FROM: Junichi Takada General Manager, Media & Publicity Department, THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (JRA) DATE: December 13, 2020 SUBJECT: RESULTS OF THE 72ND HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1) Races for two-year-olds were held for the first time in 1946 at Tokyo. As the number of contenders increased, championship races that determine the top two-year-olds of the season—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—were established in eastern and western Japan, respectively, in 1949. The two races were designated G1 status in conjunction with the new grading system implemented in 1984. In 1991, the two races were divided by gender into two separate G1 events; the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, then renamed “Hanshin Juvenile Fillies” and “Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes”, respectively, in 2001. The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, which initially started as a 1,200-meter sprint race, was extended to 1,400 meters in 1960 and to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners. Past winners of the race include many successful G1 champions such as 2006 winner and 2008 & 2009 Horse of the Year Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet); 2008 champion and 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista (JPN, by Special Week); and 2009 champion Apapane (JPN, by King Kamehameha) who subsequently won the Triple Crown titles for three-year-old fillies—the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m), the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m)—in 2010. A white filly, Sodashi, came into this year’s race undefeated in her three starts which included the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,800m, Sep.5) and the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m, Oct.31). Another contender unbeaten in all three starts of the season was Meikei Yell who also landed graded titles in the Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m, Sep.6) and the Fantasy Stakes (G3, 1,400m, Nov.2). Coming off their respective wins in other prep races were Paul Neyron (the Kikyo Stakes [1,400m, Oct.3]), Satono Reinas (the Saffron Sho [1,600m; Oct.4]), Luxon (the Fukushima Nisai Stakes [1,200m, Nov.15]) and A Shin Hiten (the Shiragiku Sho [1,600m, Nov.29]). The field also included Infinite and Opal Moon who finished second in the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3, 1,600m, Oct.10) and the Fantasy Stakes, respectively, and Ringoame who won the Hakodate Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m, Jul.18) but was defeated to 12th in her latest start, the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,400m; Nov.7).
THE 72ND HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1) 2-year-olds, Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed Sunday, December 13, 2020 Hanshin Racecourse 11th Race Post time: 15:40 Total prize money: ¥ 140,200,000 (about US$ 1,299,000
FP: Final Position / BK: Bracket Number / PP: Post Position / S&A: Sex & Age / Wgt: Weight (kg) / L3F: Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m) Color: b.=bay / bl.=black / br.=brown / ch.=chestnut / d.b.=dark bay / d.ch.=dark chestnut / g.=gray / w.=white NOTE 1: No Foreign Contenders NOTE 2: Figures quoted under Odds are shown in form of decimal odds (single unit is ¥100), and Fav indicates the order of favorites.
Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 13,642,039,000 Turnover for the Day: ¥ 22,760,607,300 Attendance: 3,473
Pay-off (for ¥100) Win No.6 ¥ 320 Bracket Quinella 3-4 ¥ 620 Quinella 6-7 ¥ 690 No.6 ¥ 150 6-7 ¥ 340 Exacta 6-7 ¥ 1,290 Place No.7 ¥ 170 Quinella Place 6-11 ¥ 1,200 Trio 6-7-11 ¥ 5,020 No.11 ¥ 450 7-11 ¥ 1,640 Trifecta 6-7-11 ¥ 17,260
Winner= 4 starts, 4 wins / Added money: ¥ 66,274,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 134,373,000
Undefeated White Filly Sodashi Scores Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Victory Race favorite Sodashi extended her unbeaten record to four by winning this year’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in a nail-biting photo-finish and has become the first white horse to claim a JRA-G1 race. Sired by Kurofune (gray) and out of Buchiko (white), the filly immediately broke her maiden in July and went on to sweep two graded races, the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,800m) in September and the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) the next month. Following the triumphs in the 2012 and 2013 versions with Robe Tissage and Red Reveur, respectively, this is trainer Naosuke Sugai’s third Hanshin Juvenile Fillies title, his 12th JRA-G1 title overall and his first since the 2017 Victoria Mile with Admire Lead. Jockey Hayato Yoshida has now captured his second JRA-G1 victory following his 2015 Arima Kinen win with Gold Actor.
The race commenced on the backstretch of the Hanshin course as Sodashi, after a bit reluctant to enter the gate, made a clear break settling in fourth to fifth and two-wide while Yoka Yoka set a moderate pace five to six lengths in front. After chasing the front runners into the straight, the white filly secured a good path 300 meters out and powered home, picking off the tired pace setter running the rails while Satono Reinas loomed up in between in the last 50 meters, but repelled the determined challenge in a stirring duel to the wire to win her first G1 title by a whisker.
“Going into the race as favorite was a bit of a load, but I’m thrilled with the outcome. 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,” commented jockey Hayato Yoshida after the race.
Second favorite Satono Reinas kept a bullseye on the favorite through the early going traveling a couple of lengths behind in mid-pack. The Deep Impact filly, under jockey Christophe Lemaire, chased the eventual winner down the stretch displaying a late but resounding finishing kick in the last 100 meters but was a slim nose short in second.
Gold Ship filly Uberleben settled three-wide in 14th to 15th, circled wide at the final corner, closed strongly with the fastest late drive and while too late to threaten the winner, dug in well to pin third favorite Meikei Yell in the final strides for a neck third.
Other Horses: 4th: (18) Meikei Yell—was off slow, made headway on outer route, rallied for lead, weakened in final strides 5th: (8) Yoka Yoka—set pace, led until overtaken by top finishers, held off rest of field 6th: (12) Opal Moon—sat around 15th, angled out, accelerated in last 300m but never threatened 7th: (3) Geraldina—trailed in rear, turned wide and showed belated charge 8th: (5) Salvia—chased leaders around 3rd along rails, showed effort until 200m marker, even paced thereafter 9th: (13) Aoi Gold—settled 3-wide around 9th, ran willingly, failed to sustain bid in last 200m 10th: (2) Luxon—hugged rails around 15th, angled out, passed tired rivals between horses 11th: (15) A Shin Hiten—tracked leaders around 3rd, showed tenacity until 200m pole, weakened 12th: (4) Ringoame—saved ground around 8th, lacked needed kick at stretch 13th: (1) Win Aglaia—took economic trip around 12th, showed brief effort, even paced in last 200m 14th: (16) Infinite—sat 4-wide outside winner, turned into lane in good striking position, outrun in last 300m 15th: (9) Namura Meter—ran around 9th, never fired at stretch 16th: (17) Hula Liona—raced in 14th, found little room at early stretch, unable to reach contention 17th: (10) Shigeru Pink Ruby—traveled around 5th near winner, faded after final corner 18th: (14) Paul Neyron—pressed pace in second, keen to go, used up 300m out
Fractional time (sec./furlong): 12.4 - 10.8 - 11.7 - 11.9 - 11.9 - 11.2 - 11.4 - 11.8 Last 4 furlongs: 46.3 Last 3 furlongs: 34.4
Positions at each corner: 3rd corner (*8,14)(5,15)(6,10,16)4(7,9,13)(1,18)17(2,12,11)-3 4th corner (*8,14)15(5,6,10,16)(4,7,9,13,18)17(1,11)12(2,3) NOTE 1: Underlined bold number indicates the winning horse. NOTE 2: Horse numbers are indicated in the order of their positions at each corner, with the first position listed first. Two or more horses inside the same parentheses indicate that they were positioned side by side. Hyphens between the horse numbers indicate that there is distance between the former and the latter. The asterisk indicates a slight lead.