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Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) - Soul Stirring Becomes First G1 Winner for Frankel

Race Favorite Soul Stirring remained undefeated in her third career win that stamped her claim as a strong candidate for the season’s champion two-year-old filly title and a Grade One winner of the 2016 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Winning her debut in July, she proceeded to win the Ivy Stakes (1,800m) on October 22 prior to her first grade-race challenge. She becomes the tenth filly to claim the G1 title undefeated—the first since 2013 when Red Reveur won the race. Trainer Kazuo Fujisawa marked his 23rd JRA-G1 victory—his last G1 win was with Spielberg in the 2014 Tenno Sho (Autumn)—while Christophe Lemaire, who also won the same race last year with Major Emblem, is now just one short of reaching a milestone of ten JRA-G1 wins. Lemaire’s most recent G1 victory before today was in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) with Satono Diamond.

Unfazed by the filly beside her rearing in the starting gate, Soul Stirring made a clean break and took advantage of her inside draw, staying near the pace around fourth or fifth along the rails up to the last corner, edged closer to the leader approaching the 200-meter pole then pulled away with ease while managing to hold off a strong charging Lys Gracieux for a 1-1/4-length victory, covering the mile distance in 1:34.0.

“I’m ecstatic. It’s so special because I used to also ride her dam Stacelita (winner of six G1 titles in Europe and USA) and Soul Stirring is out of her and by that great horse Frankel. I was confident from the beginning and we were in a good position and she was relaxed. She easily hit the front at the stretch and with her big strides and stamina; I think she can go a little bit further in distance,” commented Christophe Lemaire.

Lys Gracieux bided her time outside a rival, sitting well off the pace among the rear group, and made headway along the outside rounding the third corner. Staying wide into the homestretch, the Heart’s Cry filly edged past her rivals then responded well to Keita Tosaki’s left-hand urgings passing the furlong pole, switched into top gear which clocked the fastest 600-meter finish, and overtook Reine Minoru within the last 50 meters with increasing speed but was unable to reach the winner for second.

Reine Minoru was the quickest out of the gate and settled outside and about half a length behind the eventual winner in the front group. Surrounded by horses rounding the final turn, Masayoshi Ebina angled the Daiwa Major filly slightly to the outside for a clear run down the center lane and the filly ran gamely while never a threat to the winner and caught by Lys Gracieux in the final stages for third.

THE 68TH HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1)
2-year-old Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 11, 2016   Hanshin Racecourse      11th Race    Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 140,200,000 (about US$ 1,168,000 <US$1=¥120>)
2yo: 54kg (about 119 lbs), 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2014
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. 1.Soul Stirring (JPN), dark bay or brown, filly, 2-year-old
   Frankel / Stacelita (Monsun)

   Owner: Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Shadai Farm
   Trainer: Kazuo Fujisawa	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
   3 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 66,288,000	Career earnings: ¥ 89,498,000

   
   
2. 2.Lys Gracieux (JPN), dark bay or brown, filly, 2-year-old
   Heart’s Cry / Liliside (American Post)

   Owner: U. Carrot Farm	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi	Jockey: Keita Tosaki

   
   
3. 3.Reine Minoru (JPN), chestnut, filly, 2-year-old
   Daiwa Major / Daiwa Angel (Taiki Shuttle)

   Owner: Minoru Yoshioka	Breeder: Fujiwara Farm
   Trainer: Masaru Honda	Jockey: Masayoshi Ebina

* 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—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—which determined the top two-year-olds of the season in eastern and western Japan, respectively, were established in 1949. In conjunction with the new grading system implemented, the two races were designated G1 status 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 race, which started off initially as a 1,200-meter sprint, was extended to 1,400 meters in 1960 and to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners.
Recent winners of the race include many successful G1 champions such as two-time Horse of the Year Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet) who won seven G1 titles; Buena Vista (JPN, by Special Week), also Horse of the Year of 2010 and subsequent winner of six G1 races; 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. Last year’s winner, Major Emblem (JPN, by Daiwa Major) also became a successful G1 winner of the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in May this year.
Jeune Ecole came off her victory against colts in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600m) on November 12 with Dipavamsa finishing fourth in the same race. Reine Minoru finished second against colts in the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,400m) on November 5 following her victory in the Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) in September.  Meanwhile, Show Way was runner-up in the Fantasy Stakes (G3, 1,400m), also on November 5, the race in which Queen’s Sarina finished fourth and Black Onyx eighth.
Lys Gracieux claimed her first grade-race title in the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on October 29 prior to her G1 challenge with Sigrun following in third and Satono Alicia in fifth.
Vous Etes Jolie was another grade-race winner against male rivals in the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on August 28 while Soul Stirring made her G1 debut coming off two undefeated starts and carrying high expectations as one of the first-crop filly by legendary Frankel.
Other runners included Arinna who won the Shumeigiku Sho (1,400m) on November 20 and Gold Cape who claimed the Shiragiku Sho (1,600m) on November 27.
Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet) is the current race record holder at 1:33.1 over the mile distance.