Almond Eye sweeps Japan's Fillies Triple Crown

Until Sunday, Gentildonna in 2012 was the last horse to sweep the Japan Fillies Triple Crown, and she turned out okay, winning the Japan Cup in 2012 and 2013 and the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2014.

If all goes well, Almond Eye, who swept the Fillies Triple Crown on Sunday at Kyoto in the Group 1 Shuka Sho, might wind up just as accomplished as Gentildonna.

Almond Eye on April 8 won the 1,600-meter Oka Sho (1000 Guineas) by 1 3/4 lengths over Lucky Lilac. On May 20 she won the 2,400-meter Yushun Himba (Japan Oaks) by two lengths over Lily Noble, and on Sunday she was 1 1/2 lengths the best going 2,000 meters in the Shuka Sho. Three distances, three racecourses, two right-handed races, one left-handed – no one has come close all year to defeating Almond Eye.

In the 12-furlong Yushun Himba regular rider Christophe Lemaire kept her in the second flight of runners, making the lead with a little less than a furlong to travel, but in the two shorter Triple Crown races, including Sunday’s, Almond Eye won with a tremendous late burst. In the Shuka Show, Almond Eye had 12 fillies in front of her and only four behind her with less than 400 meters to run while turning into the homestretch, but, as she had done in the Oka Sho, Almond Eye unleashed a vicious burst, flying down the center of the course with long, bounding strides to win with apparent ease.

Final time for the 2,000 meters on firm turf was 1:58.5 and Almond Eye got her final 400 meters in less than 23 seconds. Pace-setting Mikki Charm was easily second-best over Cantabile.

Almond Eye was making her first start since the Yushun Himba and weighed in 14 kilograms heavier than she had in that start. Almond Eye is by Lord Kanaloa and out of Fusaichi Pandora, by the great Sunday Silence. Sakae Kunieda trains her for the Silk Racing Company Limited.