The last leg of the three-year-old fillies’ Triple Crown began with the top six fillies sent to post with single digit odds (decimal odds) and the lineup short of the Oaks winner. The close competition resulted in third favorite Deirdre claiming her first G1 title and landing her third consecutive wins since August. Her first G1 victory also was the first JRA-G1 victory for sire, Harbinger. Debuting last year as a two-year-old, the bay filly broke her maiden in her third career start and qualified for the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) after a runner-up effort in her second start this year in the Anemone Stakes. She finished sixth in her G1 debut and came off another win in the Yaguruma Sho (allowance race) for the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in which she finished fourth. Following a break, she won against a mixed field of older runners in the HTB Sho (allowance) and landed her first grade-race victory in the Shion Stakes. Her trainer Mitsuru Hashida captured his first G1 win in 10 years—the last being the 2007 Takamatsunomiya Kinen with Suzuka Phoenix—and 11th JRA-G1 overall. Christophe Lemaire won his 14th G1 title following the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) with Rey de Oro.
Deirdre was off slow and raced well behind the pace around five horses from the rear, gradually made headway after halfway and saved some ground along the rails between the third and fourth corner. As the field began to scatter turning into the stretch, Christophe Lemaire smartly shifted Deirdre off the rails, tracked Lys Gracieux who closed in quickly to pass tired rivals and gained on the leader up to the last 100 meters then overtook both Lys Gracieux and Mozu Katchan in a flash, crossing the finish line by a 1-1/4-lengh margin.
“I think the filly was in top condition today—she was on her toes in the post parade which just shows how keen she was to go out there and run—and I was quite confident going into this race. Her break wasn’t good and we had to race further back than we had hoped but the pace was fast which worked for us and she gave a terrific run in the stretch,” commented Christophe Lemaire.
Lys Gracieux broke awkwardly then immediately advanced to mid-division, made headway passing the third corner and swung wide for home, losing some ground again but came with a terrific late charge, gaining on the leader with every stride. While pinned by Deirdre in the closing stages, the Heart’s Cry filly still managed to outrun Mozu Katchan by a nose for second.
Mozu Katchan broke nicely out of the gate and secured a good position while saving ground along the rails, made an early move before the last corner, shifting out and advancing to third before the fourth corner and assuming command soon after entering the homestretch. She held on gamely to hold off fast closing Lys Gracieux and Deirdre up to the very last strides while outrun in the end to third but crossed the wire three lengths in front of the next finisher.
Aerolithe broke smoothly and positioned along the rails in third, was second as Fan Dii Na dropped back nearing the third corner and was still prominent entering the stretch but unable to respond as the late chargers came rushing to contention thereafter.
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