Japan: Liberty Island goes for filly triple crown sweep in Shuka Sho

Liberty Island will attempt a sweep of the Japanese Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies when she has her third start of the year in Sunday’s Grade 1 Shuka Sho at 1 1/4 miles at Kyoto Racecourse.

Liberty Island was the unanimous choice for champion 2-year-old filly of 2022 in Japan. She has made an outstanding case so far to gain the same distinction in balloting for champion 3-year-old filly of 2023.

A winner of 4 of 5 starts in her career for trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida, Liberty Island is unbeaten in two starts this year in the first two races in the Triple Crown series – the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas at a mile at Hanshin on April 9, and the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Tokyo Racecourse on May 21.

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The 1000 Guineas was Liberty Island’s first start since a win in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December, and showed she can be highly effective after a lengthy layoff.

If successful on Sunday in the $1.44 million Shuka Sho, Liberty Island will be the seventh filly to sweep the Triple Crown. Liberty Island, who will be ridden by Yuga Kawada, starts from post 6 in a field of 18. By Duramente, Liberty Island typically races from off the pace.

Harper, fourth in the Japanese 1000 Guineas and second in the Japanese Oaks, can be a factor from off the pace.

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The Shuka Sho will be the Grade 1 debut for Masked Diva, who won a Grade 2 race at 1 1/8 miles at Hanshin on Sept. 17 for her third win in four starts.

Sunday’s race is the first appearance in a Grade 1 for Moryana since a sixth against males in the NHK Mile at Tokyo in May. Moryana won her only subsequent start, a Group 2 at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama on Sept. 9, for her third win in her seventh start.

The Shuka Sho has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.

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