Japan: Gentildonna captures Japanese 1000 Guineas

Gentildonna won her second stakes of the year, and first at the highest level, in Sunday’s $2.3 million Japanese 1000 Guineas, the Oka Sho, at Hanshin Racecourse.

Gentildonna was ridden by Yasunari Iwata, who guided the filly from midpack in a field of 18 to win the Group 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas by a half-length over Verxina. The first two fillies are by Deep Impact.

I’m Yours finished third, beaten a length, with Joie de Vivre, the 13-10 favorite and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, only sixth.

Gentildonna, trained by Sei Ishizaka for Sunday Racing Co., ran about a mile on turf in 1:34.60. A winner of 3 of 5 starts, Gentildonna won the Group 3 Shinzan Kinen Stakes against males in January and was fourth in the Group 3 Tulip Sho in March.