Sodashi Will Have To Be At Her ‘Schnell’-est In Mile Championship

All eyes will be on Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune)–aren't they always?–as she takes on an eclectic group in Sunday's G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin Racecourse, a race that looks something other than a one-horse affair.

Named the best of her generation at two and three, the immensely popular white filly owns three top-level victories over arguably her favorite trip, having annexed the 2020 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and last year's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over course and distance and this year's sex-restricted G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo. Fifth to Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) in defense of her title in the Aug. 21 G2 Sapporo Kinen, Sodashi exits a narrow defeat in the G2 Fuchu Himba S. at headquarters Oct. 15.

“Last week and this week, we pushed her pretty hard in her workouts,” explained trainer Naosuke Sugai. “The colder weather really brings out her best and you can see the improvement. With her last start, she was able to let off some steam and has now been calm and settled.”

 

 

 

Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), runner-up to the magnificent Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in this event last fall, has had a fractionally disappointing season by his lofty standards and will be looking for his first victory from four starts. A lackluster eighth in the G1 Dubai Turf, he was unlucky in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo in June, finishing a neck behind the victorious Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and a head better than the reliable Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). In something of an experiment, Schnell (German for fast) Meister was ninth, but not beaten far, in the G1 Sprinters' S. over a 1200-metre trip that always threatened to be too sharp.

“He is always done well over the mile, but he's been up against one or two other very strong horses in previous races,” said trainer Takahisa Tezuka. “This year, with no one standout, I think it'll go well if things come together for him.”

 

 

 

Salios, also third to Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in last year's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, has just one start since the Yasuda Kinen, a half-length defeat of Justin Cafe (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) and Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) in the Oct. 9 G2 Mainichi Okan over nine furlongs.

Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) capped a three-race skein with a victory over Ho O Amazon (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G2 Yomiuri Milers' Cup at this venue and going this trip in April, but finished well down the field in the Yasuda Kinen. He prepped for this with a close second to 3-year-old Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in Tokyo's G2 Fuji S. Oct. 22, with Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) not far away in third.

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Japan: Gran Alegria Headlines Sunday’s Mile Championship

This week Japan's top-level racing remains at Hanshin Racecourse with the 38th running of the Mile Championship on Sunday, Nov. 21. 18 horses ranging in age from 3 to 8, including three foreign-breds, four females and five 3-year-olds, have been nominated for the 18 berths of the 1,600-meter turf test, again at Hanshin this year.

The spotlight lingers longest on Gran Alegria, awarded Best Sprinter of Miler for 2020, and now 5-year-old. The Deep Impact mare looking to leave even more of an impression by notching back-to-back wins of the race and her sixth Grade 1 victory. At the same time soon-to-retire trainer Kazuo Fujisawa gets his last chance to add one more feather to his cap and his already-record-setting five wins of the Mile Championship.

Gran Alegria's not the only one in the lights. German-bred Schnell Meister, who captured the 3-year-old showcase NHK Mile Cup in the spring, is seen as Gran Alegria's biggest threat. Back again is Indy Champ, who won the race in 2019 and missed the winner's circle by 0.1 seconds last year. Salios, also a returnee, is looking for a better break and improvement on last year's fifth, while 2020 Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes winner and last year's Best 2-Year-Old Colt Danon the Kid and 2020 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner Grenadier Guards add considerable color and competition to the mix.

The Hanshin outer course over the mile is the usual venue for two Grade 1 fillies-only events, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). The race is often clinched by the runner with the fastest time over the final three furlongs. Stamina is also brought into play with Hanshin's sharp hill just before the finish line. From just past 200 meters out, the track rises 1.8 meters over some 100 meters.

Assigned weights for the Mile Championship are 57 kg for males 4 years old and up, with a 1-kg allowance for 3-year-old colts and a 2-kg allowance for fillies and mares. The Mile Championship is the 11th race on the Sunday card of 12 at Hanshin. Post time is 3:40 p.m.

Here's a look at the expected top choices.

Gran Alegria: This daughter of Deep Impact has quite the spectacular record herself. In 14 starts, she has eight wins and has finished out of the top three spots only twice, a fourth in this year's Grade 1 Osaka Hai over 2,000 meters and fifth in the 2019 NHK Mile Cup (she crossed the line in fourth but was demoted for interference). Eleven of her starts have been at the top level and she's competing in her ninth Grade 1 in a row. Following the Osaka Hai in April, she took on the Victoria Mile in May, then returned just three weeks later for the Yasuda Kinen, which she lost to Danon Kingly by a mere head. She returned on Oct. 31 for the 2,000-meter Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) but finished third, only 0.2 seconds behind this year's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner Efforia and half that time behind last year's Triple Crown winner Contrail. Now, with only three weeks between races, she's back, but at her best distance, and with jockey Christophe Lemaire expected to be in the saddle, the winning duo of last year is hoping for a repeat winning performance. If she can pull off a repeat, she'll be the first to do it since Daiwa Major in 2006 and '07.

Schnell Meister: A 3-year-old son of Kingman, Schnell Meister was victorious in the NHK Mile Cup in early May and followed that up with a third-place finish half a length behind Gran Alegria in the Yasuda Kinen a month later in his first time competing against older horses. The colt has a number of firsts to conquer, however. It will be his first time at Hanshin and, based at Miho, his first long haul to the track. His assigned weight of 56 kg will not be the most he's carried but it will, unlike the 54kg he shouldered in the Yasuda Kinen, be the most when competing amid older horses. Expected in the saddle is a familiar face, however. The young jockey Takeshi Yokoyama, hungry for his fourth G1 win this year, partnered Schnell Meister twice before, in the colt's winning debut and in the Yasuda Kinen.

Danon the Kid: Top 2-year-old last year with a 3-for-3 record, the Just a Way colt Danon the Kid was handed his first defeat with a third in the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen in March. His next start was no better, with him finishing only one off the rear in the Satsuki Sho. He was later diagnosed with a fracture. He returned after 6 months for a fourth in his first mile, the Grade 2 Fuji Stakes on Oct. 23 at Tokyo, and the distance may prove more to his liking. Out of the mare Epic Love, his half-brother Mikki Brillante has five wins, three of them over the mile.

Salios: The 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner Salios finished fifth here last year. The Heart's Cry 4-year-old drew the far outside gate and, traveling from close to the rear, still managed to turn in the field's fastest final three furlongs time of 33.1 seconds to finish only 0.4 seconds behind the winner. He next posted 5-8 in his two starts hence, both at the G1 level. Both were difficult runs, with the Osaka Hai run over heavy ground. Next out only two months later, he encountered interference at the furlong pole in the Yasuda Kinen. Returning straight from the Yasuda Kinen, Salios is to be partnered with jockey Kohei Matsuyama again. Based at Ritto, Matsuyama made the trip last week to the Noriyuki Hori stable at Miho to ride Salios in trackwork. “I put the colt in quarter-cup blinkers with a cross noseband and he ran well,” said Hori. “We were aiming for a good time but he was a bit excited and the time was fast. His breathing wasn't good. He's had enough work so this week we'll work on his weakpoint, his power from behind. I'll have him in good shape for the race. He's a different horse from what he was in the Yasuda Kinen,” Hori claims.

Indy Champ: If ever there's a consistent horse who deserves to win another Grade 1, it's Indy Champ. The 6-year-old son of Stay Gold also returns straight from the Yasuda Kinen (which he won in 2019), finishing fourth only a neck behind Schnell Meister and 0.2 seconds behind winner Danon Kingly. First here in 2019, and second last year, Indy Champ's last win was the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup in late April 2020. Since then, he's run only in graded races, all in the 1,200-1,600 range, four of them G1s, but has failed to win. One second, three thirds and two fourths. Regular partner Yuichi Fukunaga is set for the ride. Veteran trainer Hidetaka Otonashi, who has won the Mile Championship three times before, says, “He felt too good in the Yasuda Kinen and in hindsight, he made his move too soon and was overtaken with only 50 meters left. It wasn't a bad race at all. We followed the usual routine in getting him ready, with this race as our sole objective.”

Grenadier Guards: First in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes last year, the Frankel-sired Grenadier Guards has only figured out of the top three spots once in his seven starts. He missed the winner's circle narrowly in his three starts since his Grade 1 win, all in graded stakes, then lost by a head in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon Stakes at Chukyo, and finished third only half a second behind Schnell Meister in the NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo. Trained at Ritto by Japan's current leading trainer for wins MItsumasa Nakauchida and to be paired with jockey Kenichi Ikezoe, the colt returned after four months off to finish third in the Grade 3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap on Sept. 12. Both Grenadier Guards' two wins have come at Hanshin, one of them over the mile.

Others to watch are:

Lotus Land has consistently run first or second in all but three of her starts. She captured the Grade 3 Sekiya Kinen in August over the Niigata 1,600 meters, but returned in late October 10 kg heavier for a 10th in the Fuji Stakes at Tokyo. Matured since her 12th in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in 2019, and with a sharpened behind her, this American-bred girl could surprise. Third in the 2019 NHK Mile Cup, Catedral takes on his second Mile Championship following his sixth in 2019. Often slow at the break and no different last out in the Keisei Autumn Handicap, he nonetheless won with a final 600-meter time of 33.9 seconds under Keita Tosaki, expected back up on Sunday. The Heart's Cry 5-year-old is 1-2-10 at Hanshin. The 6-year-old Sound Chiara rose consistently from her debut and shone through her second in the Victoria Mile last year. Since then, including a 10th here last year and an 11th in this year's Victoria Mile, she returned after five months off to land a second amid mixed company in the Grade 2 MBS Sho Swan Stakes over the Hanshin 1,400 meters on Oct. 30 and may be on the up and up.

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Efforia Looks To Remain Undefeated in Satsuki Sho

Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) will look to take his career mark to a perfect four-from-four and will attempt to give the Carrot Farm syndicate a second victory in three years in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) over the metric 10 furlongs Sunday afternoon at Nakayama Racecourse.

Descending from the family of G1 Japan Cup hero Admire Mooon (Jpn) (End Sweep) and champion Hishi Amazon (Theatrical {Ire}), Efforia made a successful debut over a right-handed 2000-metre trip at Sapporo last August and made it two straight with a Tokyo allowance in November. He has one prep run under his belt this season, a handy defeat of Victipharus (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G3 Kyodo News Hai (1800m) at headquarters Feb. 14 and is primed for his first Group 1 test.

“As a 2-year-old, physically and mentally he was a little weak, and his hindquarters weren't so strong, so it took him a bit of time to recover from races,” said trainer Yuichi Shikato. “Over time though, he's developed well and has become a lot stronger. He's been working uphill recently and has trained as I would have liked.”

Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) won the 2019 Satsuki Sho in Carrot Farm's green-and-white colours and Admire Hader (Jpn) can give Lord Kanaloa his second winner in three years. Once-beaten from four starts to date, the Junko Kondo runner was a bit out of his comfort zone when closer to the pace than he prefers in a 2000-metre Hanshin allowance in December, but nevertheless held sway to best Deep Monster (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by a cosy half-length. He was a bit farther off the speed in the Listed Wakaba S. (2000m) last time Mar. 20 and showed sharp acceleration to defeat Chevalier Rose (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by a decisive three-length margin. Admire Hader is the choice of Christophe Lemaire.

Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) clinched the 2-year-old championship with a workmanlike success in the G1 Hopeful S. over this course and distance on Boxing Day, but there were no visible excuses when only third to front-running Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (2000m) at this venue Mar. 7.

Yoho Lake (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has proved he can run with these, but is a big price in ante-post markets at 30-1. Third and running-on in the Hopeful S., he was flushed extremely wide into the lane in the G3 Kisaragi Sho at Chukyo Feb. 7 and fell just a neck short of Lagom (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who re-opposes here at about a third of the price of Yoho Lake.

Five of the sires represented in the Satsuki Sho are themselves winners of the race–Deep Impact (2005), Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (2010), Orfevre (2011), Gold Ship (Jpn) (2012) and Duramente (2015). Deep Impact is responsible for three of the last five winners: Dee Majesty (Jpn), 2016; Al Ain (Jpn), 2017; and Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) last season.

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Almond Eye Japan’s HOTY For Second Time In Three Years

Silk Racing Co. Ltd.’s Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who was retired from racing following a second victory in the G1 Japan Cup last November, was named the recipient of the Horse of the Year award for the second time in the last three years Wednesday. She easily outpointed Triple Crown winners and unanimous champions Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), while champion sprinter/miler elect Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) garnered a single vote for HOTY. Almond Eye, who was also the champion of her generation at three in 2018, was also named champion older filly or mare.

Programmed for a defence of her title in the G1 Dubai Turf last March, Almond Eye returned to Japan following the cancellation of the multi-million dollar race meeting in late March and instead made her 5-year-old debut in the G1 Victoria Mile, where–facing her own sex for the first time since completing the Fillies Triple Crown in the 2018 G1 Shuka Sho–she proved an easy winner, stopping the timer in 1:30.6. Runner-up to Gran Alegria in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June, Almond Eye defeated champion older male Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) for the second year in a row and handed Contrail his first career defeat when concluding her career victoriously in the Nov. 29 Japan Cup.

 

WATCH: Almond Eye wins the 2020 Japan Cup en route to HOTY honours

 

Gran Alegria put together a Horse of the Year-worthy campaign herself, defeating males in the G1 Sprinters’ S. (1200m) in October, the strength of which was amplified when that race’s runner-up Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) returned to land the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. Gran Alegria closed a three-for-four season in the G1 Mile Championship, besting the classy Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) with an irresistible late flourish. All but one of the 283 votes were cast for Gran Alegria (one was cast for Almond Eye).

Contrail was untouchable versus his age group, completing the Triple Crown with a hard-fought success in the G1 Kikuka Sho before finding only Almond Eye too strong in the Japan Cup. Fierement, whose retirement was announced Wednesday, made three trips to the post in 2020, winning the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over 3000 metres in May and was last seen finishing a close third to ‘Special Award’ winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) in the G1 Arima Kinen. Deep Impact’s three champions for 2020 take his total to 21 in his illustrious career.

Daring Tact’s campaign very much mirrored that of Contrail, as she was untouchable in the Filly Triple Crown series before finishing third in the Japan Cup.

Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) and the white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) locked up the 2-year-old male and female divisions, respectively, with victories in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. and G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, while Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) was given the nod as the country’s top dirt horse following his win in the G1 Champions Cup last month.

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