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Gran Alegria Overwhelms Strong Field in This Year’s Victoria Mile

Odds on favorite Gran Alegria claimed this year’s Victoria Mile for older fillies and mares to register her fifth G1 victory. The 2020 Best Sprinter or Miler became the first horse to win JRA’s all three G1 mile titles for four-year-olds and up, which include her Yasuda Kinen and Mile Championship titles last year. Her other two G1 victories include the 2019 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m) and last year’s Sprinters Stakes (1,200m). Trainer Kazuo Fujisawa marked his 33rd JRA-G1 win following last year’s Mile Championship victory with this mare and his second Victoria Mile title following his win in 2006 with Dance in the Mood. Jockey Christophe Lemaire registered his 38th JRA-G1 victory following his win in the NHK Mile Cup with Schnell Meister just last week. He has won the Victoria Mile twice in the past with Admire Lead in 2017 and Almond Eye last year.

Five-year-old Gran Alegria, breaking from stall six, settled in mid-division around 10th from the front-runner. Taking an outer route turning the corners, the Deep Impact mare made bid from around the 400-meter pole, promptly took the front 200 meters out with bewildering speed and further accelerate with a powerful drive, while marking the fastest last three furlongs, for a four-length victory.

“She was very strong as we had all expected. She’s not a very good starter so we settled in mid-division but she raced in good rhythm. After I took her to the outside entering the lane, she showed a remarkable response and geared up on her own. She showed that she’s at a different level than her competitors and will probably win more G1 titles going forward. Personally, I am delighted that I was able to score my 1,400th JRA victory today and to win another G1 race,” commented Christophe Lemaire.

Tenth pick Rambling Alley hugged the rails in 11th eying Gran Alegria on the outside. The five-year-old dark bay swung to the outside entering the lane and chased the race favorite persistently until the wire, nailing Magic Castle in her last stride for a runner-up effort.

Other Horses:
4th: (14) Dirndl—ran 3-wide around 5th, rallied with rivals for runner-up, lacked speed just before wire
5th: (2) Shigeru Pink Dia—sat around 5th, showed tenacious effort, weakened in final strides
6th: (18) Resistencia—chased leaders around 3rd, took command 300m out, weakened in last 100m
7th: (11) Danon Fantasy—positioned around 14th, found little room, accelerated in last 300m
8th: (5) Des Ailes—ran 3-4 wide behind winner around 11th, showed brief effort, even paced in last 100m
9th: (7) Maltese Diosa—traveled around 7th, met traffic after entering to lane, lacked needed kick
10th: (3) Christie—set pace, sustained lead until 200m pole, outrun in last 100m
11th: (12) Sound Chiara—sat around 7th in front of winner, struggled to find clear path, failed to respond
12th: (10) Red Belle Deesse—trailed in rear, switched to outside at early stretch, improved position
13th: (16) Ria Amelia—was off a slow, ran 2nd from rear, passed tired rivals at stretch
14th: (9) Terzetto—took economic trip around 14th, showed effort until 200m pole
15th: (17) Smile Kana—pressed pace in 2nd from wide draw, used up at 200m pole
16th: (15) Affranchir—raced 3-wide around 14th, unable to reach contention
17th: (13) Pourville—traveled 3-wide around 11th behind winner, showed little at stretch
18th: (4) Iberis—tracked leaders in 3rd or 4th along rails, faded after final corner

THE 16TH VICTORIA MILE (G1)
4-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 16, 2021          Tokyo Racecourse          11th Race           Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 226,800,000 (about US$ 2,160,000 <US$1=¥105>)
4-y-o & up: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2017
Course Record: 1:30.5         Race Record: 1:30.5 [Normcore (JPN, by Harbinger), 2019]
Safety factor: 18 runners     Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Cloudy

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 16,693,656,200      Turnover for the Day: ¥ 26,324,633,200       Attendance: 4,686

Winner= 12 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 third / Added money: ¥ 108,822,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 849,037,000

* Victoria Mile (G1)

In accordance with the restructuring of JRA racing program for fillies/mares executed in the 2006 season, the Victoria Mile was established to give the older fillies/mares a stage to prove their ability among their own sex, in addition to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which had been the only G1 reserved for older fillies/mares. While the Queen Elizabeth is run over 2,200 meters and held in mid-November, the Victoria Mile is held in spring and provides female milers a chance to claim a G1 title without having a tough competition in a mixed field.
The race, however, attracts not only fillies/mares suited to the mile distance but also outstanding runners from the middle-long distance group. Past victors include two-time Horse of the Year winner Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet; ’09), 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista (JPN, by Special Week; ’10), 2010 fillies’ Triple Crown winner Apapane (JPN, by King Kamehameha; ’11) and two-time Horse of the Year victor Almond Eye (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa; ’20).
The top three finishers will earn automatic starting positions in the French mile G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp as well as the Prix Jacques le Marois while the race also joined the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series last year, enabling its winner to earn automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1, 2,200m).
Here were this year’s runners and their recent performances: 2019 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Resistencia came off a close second in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1, 1,200m, Mar.28), where last year’s Victoria Mile runner-up Sound Chiara, two-time graded winner Maltese Diosa and 2018 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Danon Fantasy were sixth, eighth and 12th, respectively. In one of the trial races, the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m, Apr.10), Des Ailes registered her first graded title, followed by last year’s Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) runner-up Magic Castle in second while third pick and two-time graded victor Ria Amelia was a disappointing ninth. The field also included Dirndl, who came off a win in the other trial, the Fukushima Himba Stakes (G3, 1,800m, Apr.24), Rambling Alley, winner of the Nakayama Himba Stakes (G3, 1,800m, Mar.13), Terzetto and two-time G3 winner Smile Kana who finished first and 14th, respectively, in the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy (G3, 1,600m, Apr.3), and the 2020 Best Sprinter or Miler Gran Alegria who came off a fourth in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m, Apr.4).