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Liberty Island Turns in Convincing Victory as Race Favorite in Oka Sho

Best Two-Year-Old Filly of 2022, Liberty Island, responded with a class performance as the overwhelming race favorite in her three-year-old debut, to claim her second G1 title in this year’s Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). While just missing by a neck in her grade-race debut, the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) following her win in her two-year-old debut in July last year, the Duramente filly bounced back in December to become the champion two-year-old filly in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) and concluded the season with two wins from three starts. It was the first JRA-G1 title since the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with the same filly for both trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida and jockey Yuga Kawada—the victory marked a first classic title and sixth JRA-G1 win in total for Nakauchida while Kawada whose win this year was his third Oka Sho victory (his first victory was in 2014 with Harp Star) became the sixth jockey on the JRA record to win consecutive Oka Sho titles following his win in 2022 with Stars on Earth—his career JRA-G1 title amounting to a total of 22.

Liberty Island, unhurried out of the gate, chose to sit in a rearward position, third from the rear along the rails, angled out to secure a clear path and made headway along the outside with a little more than 600 meters to go. Still positioned behind with much ground to cover after circling wide into the stretch, the Duramente filly responded with a powerful finishing speed to mow down her foes with every stride until finally pinning the leader just before the wire for a 3/4-length victory.

“I feel relieved to have done my job of guiding her to the wire in time (to win). We picked an inside draw and she wasn’t keen to hurry out of the gate so the position (behind) was where it was going to be. But she was relaxed today, was in good rhythm in the race and clicked into gear nicely so this is where she ended up (winning) so I am glad. Now that we have accomplished our aim in the first of the Triple Crown (for fillies), I hope that we can meet expectations in the following title,” commented Yuga Kawada.

Sixth favorite Kona Coast tracked the pacesetter in second and maintained at the leader’s tail coming into the homestretch. The Kitasan Black filly soon inherited the lead from Mozu Meimei who weakened before reaching the final furlong and carried on strongly, successfully fending off Perifania on her outside, but was out-finished in the last strides by Liberty Island who came charging up with tremendous force.

Fifth favorite Perifania was forwardly positioned around fourth outside a rival and showed a good turn of speed down the center lane in the homestretch, finishing just a neck short of reaching Kona Coast.

Other Horses:
4th: (5) Harper—ran 3-wide around 6th, failed to close in on leaders while overtaken by winner 100m out
5th: (4) Doe Eyes—took economic trip around 9th, showed effort but no match for top finishers
6th: (11) Shinryokuka—traveled around 11th, angled out and showed effort to overtake rivals while no threat to leaders
7th: (12) Sing That Song—tracked leaders around 4th, sustained bid until 100m out
8th: (2) Light Quantum—raced around 8th, met traffic at early stretch, even paced
9th: (1) Bouton d’Or—hugged rails around 6th, remained in contention up to 200m pole
10th: (10) Emu—saved ground around 13th, passed tiring rivals
11th: (17) Ravel—ran around 13th in front of winner, lacked needed kick
12th: (8) Kita Wing—trailed in rear, showed 2nd fastest late drive, belatedly
13th: (6) Mozu Meimei—set pace, outrun before 200m pole
14th: (13) Dura—was off a bit slow, gradually advanced, circled wide, never fired
15th: (7) Conch Shell—sat 3-wide around 9th, unable to reach contention
16th: (15) June Orange—positioned near rear, no factor
17th: (16) Moon Probe—traveled 3-wide around 11th, showed little after final corner
18th: (18) Tosen Laurier—chased leaders in 3rd from widest draw, faded at stretch

THE 83RD OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS, G1)
3-year-olds, Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, April 9, 2023           Hanshin Racecourse        11th Race        Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 302,400,000 (about US$ 2,309,000 <US$1=¥131>)
3-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2020
Course Record: 1:31.1         Race Record: 1:31.1 [Sodashi (JPN, by Kurofune), 2021]
Safety factor: 18 runners      Going: Good to Firm       Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 18,778,014,100       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,953,955,700       Attendance: 26,937

Winner= 4 starts: 3 wins & 1 second / Added money: ¥ 166,614,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 252,046,000

* 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 six fillies in the past including Almond Eye (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa) who concluded her stellar career with her ninth G1 triumph in the 2020 Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) and Daring Tact (JPN, by Epiphaneia) who became the first undefeated filly to complete the sweep in 2020. Last year’s victor Stars on Earth (JPN, by Duramente) went on to claim the Yushun Himba and was awarded the season’s Best Three-Year-Old Filly.
This year’s Oka Sho field featured 2022 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Liberty Island and Shinryokuka, the two top finishers in last year’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m), as well as Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) winner Ravel, all of whom made their three-year-old debut in this G1 classic. Those who earned their tickets in trial races were: Mozu Meimei, Kona Coast and Perifania, the top three finishers in that order in the Tulip Sho (G2, 1,600m, Mar.4); winner Tosen Laurier and runner-up Conch Shell in the Anemone Stakes (Listed, 1,600m, Mar.12); and Sing That Song, Moon Probe and June Orange, the top three in the Fillies’ Revue (G2, 1,400m, Mar.12). The field also included Light Quantum, Kita Wing and Emu, respective winners of the Shinzan Kinen (G3, 1,600m, Jan.8), the Fairy Stakes (G3, 1,600m, Jan.9) and the Flower Cup (G3, 1,800m, Mar.18) as well as Harper and Doe Eyes, the top two finishers of the Queen Cup (G3, 1,600m, Feb.11) in that order.