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Three-Year-Old Filly Regaleira Snatches 2024 Arima Kinen Title

Conquering a nail-biting fierce duel to the finish line, fifth favorite Regaleira became the second three-year-old filly to dominate the “All-Star” race since Star Roch in 1960. Beating a stellar field which included nine G1 winners, the Suave Richard filly had been winless since claiming the Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) last year, finishing sixth in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) and fifth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) against male opponents this spring. After a fifth in her first start of the autumn season, the Rose Stakes (G2, 2,000m), she was fifth again in her latest outing, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m) on November 10. Trainer Tetsuya Kimura, who won the Arima Kinen with Equinox in 2022, scored his 11th JRA-G1 victory following this year’s Shuka Sho with Cervinia. Jockey Keita Tosaki, who took the reins of the filly for the first time on this Grand Prix stage, registered his 13th G1 title, his latest being the Satsuki Sho with Justin Milano, and second Arima Kinen victory after Gentildonna in 2014.

Regaleira was settled off the pace in fifth to sixth the first time in front of the stands with 10th favorite Shahryar traveling two to three lengths behind in mid-division. After steadily cruising down the backstretch, Shahryar gradually made headway from the outside before the third corner while the Suave Richard filly also made bid and slightly shifted out for clear sailing at the final turn. Entering the straight in third, the eventual winner was immediately challenged by the six-year-old son of Deep Impact who emerged from the outside and after both unleashed a furious drive and a head-to-head battle all the way to the wire while picking off the tired pacesetter 50 meters out, it was Regaleira who won by a whisker in a breath-taking photo finish.

“I knew a good break was crucial but although we might have been a tad late, we were able to sit in a good position and maintain a smooth run in good rhythm. She responded well but the competition was so strong, I couldn’t tell at all crossing the wire who’d won. I just want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the connections of the filly for giving me the opportunity to ride her today,” commented Keita Tosaki after the race.

Second pick and this year’s Tokyo Yushun champion Danon Decile took the front from the innermost stall to set the slow pace and maintained the lead until 50 meters out but was overtaken by the fast-closing Regaleira and Shahryar while securing third place by half a length.

Race favorite Urban Chic missed his break but quickly improved position to sit on the rails in mid-pack. Although hitting the stretch in good striking position, the three-year-old chestnut struggled in climbing the hill and finished sixth.

Other Horses:
4th: (5) Bellagio Opera—stalked leader in 2nd, failed to catch pacesetter and overtaken by top 2 finishers
5th: (11) Justin Palace—ran around 9th, bumped at early stretch, showed effort thereafter
7th: (6) Rousham Park—settled around 12th, advanced and angled out for stretch run, passed rivals
8th: (13) Stunning Rose—sat wide around 6th, failed to find another gear at stretch
9th: (14) Danon Beluga—trailed in rear, circled wide, timed tied fastest over last 600m but belatedly
10th: (12) Struve—positioned wide around 12th, lacked needed kick
11th: (10) Prognosis—broke poorly, raced near rear, even paced at stretch
12th: (4) Blow the Horn—saved ground around 10th, unable to reach contention
13th: (9) Deep Bond—traveled wide around 3rd, driven after 3rd corner but outrun at stretch
14th: (7) Stars on Earth—hugged rails around 5th, dropped back after 3rd corner
15th: (15) Hayayakko—advanced to 4th approaching 2nd corner, faded after 4th corner
Scratched: (2) Do Deuce—lameness in right foreleg

THE 69TH ARIMA KINEN (G1)
3-year-olds & up, 2,500 meters (about 12.5 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 22, 2024         Nakayama Racecourse         11th Race       Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 1,085,000,000 (about US$ 7,696,000 <US$1=¥141>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs),
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 2:29.5                 Race Record: 2:29.5 [Zenno Rob Roy (JPN, by Sunday Silence), 2004]
Safety factor: 16 runners              Going: Good to Firm             Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 55,083,057,100       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 70,689,458,100       Attendance: 54,505

Winner= 8 starts: 3 wins & 1 third / Added & stakes money: ¥ 503,402,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 634,381,000

* Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1)

Established in 1956 under the name “Nakayama Grand Prix,” the race was renamed to Arima Kinen (Arima Memorial) a year later after the sudden passing of the second JRA president, Yoriyasu Arima. Arima initiated the idea of holding an attractive event at Nakayama Racecourse, where a new grandstand had just been completed at that time, in an attempt to create a race that would receive as much attention as the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) held at Tokyo Racecourse. The Arima Kinen was designed to be a season-end Grand Prix, in which the runners are selected by fan poll—an “All-Star” event in Japanese racing, and the fans can cast their votes online to select the ten most popular runners. Among the horses entered in the race, ten runners with the most votes are entitled to run in the race, while the rest of the field is determined in order of earnings. The race was designated as an international G1 race in 2007 with the winner’s prize money raised to 500 million last year, making it the richest race along with the Japan Cup.
The Arima Kinen has been known as a final stage before retirement for JRA’s legendary runners such as Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold; ’13), Gentildonna (JPN, by Deep Impact; ’14), Kitasan Black (JPN, by Black Tide; ’17) and Lys Gracieux (JPN, by Heart’s Cry; ’19) who capped off their stellar racing careers with impressive wins in this race.
This year’s contenders that were among the top ten horses voted included; Danon Decile (2nd), Bellagio Opera (3rd), Blow the Horn (5th), Urban Chic (7th) and Stunning Rose (9th), respective victors of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m), the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m), the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m); Deep Bond (8th), three-time runner-up in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m); and Justin Palace (10th), winner of the 2023 Tenno Sho (Spring). Defending champion Do Deuce (1st) was scratched due to lameness in his right foreleg two days prior to the race.
Also among the field were three G1 champions, Regaleira (13th; 2023 Hopeful Stakes [2,000m]), Stars on Earth (19th; 2022 Oka Sho [Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m] and Yushun Himba [Japanese Oaks, 2,400m]) and Shahryar (28th; 2021 Tokyo Yushun and 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic [2,410m]) as well as Rousham Park (31st) and Prognosis (52nd), both of whom came off their runner-up efforts in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m, Nov.2) and the Cox Plate (G1, 2,040m, Oct.26), respectively.
Horses that were ranked among the top ten but passed up their entry were: T O Royal (JPN, H6, by Leontes; 4th), this year’s Tenno Sho (Spring) champion, and Cervinia (JPN, F3, by Harbinger; 6th), winner of this year’s Yushun Himba and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m).