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Ascoli Piceno Scores Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Win

Third favorite Ascoli Piceno claim this year’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, her third career win in as many starts, while renewing the race record time to 1:32.6. After breaking her maiden in her debut start (Tokyo, 1,400m) in June, she stepped up in class and immediately won her first grade-race title in the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on August 27. For trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa, who opened his yard in 2012, this is his seventh graded and first G1 title, while jockey Hiroshi Kitamura, whose latest G1 victory was with Kitasan Black in the 2015 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), has now earned his fourth G1 title.

The race got underway with Chicago Sting sent to the front followed by Nanao pressing the pace on her outside while Ascoli Piceno traveled two-wide and in mid-pack. Still behind a group of horses when entering the straight, the Daiwa Major filly switched a path out for clear running and dueled with Corazon Beat down the middle of the stretch. After finally pinning the pacesetter 100 meters out, Ascoli Piceno shook offthe stubborn Corazon Beat and dug in strongly, holding off the late-charging Stellenbosch by a neck.

“The stable staff did a great job and she was in very good condition, so I had every confidence in her. The filly broke better than in her previous start, was relaxed during the race and responded well in the stretch. I was a bit worried for a second that we were going to get caught, but she gave her all, all the way to the line,” commented Hiroshi Kitamura.

Fifth pick Stellenbosch ridden by Christophe Lemaire was reserved around 10th right behind the eventual winner and although struggled for room in early stretch, launched the fastest late kick to catch Corazon Beat 100 meters out but was a neck short at the wire and finished second.

Second choice Corazon Beat settled in around sixth, circled wide into the lane and dueled with the winner but lacked the final kick and missed the runner-up seat while securing third by 1-1/4-length margin.

Race favorite and Heart’s Cry filly Safira, ran on the outside and beside the eventual runner-up in the early stages and lost ground when shifted out wide on the last turn, but closed strongly picking off her rivals to finish three lengths behind Corazon Beat in fourth.

Other Horses:
5th: (12) Chicago Sting—set pace, showed tenacity, outrun by top finishers in last 100m
6th: (16) Lucifer—traveled wide around 13th, lacked needed kick while met brief traffic 200m out
7th: (11) Sweep Feet—was off slow, trained in rear, angled out, had too much ground to make up
8th: (18) Dona Betty—sat in 16th, showed 3rd fastest late speed while drifted inside 200m out
9th: (1) Cosmo Dinner—hugged rails around 13th, passed tired rivals
10th: (3) Catfight—broke sharply, eased back to 10th, switched to outside at early stretch, even paced
11th: (9) Teleos Lulu—ran forwardly around 3rd, weakened in last 200m
12th: (15) Nanao—stalked leader in 2nd, outrun in last 150m
13th: (2) Quick Bio—saved ground in 7th, ran gamely until 150m out
14th: (5) Spring Nova—positioned near rear, showed effort but met traffic 200m out
15th: (8) Psipsina—raced wide around 8th, never fired to reach contention
16th: (13) Culture Day—chased leaders around 3rd, remained in contention up to 200m pole
17th: (4) New General—traveled in 15-16th, no factor
18th: (17) Mirai Tailor—tracked leaders around 3rd, faded after final corner

THE 75TH HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1)
2-year-olds, Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 10, 2023     Hanshin Racecourse        11th Race     Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 140,200,000 (about US$ 1,071,000 <US$1=¥131>)
2-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 1:32.3              Race Record: 1:32.6 [Ascoli Piceno (JPN, by Daiwa Major), 2023]
Safety factor: 18 runners           Going: Good to Firm       Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 13,774,162,700       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 22,351,872,400       Attendance: 20,288

Winner= 3 starts: 3 wins / Added & stakes money: ¥ 66,302,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 104,936,000

* 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 last year’s victor Liberty Island (JPN, F3, by Duramente) who subsequently became the seventh filly to sweep the fillies’ Triple Crown races—the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m), the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m)—and went on to recently mark a respectable runner-up effort against Equinox in the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) this year.
Coming off their respective wins were Cosmo Dinner (Clover Sho [Open Class, 1,500m, Aug.20]), Ascoli Piceno (Niigata Nisai Stakes [G3, 1,600m, Aug.27]), Catfight (Aster Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Sep.9]), Spring Nova (Saffron Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Oct.1]), Nanao (Momiji Stakes [Open Class, 1,400m, Oct.15]), Lucifer (Hagi Stakes [Listed, 1,800m, Oct.28]), Corazon Beat (Keio Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,400m, Nov.4]), Culture Day (Fantasy Stakes [G3, 1,400m, Nov.4]), Stellenbosch (Akamatsu Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Nov.19]) and Psipsina (Shiragiku Sho [1 Win Class, 1,600m, Nov.26]). Also among the field were two second-place finishers in graded events, Safira (Artemis Stakes [G3, 1,600m, Oct.28]) and Dona Betty (Fantasy Stakes).