Japan: Hanshin Juvenile Fillies might decide championship

There are 18 2-year-olds in Sunday’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, and it seems as if half of those in the field have the credentials to win the one-mile turf race.

The $917,280 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies plays a pivotal role in the year-end championship, a title likely to go to Sunday’s winner.

Many of the more attractive starters are closers.

Ravel, unbeaten in two starts, will be among the shorter prices on the strength of a win in the Grade 3 Artemis Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on Oct. 29. She was not helped by an outside post for Sunday’s race, though.

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Ravel, who races from off the pace, finished a neck in front of Liberty Island, a starter on Sunday who has a similar running style and was beaten for the first time in the Artemis.

Rivara is likely to be closer to the front than Ravel, a style she used to win the Grade 3 Kyoto Sho Fantasy Stakes at seven furlongs at Hanshin on Nov. 5. Rivara finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Bouton d’Or, a starter in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies who races from off the pace. Bouton d’Or won a Grade 3 at six furlongs in July.

The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies distance will not be an issue for Dura and Doe Eyes, who were separated by a length when first and second in the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Sapporo Racecourse on Sept. 3. They tend to run from midfield positions.

Kita Wing, a winner of 2 of 3 starts, runs from the back of the field, a style she used to win her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Niigata Nisai Stakes at a mile at Niigata Racecourse on Aug. 28.

Despite a lengthy absence, Kita Wing does not have the longest layoff among the entrants. Moryana, unbeaten in two starts, has not raced since a win in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles at Sapporo on Aug. 13. Moryana will have her stakes debut in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and is likely to be prominent early.

The field consists of 17 Japanese-bred fillies and Aim in Life, a Kentucky-bred by Kitten’s Joy. Aim in Life won her debut in a race for first-time starters at Hanshin on Oct. 16, and was sixth of 11 in an allowance race at a mile at Hanshin on Nov. 27.

The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.

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