Daring Tact rallies for win in Japanese Oaks to stay unbeaten

Daring Tact is unbeaten after four starts and two-thirds the way through the Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies in Japan after a win in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse.

Daring Tact, who paid $3.20 in North American pools, won the Japanese Oaks by a half-length over 25-1 Win Marilyn, who finished a neck in front of 60-1 Win Mighty in the field of 18.

Ridden by Kohei Matsuyama for trainer Haruki Sugiyama, Daring Tact closed from 12th and overcame traffic issues in early stretch to catch Win Marilyn in the final sixteenth.

“She instantly kicked into gear once out of traffic in the straight and showed another amazing run down the middle of the lane,” Matsumaya told Japan Racing Association publicists.

“Her tremendous burst of speed was extraordinary.”

Daring Tact won a maiden race for unraced horses at 2 and her stakes debut in the Elfin Stakes at Kyoto Racecourse on Feb. 8. She won her Grade 1 debut in the Japanese 1000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse. The $2.3 million Japanese Oaks at 1 1/2 miles was the longest start of her career. The race is formally known as the Yushun Himba.

Owned by Normandy Thoroughbred Racing Company Ltd., Daring Tact is expected to start in the final race of the Triple Crown for fillies in the Grade 1 Shuka Sho at 1 1.4 miles on Oct. 18 at Kyoto Racecourse.