Japan: Sodashi earns BC Filly and Mare Turf berth with Victoria Mile win
Sodashi, Japan's champion 3-year-old filly of 2021, won for the first time this year in her second start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse, a victory that could lead to international starts in the latter months of the year.
Sodashi earned an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland in November. The Japanese-bred filly is nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.
Sodashi ($10.40) won the $1.95 million Victoria Mile by two lengths over 6-1 Fine Rouge, who was a neck in front of 11-1 Resistencia. The first three finishers earned berths for two Group 1 races in France in late summer – the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September.
Ridden by Hayato Yoshida for trainer Naosuke Sugai, Sodashi closed from fourth in a field of 18 in the Victoria Mile to catch pacesetter Rosa Noir in the final furlong for her seventh win in 11 starts.
Songline, who beat males in the 1351 Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February, finished fifth, one position in front of Daring Tact, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2020. Lei Papale, the 3-1 favorite, finished 12th after racing in a stalking position in the first half of the race.
Sodashi’s win ended a three-race losing streak since the Grade 2 Sapporo Kinen last August. The Victoria Mile was Sodashi’s third Grade 1 win, preceded by the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in 2020 and the Japanese 1000 Guineas in April 2021.
Earlier this year Sodashi finished third in the Grade 1 February Stakes against males on dirt.
By Kurofune, Sodashi races for Kaneko Makoto Holdings Company.