Unbeaten fillies lock horn in Oka Sho

Three unbeaten fillies head a strong field of 18 in Sunday’s G1 Oka Sho, the first Classic on the Japanese racing calendar. U Carrot Farm, owner of last year’s winner Harp Star (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), will once again be represented by the favorite Rouge Buck (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}), who beat the boys in all her three starts to date. She most recently disposed of a classy field in the G3 Kisaragi Sho at Kyoto Feb. 8, and previously set a course record for a juvenile at Tokyo when leaving subsequent Group 3 scorer Beruf (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) 2 1/2 lengths adrift. A potential question mark about her chances is the fact that she will be tackling the mile for the first time, having raced over 1800 meters and beyond so far, yet trainer Masahiro Otake has voiced little concern about it. “She’s matured with each race and has stopped doing anything unnecessary,” he said. “She’s become a much more efficient runner. Judging by what we saw in her last race, she should have no problems adjusting to the pace of a mile.”

Cat Coin (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) is another who is yet to taste defeat in three outings, and all hers have taken place over a mile, including the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup at Tokyo last time out Feb. 14. “It’s obvious she’s getting stronger with each race,” commented jockey Yoshitomi Shibata. “She’ll be even better for the Oka Sho. She’s fine during the actual race itself, but she needs to be looked after on her way to the gate. The key will be to getting her off to a smooth start.” A regular issue with regards to runners based at the northern training center of Miho is the 700-kilometer trip south to Hanshin. Seven of the last 10 winners of the Oka Sho were trained at the nearby Ritto training center, and connections of Cat Coin are among several who have elected to base their charge there for the last couple of weeks.

Queens Ring (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}) is the third filly with an unblemished record from three starts, and she holds the advantage of having experience over Hanshin’s right-handed track. She was last seen when winning the 1400-meter G2 Hochi Hai Fillies’ Revue at this venue, a race in which the re-opposing Perfica (Jpn) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}) finished 3/4 length in second. “Hanshin that day favored the inside horses so to come through on the far outside says a lot about her performance,” stressed trainer Keiji Yoshimura. “She’ll be traveling on the day of the race for the first time so we’ll see how that goes.”
 
Let’s Go Donki (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Kokorono Ai (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) took second and third respectively in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, run Dec. 14 over this track and trip and won by the sidelined Shonan Adela (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). They met again on their seasonal bow Mar. 7 in the G3 Tulip Sho, the official trial for Sunday’s race. Kokorono Ai prevailed that time around, with the re-opposing Andriette (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) 1 1/4 length in second and Let’s Go Donki taking third.