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Gran Alegria Earns Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Berth With VIctoria Mile Score

Sunday Racing's 5-year-old mare Gran Alegria (JPN) dominated Sunday's 1-mile, US$2.1 million Victoria Mile (G1) on turf at Tokyo Racecourse, surging to the front in the final furlong to post a 4four-length win over longshot Rambling Alley (JPN). With this victory, Gran Alegria earned an automatic starting position into the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California on Nov. 5-6.

Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Gran Alegria, a bay daughter of Deep Impact (JPN) out of the Tapit mare Tapitsfly, won her fifth career Group 1 race. The odds-on favorite in the 18-horse field, Gran Alegria completed the mile in 1:31 over a course listed as good to firm.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Gran Alegria to start in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Breeders' Cup also will provide a minimum travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.

Tapitsfly, Gran Alegria's dam, won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Breaking from stall six, Gran Alegria settled in mid-division around 10^th place from the front-runner Christie (JPN). Taking an outer route turning the corners, Gran Alegria made a bid from around the 400-meter pole and promptly took the lead over 7-1 second-choice Resistencia (JPN) 200 meters from the finish. Gran Alegria further accelerated with a powerful drive to the wire.

“She was very strong as we had all expected,” commented Lemaire, who won his 38^th JRA Group 1 race and his 1,400^th overall victory in Japan. “She's not a very good starter so we settled in mid-division, but she raced in good rhythm. After I took her to the outside entering the lane, she showed a remarkable response and geared up on her own. She showed that she's at a different level than her competitors and will probably win more G1 titles going forward.”

Tenth pick Rambling Alley hugged the rail in 11th eying Gran Alegria on the outside. The 5-year-old dark bay swung to the outside entering the lane and chased the race favorite persistently until the wire, nailing Magic Castle (JPN) in her last stride for a runner-up effort. Fifth choice Magic Castle saved ground, around ninth, inside Gran Alegria, met traffic at the top of the stretch but showed sustaining speed and passed the tenacious Resistencia 100 meters out. Although overtaken by fast-closing Rambling Alley just before the wire, Magic Castle held off the rest of the field to complete a 1-2-3 finish by filly and mares sired by Deep Impact.

Gran Alegria, the 2020 Best Sprinter or Miler in Japan, became the first horse to win all three of the JRA's G1 mile titles for 4-year-olds and up, which included her Yasuda Kinen and Mile Championship titles last year. Her other two G1 victories were the 2019 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m) and last year's Sprinters Stakes (1,200m).

Now 8 of 12 lifetime, Gran Alegria, bred by Northern Farm, came into Sunday's race off a fourth-place finish in the 1 ¼-mile Osaka Ha (G1) at Hanshin on April 4 over a yielding course.

Lemaire won his third Victoria Mile. He captured the 2017 race on Admire Lead (JPN) and aboard the brilliant champion Almond Eye (JPN) last year.

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Draw Favours Gran Alegria in Victoria Mile

Having run with credit when fourth trying the 2000-metres for the first time in the G1 Osaka Hai last month, champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) returns to a much more manageable trip as the warm favourite for the G1 Victoria Mile at the Fuchu Racecourse in Tokyo. The race serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November.

After taking down the colours of 2020 Victoria Mile heroine and former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) for a female 1-2 in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over this course and distance last June, the daughter of US MGISW Tapitsfly (Tapit) bested future G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Sprinters' S. (1200m) in October. The bay closed out a magnificent season with an eye-catching success in the G1 Mile Championship and, having passed on the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, was first-up in the Osaka Hai, in which easy underfoot conditions blunted her otherwise stinging late run and she could do no better than a meritorious fourth to the unbeaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). She is drawn nicely in gate six, with Christophe Lemaire back in the boot.

“The horse is calm and has done what I expected,” commented trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “Last time the distance and the ground went against her, but she still ran pretty well. She'll be back at Tokyo and over a mile, where she's had success.”

Terzetto (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) carries the Silk Racing colours same as Almond Eye and is the 1600-metre doppelganger of Lei Papale. Five-for-six in her career, with her only defeat coming over 10 furlongs, the bay has won four on the trot, including a fast-finishing tally against the boys in the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy going this distance at Nakayama Apr. 3.

“She's looked good in training, moving well, and she displays her natural ability,” said trainer Shoichiro Wada. “It won't be easy against the strong horses here, but she handles challenges well, and it will be interesting to see what she can do. She'll be going into the race in good condition.”

Terzetto is out of a half-sister to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), recent winner of the G1 FWD QE II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a daughter of 2014 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), found the Oaks distance of 2400 metres a task too tall last season, but has found her niche over shorter trips and enters this return to Group 1 company off a neck defeat of Magic Castle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the se-restricted G2 Hanshin Himba S. going the metric mile Apr. 10.

Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), an unlucky runner-up in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at the end of March, fits with these on class, but drew miserably in stall 18 and is accordingly double digits in the market

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Triple Crown Winner Returns In Loaded Osaka Hai

A field of 13–including a half-dozen by the legendary Deep Impact (Jpn)–will face the starter for a cracking renewal of the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse, led by the late stallion's 2020 Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn).

Raced by Shinji Maeda and bred by the family's North Hills Co. Ltd., the son of Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) built on an undefeated 2-year-old season with four on the bounce last term, defeating Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (2000m) in April and more soundly in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (2400m) the following month. The hasslefree winner of the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai fresh up in September, he completed a sweep of the Triple Crown in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger)–albeit narrowly–over a 3000-metre trip that surely stretched him and tasted defeat for the first time when a clear runner-up to Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in November's G1 Japan Cup (2400m).

“His workload has been good and things have gone as expected with him,” assistant trainer Shigeki Miyauchi commented. “There has been nothing to worry about, and the race distance of 2,000 metres will be just right for him. I'm sure if he gets to run his true race, he'll get a good result.”

Salios, runner-up to Contrail for champion 2-year-old honours in 2019, bounced back from his Derby defeat to easily win the G2 Mainichi Okan in October and was last seen running fifth in the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto in November.

The winner of the latter event was Gran Alegria (Jpn), a Deep Impact daughter of American multiple Grade I winner Tapitsfly (Tapit), who was adding that event to her barnstorming tally in the G1 Sprinters' S. the month prior. An easy choice for champion sprinter/miler, she stretches out to 10 furlongs for the first time and Christophe Lemaire will try to make best use of her stinging turn of foot in the final stages.

“She's an easy horse to ride, can settle well in a race, and I know what I have to do with her,” the French ex-pat said. “Even though it's her first time at 2,000 meters, I'm sure she'll put in a big run. Speed is also needed over the inner turf course.”

Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is perfect and untested from her five career starts and gets the litmus test Sunday. The Carrot Farm runner made her most recent appearance over this track and distance, accounting for the re-opposing Bravas (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G3 Challenge Cup in December.

Persian Knight (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is winless in over three years, but was runner-up in this event in 2018, is drawn well and can outrun longshot odds if he gets his preferred quick conditions underfoot.

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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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