Japan: Almond Eye odds-on vs. 16 rivals in Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse

The filly Almond Eye won the fifth and sixth Grade 1 or Group 1 races of her remarkable career in 2019, and still ended the season with the impression that she had a bad year.

Almond Eye, the 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year, has not raced since a ninth-place finish in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in December, the only time she has finished outside the top three in her 11-race career.

Nearly five months later, Almond Eye will be a heavy favorite to win the Grade 1 Victoria Mile against fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday. The $1.9 million Victoria Mile will be Almond Eye’s first start against females since she won the Grade 1 Shuka Sho Stakes at Kyoto Racecourse in October 2018, completing a sweep of the Japanese Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies.

The last six months have been anything but smooth for Almond Eye. She was withdrawn from consideration for a Group 1 race in Hong Kong in December because of illness, but recovered to start in the Arima Kinen.

The loss overshadowed Almond Eye’s two major wins of 2019 – the Group 1 Dubai Turf in the United Arab Emirates in March and the autumn running of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho in Japan last October.

In March, Almond Eye was shipped to the UAE for the Dubai Turf, only for the race to be canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. After she was shipped back to Japan, Almond Eye was given a rest, trainer Sakae Kuneida told Japan Racing Association publicity earlier this week.

Almond Eye returned to Kuneida’s stable in late April.

“She’s relaxed and last week in training all went well,” Kuneida said. “In her last piece of track work this week, she finished off strongly. Mentally, she’s in the right place, too.”

Owned by Silk Racing Co. Ltd., Almond Eye will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire, her regular rider the last two years.

Almond Eye is part of a field of 17 in the Victoria Mile. Dimension was withdrawn on Friday. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland in November.

Post time for the Victoria Mile is 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Almond Eye figures to be an odds-on favorite. Her leading rivals are Loves Only You, the winner of the 2019 Japanese Oaks, and Sound Chiara, who has won three consecutive graded stakes this year in Japan and will have her Grade 1 debut in the Victoria Mile.