Gran Alegria sets track record in Japanese 1000 Guineas

Gran Alegria, a filly with an American pedigree who ran well against males in the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes last December, won her 2019 debut in Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse.

Gran Alegria ran a mile on turf in 1:32.70, lowering the track record of 1:33.10 set by Almond Eye last year. Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Gran Alegria closed from fourth in a field of 18 to take the lead with three furlongs remaining.

The second choice in the betting, Gran Alegria finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of 19-1 Shigeru Pink Dia, who was a neck in front of 9-2 Chrono Genesis. Danon Fantasy, the 9-5 favorite and champion 2-year-old filly of 2018 in Japan, finished fourth, beaten a nose by Chrono Genesis.

The $2.1 million Japanese 1000 Guineas, formally known as the Oka Sho, is the first leg of the Triple Crown for fillies, which continues with the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Tokyo Racecourse on May 19.

Lemaire said the distance of the 1000 Guineas may have been a better fit for Gran Alegria than the longer distance of the Japanese Oaks. The 1000 Guineas was Gran Alegria’s first start since a third behind males in the Futurity Stakes.

:: Shop for PPs, picks, DRF+ and more in our store!

“She certainly won strongly,” Lemaire said. “I was a little bit worried as it was her first time out after a long break. She was unable to make use of her speed in the Futurity Stakes, so I made sure this time to secure a good position early on, and from there, I had every confidence in her exceptional speed.

The Japanese Oaks “is going to be a tough race for us.”

Gran Alegria, by top Japanese stallion Deep Impact, is out of Tapitsfly, who won 7 of 24 starts and earned $1,495,503 racing in the United States. Trained by Dale Romans, Tapitsfly won five stakes, including two Grade 1 races in 2012 – the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park and the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland.

Tapitsfly was later sold for $1.85 million at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale to Katsumi Yoshida of Japan.

Gran Alegria is trained by Kazuo Fujisawa for Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.