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Songline Claims Second G1 Title in This Year’s Victoria Mile

Fourth favorite Songline won this year’s Victory Mile to register her second G1 title. After claiming the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) last year, Songline finished fifth in the Centaur Stakes (G2, 1,200m) and was scheduled to run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile but had to cancel her trip due to an epiglottic inflammation. She was unable to defend her title, finishing 10th in her previous start, the 1351 Turf Sprint (G3) on February 25. This win marked trainer Toru Hayashi’s second JRA-G1 title following last year’s Yasuda Kinen with this horse while jockey Keita Tosaki claimed his 10th JRA-G1 victory following his win in the 2021 Shuka Sho with Akaitorino Musume and his third Victoria Mile title following his wins with Straight Girl in 2015 and 2016.

Songline broke smoothly from stall six and settled in mid-division, around ninth from the frontrunner. Advancing to sixth entering the lane, the Kizuna mare surged out behind Stars on Earth, running strongly on the rain-soaked inner track with the second fastest closing speed, passed the race favorite before the 200-meter pole and, after dueling strongly with Sodashi in the last 100 meters, managed to cross the wire a head in front to win the race.

“Though we had to race further back and inward than planned, we were able to race in good position while eyeing the race favorites. The track was a little heavy due to the rain but she responded strongly in the straight. It was a close race, but I was pretty sure we crossed the wire in front. I knew that Songline has a strong ability so I’m really happy we were able to win the race,” commented jockey Keita Tosaki.

Defending champion and third pick Sodashi made headway from the widest draw to chase the pacesetting Lotus Land in second, took command 200 meters out and sustained the bid for her fourth G1 victory but was denied by Songline just before the wire, though holding off the race favorite by 3/4 length for a runner-up seat.

Race favorite Stars on Earth settled around fifth, entered the straight in third behind Sodashi and, though overtaken by Songline, ran tenaciously to finish third.

Other Horses:
4th: (13) Divina—unhurried around 13th early, advanced after 3rd corner to launch fastest late charge
5th: (3) Sound Vivace—raced forwardly around 4th, quickened in last 200m
6th: (1) Lotus Land—set pace, showed tenacity up to 200m pole
7th: (11) Namur—met traffic in backstretch, traveled 3-wide around 10th, showed effort but needed more
8th: (12) Namura Clair—settled 3-wide around 5th, lacked needed kick
9th: (14) Stellaria—ran around 13th, circled wide, even paced
10th: (15) Rouge Stiria—tracked leaders in 3rd, remained in contention until 300m out
11th: (4) Andvaranaut—sat behind winner around 11th, unable to reach contention
12th: (5) Stunning Rose—raced near rear on rails, struggled to find clear path at early stretch
13th: (10) Sublime Anthem—was off a bit slow, trailed in rear, no factor
14th: (8) La La Christine—traveled near favorite, showed little at stretch
15th: (7) Izu Jo no Kiseki—took economic trip around 11th, never fired
16th: (9) Kurino Premium—positioned near winner around 8th, outrun at stretch

THE 18TH VICTORIA MILE (G1)
4-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 14, 2023          Tokyo Racecourse          11th Race           Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 281,800,000 (about US$ 2,152,000 <US$1=¥131>)
4-y-o & up: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2019
Course Record: 1:30.5         Race Record: 1:30.5 [Normcore (JPN, by Harbinger), 2019]
Safety factor: 18 runners      Going: Good to Firm       Weather: Drizzle

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 18,294,836,500       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,829,721,600       Attendance: 45,152

Winner= 14 starts: 6 wins, 2 seconds & 1 third / Added money: ¥ 133,486,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 581,055,300

* 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). Gran Alegria (JPN, by Deep Impact) who won the 2021 edition went on to defend her Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) title and was named the Best Sprinter or Miler for the second consecutive season.
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 in 2020, enabling its winner to earn an automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1, 2,000m).
Defending champion Sodashi commenced her five-year-old season with this race to aim for her fourth G1 title. Best Three-Year-Old Filly of 2022 Stars on Earth came off a second in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m, Apr.2), while 2022 Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) winner Stunning Rose and runner-up Namur began their four-year-old campaign with a fifth in the Nakayama Kinen (G2, 1,800m, Feb.26) and a second in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3, 1,600m, Feb.5), respectively. Two Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1, 1,200m, Mar.26) starters—Namura Clair (2nd) and Lotus Land (6th)—were also among the lineup, as well as La La Christine, Sound Vivace and Stellaria, respective winners of the Kyoto Himba Stakes (G3, 1,400m, Feb.18), the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m, Apr.8) and the Fukushima Himba Stakes (G3, 1,800m, Apr.22), and 2022 Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) champion Songline who came off a tenth in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G3, Feb.25).