Lys Gracieux a dominant winner in Arima Kinen, Almond Eye ninth

Lys Gracieux cruised to her third consecutive Grade 1 or Group 1 race in two countries in Sunday’s $2.74 million Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan, easily beating a field that included Almond Eye, the 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year.

Lys Gracieux (5-1) closed from the middle of the field of 16 under jockey Damian Lane through the final quarter-mile. Lys Gracieux raced on the rail to early stretch when Lane angled the 5-year-old mare to the outside for running room. Once in front, Lys Gracieux pulled away to win by five lengths over 6-1 Saturnalia. World Premier (12-1) finished third.

“Obviously, I went into the race thinking Almond Eye would be hard to beat, but I just had so much confidence in this horse,” Lane told Japan Racing Association publicists.

“I just knew she was going to run a big race. It was a really good pace and I found a lovely spot. A space opened up and she did the rest.”

Almond Eye (1-2) was positioned in midpack for the first part of the race at 1 9/16 miles on turf and faded late to finish ninth, beaten 11 1/4 lengths. Almond Eye won the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho on Oct. 27, but missed a scheduled trip to Hong Kong earlier this month for the Hong Kong Cup because of a brief illness.

“She was physically fit and in good condition, but she couldn’t keep calm before the crowd in the first lap and lost her rhythm,” jockey Christophe Lemaire said. “She was unable to relax and was tired.”

Lys Gracieux, a 5-year-old mare by Heart’s Cry, won the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Hanshin Racecourse in June and the Group 1 Cox Plate at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia in October in her only subsequent start.

Owned by U Carrot Farm and trained Yoshito Yahagi, Lys Gracieux won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup for fillies and mares at Kyoto in November 2018.

The field for the Arima Kinen is partially determined by fan vote. Almond Eye received the most votes.