You (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Loves
Only Me, by Storm Cat. (¥160,000,000 Ylg '17 JRHAJUL).
O-DMM Dream Club; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥28,260,000.
3–Persian Knight (Jpn), 126, h, 7, Harbinger (GB)–Orient Charm
(Jpn), by Sunday Silence. O-G1 Racing; B-Oiwake Farm (Jpn);
¥18,130,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.80, 0.90, 27.20.
Also Ran: Meiner Virtus (Jpn), Blast Onepiece (Jpn), You Can Smile (Jpn), Ice Bubble (Jpn), Diamant Minoru (Jpn), Win Kiitos (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Satono Cecil (GB). DNF: Stay Foolish (Jpn), Bio Spark (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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