Tag: sodashi

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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Sodashi Tops Victoria Mile

Juvenile filly champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) punched her ticket to this fall's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a victory in Sunday's G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse. The top three finishers in Sunday's race also earned automatic berths in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp as well as the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois.

Breaking alertly from stall 5, the fourth betting choice settled in along the inside in a close-up fourth before moving slightly outward for the stretch run. Emerging from the pack passing the 200-meter pole, the 4-year-old caught pacesetter Rosa Noir (Jpn) (Manhattan Café {Jpn}) late and drew clear to win by two lengths over the closing Fine Rouge (Jpn) (Kizuna (Jpn}). Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was a neck back in third, nosing out the pacesetter.

Sodashi reeled off four consecutive wins at two, capping off the season with a win in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies while earning a championship in the process. Victorious in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) in her sophomore debut, the striking grey was well beaten in the Japanese Oaks at Tokyo in May but bounced back to take the G2 Sapporo Kinen later that summer. Well beaten in her final two starts of the season in the Oct. 17 G1 Shuka Sho and G1 Champion's Cup Dec. 5, she returned at four with a credible third over the course in the Feb. 20 G1 February S. last time out.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
VICTORIA MILE-G1, ¥253,400,000, Tokyo, 5-15, 4yo & up fillies, 1600mT, 1:32.20, firm
1–SODASHI (JPN), 121, f, 4, 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; T-Naosuke
Sugai; J-Hayato Yoshida; ¥133,780,000. Lifetime Record:
Ch. 2yo & 3yo Filly-Jpn, 11-7-0-1. *Full to Mama Cocha (Jpn), GSP-Jpn.
2–Fine Rouge (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Kizuna (Jpn)-Passion Rouge (Jpn),
by Boston Harbor. (¥33,000,000 wnlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Genichi
Mutsui; B-Northern Farm; ¥53,080,000.
3–Resistencia (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Malacost-
umbrada (Arg), by Lizard Island. O-Carrot Farm; B- Northern
Farm; ¥33,540,000.
Margins: 4, NK, NK; Odds: 0.30, 74.20, 13.70.
Also Ran: Rosa Noir (Jpn), Songline (Jpn), Daring Tact (Jpn), Ablaze (Jpn), AkaiIto (Jpn), Shadow Diva (Jpn), Miss New York (Jpn), Divina (Jpn), Lei Papale (Jpn), Terzetto (Jpn), Andvaranaut (Jpn), Des Ailes (Jpn), Kurino Premium (Jpn), Magic Castle (Jpn), Meisho Mimosa (Jpn).
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for the JRA chart and video.

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Big Shoes To Fill In Victoria Mile

A deep and diverse field of 18 distaff turf milers will take to the Fuchu course at Toyko Sunday afternoon for the G1 Victoria Mile, a race won in its last three renewals by the outstanding Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}, 2019), two-time Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}, 2020) and treble champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}, 2021). The Victoria Mile serves as a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland this November.

Several of Sunday's entrants are on a similar trajectory to those world-class gallopers, including Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who completed the Filly Triple Crown in 2020 and makes her first appearance since finishing third to countrymates Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 FWD QE II Cup over 2000 metres last April. She has since recovered from ligamentitis in her right foreleg and is capable of a good showing first-up.

“She feels a little bigger now, but I've been able to see her improvement these past three weeks,” her jockey Kohei Matsuyama commented. “A mile might be her best trip now. It will be her first time over a mile at Tokyo, but she's won over a mile, so it shouldn't be a problem. It feels like a fresh start with her now, so I want to do my best.”

Runner-up to the high-class Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in last year's G1 NHK Mile Cup over Sunday's course and distance, Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) won Tokyo's 1600-metre G2 Fuji S. last October and most recently gave Japan one of its four winners on the Saudi Cup program Feb. 26, taking out the G3 1351 Turf.

“She ran well in last year's NHK Mile Cup and Fuji S., both over a mile at Tokyo, so I think she can run a big race in the Victoria Mile, too,” jockey Kenichi Ikezoe said. “The field's strong this time as well, but I think Songline has a good enough chance and I look forward to her run on the day.”

Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) proved narrowly best in last year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) going the metric mile and defeated Loves Only You in the 2000-metre G2 Sapporo Kinen in August. Following a pair of below-par performances, she hinted at better to come with a strong third in the G1 February S. over the local dirt course Feb. 20 and gets back to perhaps her best game Sunday.

 

 

 

Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), sixth to Gran Alegria here a year ago, came from off the speed to be second in an incident-marred G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in December, then made the running in the six-furlong G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen Mar. 27 before yielding late to be sixth. Quieter riding tactics may be in the cards Sunday.

Fresh off a trip to the GI Kentucky Derby, Christophe Lemaire takes the ride on Fine Rouge (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) here. Third in the Guineas and second in the G1 Shuka Sho in October, she resumed with a sound runner-up effort in the G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai over track and trip Feb. 6 and has been trained to peak Sunday.

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Fresh Red le Zele One To Beat In February S.

Consistent as the day is long, with just three finishes outside the top three from 19 career starts, Red le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) looks to give his outstanding sire a first top-level scorer on the dirt in Sunday's G1 February S. at Tokyo Racecourse.

Victorious in the 1400-meter G3 Negishi S. at headquarters last January, Red le Zele ran on to finish fourth behind Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) in this event, then shipped to Dubai, where he was an excellent runner-up beneath Ryan Moore in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in March. A close third off a six-month break in the Listed Tokyo Hai at Ohi in early October, the 6-year-old exits a comprehensive three-length defeat of Sunrise Nova (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) in the valuable Listed JBC Sprint at Kanazawa Nov. 3.

“He is probably better now compared to last year, when he finished fourth in this race,” said trainer Takayuki Yasuda. “He has developed nicely and I think he can put in another big run.”

Cafe Pharoah seems to save his best for the Tokyo 1600 metres, where he is a perfect three-from-three. After accounting for the venerable Air Spinel (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) by three-parts of a length 12 months ago, he failed to land a serious blow in three subsequent appearances, including a distant 11th to the G1 Saudi Cup-bound T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) in the G1 Champions Cup over nine furlongs at Chukyo Dec. 5.

T M South Dam (Jpn) (South Vigorous) is in with a puncher's chance, with nine wins from 18 starts, including the Listed Hyogo Gold Trophy at Sonoda in late December followed by a one-length tally in this year's Negishi S. Jan. 30.

Two-time champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), last year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) heroine who defeated Eclipse Award winner Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G2 Sapporo Kinen, tries the dirt for the second time in her career, having disappointed at skinny odds when a well-beaten 12th in the Champions Cup.

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