Japan: Longshot parade

Koiuta scored a 59-1 upset in the $1.48 million Grade 1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo on Sunday as she defeated the 32-1 Asahi Rising by a half-length with the 31-1 Daring Heart third.

The long prices resulted in a trifecta that paid $45,679.20 for a $2 wager. That return, however, fell far short of the Japanese record trifecta set in last Sunday's NHK Mile Cup when the 75-1 Pink Cameo triggered a $1,203,625 payoff.

Trained by Masashi Okuhira and ridden by Masami Matsuoka, Koiuta is a 4-year-old daughter of the Sunday Silence stallion Fuji Kiseki. She showed that she was rounding to form when she finished second last time in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy at Hanshin, but her victory over last year's surprisingly long-priced American Oaks runner-up, Asahi Rising, could not have been predicted.

The reason for the big prices at the top was the failure of Kawakami Princess. The winner of last year's Japanese 1000 Guineas and Japanese Oaks, she finished a dull 10th as the 11-10 choice. It was her second loss in a row following five wins without a defeat, including a victory over Asahi Risng in the Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile Shuka Sho last fall.