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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.

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

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 <US$1=¥108>)
2yo: 54kg (about 119 lbs), 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2018
Course Record: 1:32.4              Race Record: 1:32.7 [Resistencia (JPN, by Daiwa Major), 2019]
Safety factor: 18 runners     Going: Firm           Weather: Cloudy

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 13,642,039,000          Turnover for the Day: ¥ 22,760,607,300          Attendance: 3,473

Winner= 4 starts, 4 wins / Added money: ¥ 66,274,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 134,373,000

* 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).