Undefeated White Filly Sodashi Makes Japanese Racing History

Sodashi became the first white horse to win a Japanese Grade 1 race when the 2-year-old daughter of the gray American-bred Kurofune (by French Deputy) won Sunday's 72nd running of the $1.3-million Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse.

Ridden by Hayato Yoshida, the Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. homebred trained by Naosuke Sugai nosed out Satono Reinas and Chrisophe Lemaire while favored at odds of 2-1, with Uberleben and Mirco Demuro a neck back in third in the field of 18 Japanese-breds.

Sodashi covered 1,600 meters (one mile) on firm turf in 1:32.40. The win in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies likely assured her the title of champion 2-year-old filly.

The win was the fourth without a defeat for Sodashi, who was produced from the white mare, Buchiko (registered as white but had spots throughout her body), a daughter of the Kingmambo stallion King Kamehameha. Buchiko was produced from the white mare Shirayukihime, a daughter of the nearly jet-black Sunday Silence.

Sodashi defeated maidens in her July debut, then took both the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes in September and the G3 Artemis Stakes in October. After being reluctant to load into the starting gate in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the white filly raced in fourth early, moved to the lead in the final quarter mile then resolutely held off Satono Reinas in the closing stages.

Buchiko is the dam of Sodashi

“Going into the race as favorite was a bit of a load, but I'm thrilled with the outcome,” jockey Yoshida said. 'She hated to even go near the gate but I'm relieved that all went well and that we were able to be positioned just as I hoped. The going affected her good turn of foot but she gave all she had. There is room for improvement, and I hope we can get her ready for next year's classics.”

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Sodashi Scores Unique Win in Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

White wonder Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) became the first of her colour to score at the highest level in Japan with a narrow win in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Sunday. Deep Impact (Jpn)’s Satono Reinas (Jpn) was only a nose behind in third with Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) a neck back in third.

The crowd’s pick at 2-1, the undefeated filly balked a bit prior to entering the stalls, but soon settled in fifth as Yoka Yoka (Jpn) (Squirtle Squirt) cut out moderate fractions of :23.20 and :46.80, with the first 1000 metres in :58.70. Sodashi was poised to make her bid and edged closer to the head of affairs on the far turn. She had to wait for a gap, but soon bulled her way through in upper stretch. Satono Reinas rallied up on her inside with less than 50 metres remaining, but Sodashi won the bob and defended her perfect record. Uberleben made a late run on the winner’s outside, but was also thwarted. Fellow late runner Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) let down at the end as well, which was good for fourth, another half-length back. Yoka Yoka was a staying on fifth.

“Going into the race as favourite was a bit of a load, but I’m thrilled with the outcome,” said pilot Hayato Yoshida. “She hated to even go near the gate but I’m relieved that all went well and that we were able to be positioned just as I hoped. The going affected her good turn of foot but she gave all she had. There is room for improvement, and I hope we can get her ready for next year’s Classics.”

Sodashi first surfaced with a win in an 1800-metre juvenile newcomer race at Hakodate in July, and she progressed to land the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. in a snappy 1:48.2, a new record, on Sept. 5. In her latest effort prior to Sunday’s contest, the white filly blitzed a mile in the G3 Artemis S., covering the 1600 metres in 1:34.90.

Pedigree Notes
The sixth Group 1 winner for her former Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old sire, Sodashi was already the 18th group winner and 35th black-type winner. The four-time winner Buchiko, herself a half-sister to Japanese MSW Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune), was a fan favourite during her racing days partially due to her uniquely marked coat, and Sodashi is her first foal. She has a yearling full-sister to Sunday’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies heroine and a weanling by leading  Japanese freshman sire Maurice (Jpn). Yukichan is the granddam of MGSW Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), while fourth dam Storm and Sunshine (Star de Naskra) won the GII Test S. and was a half-sister to GSW Smile Again (Wild Again), SW & MGSP Halo Sunshine (Halo), and SW & MGSP Montecito (Seeking the Gold).

 

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES-G1, ¥125,120,000 (US$1,202,769/£909,405/€993,143), Hanshin, 12-13, 2yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm.
1–SODASHI (JPN), 119, f, 2, Kurofune
                1st Dam: Buchiko (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
                2nd Dam: Shirayukihime (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
                3rd Dam: Wave Wind, by Topsider
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Naosuke Sugai; J-Hayato Yoshida. ¥66,274,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Satono Reinas (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Balada Sale (Arg), by Not For Sale (Arg)
                2nd Dam: La Balada (Arg), by Confidential Talk
                3rd Dam: La Baraca (Arg), by Mariache II (Arg)
(¥100,000,000 Wlg ’18 JRHAJUL). O-Satomi Horse Company;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥26,364,000.
3–Uberleben (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Gold Ship (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Meine Theresia (Jpn), by Roses in May
                2nd Dam: Meine Nouvelle (Jpn), by Brian’s Time
                3rd Dam: Meine Pretender (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ)
O-Thoroughbred Club Ruffian; B-Big Red Farm (Jpn);
¥16,182,000.
Margins: NO, NK, HF. Odds: 2.20, 3.40, 29.00.
Also Ran: Meikei Yell (Jpn), Yoka Yoka (Jpn), Opal Moon (Jpn), Geraldina (Jpn), Salvia (Jpn), Aoi Gold (Jpn), Luxon (Jpn), A Shin Hiten (Jpn), Ringoame (Jpn), Win Aglaia (Jpn), Infinite (Jpn), Namura Meter (Jpn), Hula Liona (Jpn), Shigeru Pink Dia (Jpn), Paul Neyron (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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She Stands Out: Undefeated Sodashi Tops Sunday’s Hashin Juvenile Fillies

This coming Sunday and next, the Japan Racing Association turns the spotlight onto the budding talent in this season's 2-year-olds and it's ladies first with the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Dec. 13, followed by the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes the week after, also at Hanshin Racecourse.

The 72nd Hanshin Juvenile Fillies sees 20 fillies nominated for a full deck of 18 with many of those set to take on their first top-level race having only a few starts underneath their belts – some only one. The runners will carry 54kg over 1,600 meters (one mile) on the outer turf course at Hanshin, located west of Osaka in neighboring Hyogo Prefecture.

The early favorites for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies are:

Sodashi: Don't let the looks fool you. There's more to Sodashi than the color of her coat – a lot more. The daughter of gray Japanese dirt legend Kurofune, Sodashi heads to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies as the widely expected betting favorite. The Naosuke Sugai-trained filly, 3-for-3 since her July debut, is on the cusp of making unique history. Should she win on Sunday, Sodashi will become the first white-colored horse to win a Grade 1 race in Japan.

“The white really stands out on grass,” Sugai said. “I think she's turning into a real star.”

Out of the King Kamehameha dam Buchiko, Sodashi is already the first white to win a graded turf race and to have multiple graded victories. The trainer has kept her at the stable since her previous start on Oct. 31, the Grade 3 Artemis Stakes at Tokyo, and is pleased with the way Sodashi has been.

“We like to keep her close because she can be sensitive,” Sugai said. “But physically, she's very stable.”

The only jockey Sodashi knows, Hayato Yoshida, worked her himself in the three weeks leading up to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and is giving his partner a thumbs up.

“She took the bit on her own on the straight. She was the one leading me,” Yoshida said after last week's fast work. “She's been sharp since the week before and I think she'll be in similar form compared to her last race.”

Yoshida knows a thing or two about whites; he is the JRA's all-time leader with six wins aboard white horses. Sodashi has taken the race to the competition in all three of her races and Yoshida is expecting more of the same this weekend.

“They're all very sensitive and high maintenance,” he said of white horses. “You do need to be careful with them but with her, that sensitive side is bringing out the best in her. She breaks well and is super responsive when you tell her to go. She's really smart and a very complete racehorse.”

Working in Sodashi's favor is Sugai's track record; the trainer has won two of the three Hanshin Juvenile Fillies he entered in the past – with Robe Tissage and Red Reveur in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Victory for Sodashi would make her the race's 13th unbeaten champion. Sugai is optimistic that she will come through and then some.

“I hope she passes all the tests that are thrown at her, but one by one. She needs to go through that to become a better racehorse,” he said. “We just want her to race the way she's capable of and if she wins, great. And as a result of that, if interest in racing increases, you couldn't ask for more.”

Meikei Yell: Sodashi won't be the only horse in this year's field eyeing a fourth successive win. Coming off victory in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes last month after her August debut, Meikei Yell will be taking the first steps in following her dad – new stud Mikki Isle, the JRA's 2016 Sprinter of the Year – on what will hopefully be a path to future stardom.

“The performances have been good in all three wins,” trainer Hidenori Take said. “There was an unstable side to her at one point but ever since her last start, the appetite is there and she's added some weight. All in all, this is the best I've seen her yet.”

If Take's last name rings a bell, he is part of Japanese racing's royal family heralded by Yutaka – the great jockey and the trainer's parents are cousins. Yutaka, who has ridden Meikei Yell in her last two races, likes what he sees in the filly – and he has ridden his share of some really good ones, unquestionably – which must be sweet music to Hidenori's ears.

“The most important thing is she won both races. She had a hard time settling, especially in the last race. So that is an area she needs work. Your average horse though wouldn't have won – but she did. Which speaks to a lot about her quality, her upside. She just runs really hard. But as long as she can stay under control then she has every chance. I've known Hide since we were kids, our parents are cousins. Would be great to win a Grade 1 race together.”

As noted by Yutaka, the key for Meikei Yell will be patience. The filly has been a little over aggressive than one would like in her three victories, having yet to run longer than 1,400 meters. The 200 meters that will be added in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies will likely not be an advantage but the trainer has been encouraged by what he has seen in the run-up to the race.

“She has looked good in the workouts,” he said. “We will push her over the weekend and breeze during the week as usual. I hope practice does translate into results. She's physically sound and a good all-round horse. She hasn't filled out yet but I'm excited by the prospect. She's classy and gorgeous – almost like an actress. A win here hopefully will really get her name out there.”

Satono Reinas: From the tag team of Sakae Kunieda and Christophe Lemaire that brought you Almond Eye brings you Satono Reinas, by Deep Impact out of Balada Sale – who captured the Argentinian equivalent of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and Japanese Oaks in 2011. Satono Reinas, 2-for-2 going into this weekend including a win in the Saffron Sho, is the full sister to Satono Flag who placed third in this season's Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) – won by then unbeaten Triple Crown winner Contrail.

While it would be downright unfair to compare the 2-year-old Satono Reinas to her former stablemate Almond Eye, you know you have something special on your hands when compliments come from the jockey who rode the winningest thoroughbred in JRA history.

“She was a little uncertain and childish on her debut but the second time, she was all business,” Lemaire said. “There was a lot we had to work through when she travelled but she finished the race very strongly. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Kunieda Stable. She gets better and better and this being her third race, I'm sure this will be the best of her yet. She seems to have a real upside and I'm sure she'll handle the outer course at Hanshin just fine. I'm looking forward to it.”

It goes without saying that it is hard to read into a horse after just two starts. Not to mention it will be the first time Satono Reinas will be traveling outside of greater Tokyo and racing at Hanshin. Kunieda, though, remains confident of his latest prodigy.

“She's come along nicely so far and I think she'll be in the form she needs to be in for a Grade 1 race,” the trainer said. “She shouldn't be too different on the scale but she'll look sharper because she's taller. She won a couple of races in a row at the mile but would be even better if she had an extra 200 meters. A slightly gentler pace will probably be perfect for her.”

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Undefeated Sodashi Heads Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

Undefeated Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) will try to extend her winning streak in Sunday’s G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and in the process, the likely favorite will also try to become the white-colored horse to win a Group 1 race in Japan.

“The white really stands out on grass,” said trainer Naosuke Sugai. “I think she’s turning into a real star.”

The flashy filly triumphed in her career debut at Hakodate in July before scoring over 1,800-meters in the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. Sept. 5. In her latest start, she took the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo Oct. 31.

“We like to keep her close because she can be sensitive, but physically, she’s very solid,” said Sugai.

Sodashi’s regular rider, Hayato Yoshida, worked her in the three weeks leading up to Sunday’s 1,600-meter test and is encouraged by what he’s seen so far.

“She took the bit on her own on the straight,” Yoshida said after last week’s fast work. “She was the one leading me. She’s been sharp since the week before and I think she’ll be in similar form compared to her last race.”

In an interesting fun-fact, Yoshida is the Japanese Racing Association’s all-time leader with six wins aboard white horses.

“They’re all very sensitive and [can be] high maintenance,” he said of white horses. “You do need to be careful with them but with her, that sensitive side is bringing out the best in her. She breaks well and is super responsive when you tell her to go. She’s really smart and a very complete racehorse.”

Also looking for her fourth career victory, Meiki Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), who enters of a victory in the 1,400-meter G3 Fantasy S. at Hanshin Nov. 7. A debut winner at Kokura in August, she followed up with a win in the G3 Kokura Nisai S. Sept. 6.

“The performances have been good in all three wins,” said trainer Hidenori Take. “There was an unstable side to her at one point, but ever since her last start, the appetite is there and she’s added some weight. All in all, this is the best I’ve seen her yet.”

Take is part of Japanese racing’s royal family heralded by Yutaka Take–the great jockey and the trainer’s parents are cousins. Yutaka, who has ridden Meikei Yell in her last two races, likes what he sees in the filly.

“The most important thing is she won both races. She had a hard time settling, especially in the last race. So that is an area she needs work. Your average horse though wouldn’t have won –but she did. Which speaks to a lot about her quality, her upside. She just runs really hard. But as long as she can stay under control then she has every chance. I’ve known Hide since we were kids, our parents are cousins. Would be great to win a [Group 1] race together.”

Known to be keen in the early going of her races, the filly will be asked to go 200-meters farther than her latest start.

“She has looked good in the workouts,” Hidenori Take added. “We will push her over the weekend and breeze during the week as usual. I hope practice does translate into results. She’s physically sound and a good all-round horse. She hasn’t filled out yet but I’m excited by the prospect. She’s classy and gorgeous–almost like an actress. A win here, hopefully, will really get her name out there.”

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