Japan: May Day Ready tries to make history in Hanshin Juvenile Fillies
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May Day Ready, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1, has a tough outside post in her attempt to make history as the first foreign-based winner of the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on turf at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.
Trained by Joseph Lee, May Day Ready drew post 17 in a field of 18 and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, who knows the filly well. Dettori rode May Day Ready to wins in her first three starts, including the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 4.
In the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, May Day Ready closed from 12th of 14 to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind the Irish shipper, and favorite, Lake Victoria.
May Day Ready, who races for KatieRich Stables, was sent to Japan in late November and is the only foreign runner in the $834,355 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, which is run on a right-handed course at a mile around one turn.
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May Day Ready has typically raced from off the pace, suggesting Dettori may take a patient approach and try to save ground from post 17.
“Where she’ll be positioned and how she’ll race from there will all be up to Frankie now,” Lee told Japan Racing Association publicity earlier this week.
As of Friday, Brown Ratchet, the undefeated winner of the Grade 3 Artemis Stakes at a mile on turf at Tokyo Racecourse on Oct. 26, was the 2-1 favorite in early betting. Brown Ratchet is out of Forever Darling, who won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita in 2016.
Shonan Xanadu, third in the Artemis, and Caught Allicant, second in a Grade 3 at a mile at Niigata Racecourse in August, were 9-2.
Shonan Xanadu, by Kizuna, is out of the undefeated Mi Sueno, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2009 in her fourth and final career start.
Post time for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies is 1:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 10:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.
The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies has been moved from Hanshin Racecourse because of construction work at that venue.
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