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Jeweler Gives Sire Victoire Pisa First G1 Title in 2016 Oka Sho

Third favorite Jeweler claimed the first leg of the Three-Year-Old Fillies’ Triple Crown with a thrilling performance to win out a photo finish over Sinhalite. With a win in her only start in November as a two-year-old, Jeweler was runner-up by a neck against male runners in the Shinzan Kinen (G3, 1,600m) in January this year. The Victoire Pisa filly was second to Sinhalite in the Tulip Sho (G3, 1,600m) but turned the tables against her rival this time in her first G1 challenge. Winning trainer Kenichi Fujioka who had just captured his first G1 victory two weeks ago with Big Arthur in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen has successfully saddled his second G1 winner while Mirco Demuro registered his 16th career JRA-G1 title, his last being with Moanin in the February Stakes. Jeweler is the first G1 winner and not to mention a Classic winner among the first crop sired by Victoire Pisa who was also ridden by Mirco Demuro when claiming the 2011 Dubai World Cup.

Mirco Demuro was all praises for the gallant filly while her trainer Fujioka was confident that her powerful turn of foot would carry her to contention although she was position further back than expected. “Her conformation tells us that she should suit longer distances so I have high hopes for her to do well in the remaining two legs of the Fillies’ Triple Crown”, he said.

Jeweler was unrushed and assumed her usual position near the rear behind Quatre Rapport who took command from the outside to set the pace. Sinhalite was rated outside a rival in mid-division as At the Seaside followed close behind and continued to chase her when Sinhalite made headway approaching the final turn.

Heavy favorite Major Emblem was not quick enough out of the gate to secure good position in front and raced around sixth position along the rails for most of the trip then split horses coming into the straight for a brief lead before Sinhalite, followed by At the Seaside, emerged from the outside with great force.

Jeweler circled wide around the field coming into the stretch and had to cover some ground to come into view of the leaders. Major Emblem was unable to sustain her bid in the last 100 meters as Sinhalite continued on strongly and At the Seaside stayed on gamely behind that, but Jeweler demonstrated great determination under Mirco Demuro to overtake At the Seaside and catch Sinhalite in the very last stride, extending her head to the fullest to nose out Sinhalite for her first G1 victory and just 0.1 second short of the race record.

Other Horses:
5th: (17) Admire Lead—trailed in rear, turned wide, accelerated and timed 2nd fastest over last 3 furlongs
6th: (15) Lavender Valley—sat near pace in 6th, sustained bid, weakened in last 100m
7th: (11) Red Avancer—traveled in front of winner, circled wide, lacked needed kick
8th: (2) Blanc Bonheur—raced in mid-pack, met traffic and switched to outside, quickened
9th: (6) B B Barrel—stalked favorite, failed to respond at stretch
10th: (7) Denko Ange—sat near winner, met traffic at early stretch, showed belated charge
11th: (3) Meisho Suizuki—traveled in 5th from rear, angled wide, lacked needed kick
12th: (16) Win Fabulous—stalked leaders in 4th, dropped back after 200m out
13th: (1) Candy Barows—saved ground toward rear, met traffic at top of stretch, unable to reach contention
14th: (14) Quatre Rapport—set pace, led until 300m out, outrun thereafter
15th: (9) G Plumeria—ran in front of favorite, failed to respond at stretch
16th: (18) Meisho Bird’s—chased leader in 2nd from widest draw, dropped back after 300m marker
17th: (4) Solveig—hugged rails in mid-division, met traffic at early stretch, no factor
18th: (8) Alla Salute—prominent early in 3rd, ran out of steam 300m out

THE 76TH OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS, G1)
3-year-old Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, April 10, 2016   Hanshin Racecourse   11th Race   Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 199,120,000 (about US$ 1,659,000 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Jeweler (JPN), bay, filly, 3-year-old
   Victoire Pisa / Baldwina (Pistolet Bleu)

   Owner: Yoichi Aoyama	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Kenichi Fujioka	Jockey: Mirco Demuro
   4 Starts, 2 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 118,747,000	Career earnings: ¥ 155,101,000

   
   
2. Sinhalite (JPN), dark bay or brown, filly, 3-year-old
   Deep Impact / Singhalese (Singspiel)

   Owner: U. Carrot Farm	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Sei Ishizaka	Jockey: Kenichi Ikezoe

   
   
3. At the Seaside (JPN), bay, filly, 3-year-old
   King Kamehameha / Luminous Harbor (Agnes Tachyon)

   Owner: Teruya Yoshida	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Hidekazu Asami	Jockey: Yuichi Fukunaga

* Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1)
The Oka Sho, which is the first of the five JRA Classics held during the year, determines the champion three-year-old filly possessing the fastest speed running over 1,600 meters and serves as an opportunity to scout potential broodmare talents. The Japanese equivalent to the One Thousand Guineas originated in England, the Oka Sho was first held at Nakayama Racecourse in Chiba, run over 1,800 meters and under the name “Nakayama Yonsai Himba Tokubetsu”, then changed its distance and venue under the new name, “Oka Sho” (Oka, meaning cherry flower which is in full bloom at this time of the season). With the entire graded races opening its doors to foreign-trained horses in 2010, the three-year-old Classics including this race entered a new phase with international G1 status. While speed is a much required ability to win this race, the extension of the homestretch as well as a deeper turf surface and an uphill stretch at Hanshin after the track renovation in 1991 has added “stamina” as an added qualification—a newly added outside turf track further extended the homestretch in 2006.
The Oka Sho, together with the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), is also widely considered as the fillies’ version of the “Triple Crown”, a title which has been claimed by four fillies in the past, including Apapane (JPN, by King Kamehameha) who renewed the race record to 1:33.3 in her victory in the race of 2010, and Gentildonna (JPN, by Deep Impact) who completed the sweep in 2012 and went on to capture the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) in 2012 and 2013 and Horse of the Year title in 2012 and 2014.
This year’s Oka Sho featured 2015 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Major Emblem who continued to show dominance in the Queen Cup (G3, 1,600m) on February 13 when she won by overwhelming five-length margin, making her the sure favorite in the first leg of the three-year-old Classic. B B Barrel, winner of the Fairy Stakes (G3, 1,600m) in January, finished ninth in the Queen Cup.
Sinhalite, Jeweler and Lavender Valley had earned their place in the G1 race as the top three finishers in the Oka Sho trial, the Tulip Sho (G3, 1,600m) on March 5 in which 2015 Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) winner Denko Ange, 2016 Elfin Stakes (1,600m) victor Red Avancer, 2015 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) runner-up Win Fabulous and 2015 Hakodate Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) champion Blanc Bonheur, who had already secured their berth with their past performances, finished fifth, eighth, 10th and 14th, respectively.
Other notable runners from other trial races included Solveig, At the Seaside and 2015 Fantasy Stakes (G3, 1,400m) winner Candy Barows who were the top three finishers of the Fillies’ Revue (G2, 1,400m) on March 13, and also Alla Salute who was runner-up in the Anemone Stakes (1,600m) on March 12.