Japan: Gran Alegria heavy favorite in Victoria Mile as she cuts back in distance
On April 4, the two-time champion Gran Alegria started at 1 1/4 miles for the first time in her career in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, finishing fourth on soft turf.
The experiment was worth a try, but is unlikely to be replicated.
Gran Alegria had won her three previous starts, all in Grade 1 races, at distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile from June to November of 2020.
Gran Alegria is back at one of her preferred distances in Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse. The 5-year-old Gran Alegria will be a heavy favorite in a full field of 18.
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“Last time, the distance and the ground went against her,” trainer Kazuo Fujisawa told Japan Racing Association publicity earlier this week.
“She still ran pretty well.”
The champion 3-year-old filly of 2019 and champion sprinter or miler of 2020 in Japan, Gran Alegria was beaten less than a length in the Osaka Hai while racing against males, which she has done frequently in recent years. The Osaka Hai was won by Lei Papale, who is unbeaten in six starts.
Gran Alegria beat males in the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at a mile last June and in two races last fall – the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama in October and Mile Championship at Hanshin last November.
The Osaka Hai is Gran Alegria’s only start this year. A winner of 7 of 11 races, Gran Alegria is by leading Japanese stallion Deep Impact and is out of Tapitsfly, the winner of two Grade 1 races in 2012 for American trainer Dale Romans – the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park and the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland.
While Gran Alegria will be an odds-on favorite in the $1.87 million Victoria Mile, she has no shortage of rivals. The winner will receive a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6, if nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.
Resistencia, 4, was second in the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs in March and was a Grade 3 winner in February. Resistencia was not helped by an outside draw in the Victoria Mile, which is run around one turn.
Des Ailes and Magic Castle were first and second in the Grade 2 Himba Stakes at a mile at Hanshin Racecourse on April 10, but would need to show massive improvement to trouble Gran Alegria.
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.