May Day Ready headed to Japan for Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - May Day Ready, the multiple stakes-winning 2-year-old filly and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, will make her next start in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Kiyoto in Japan on Dec. 8, trainer Joe Lee confirmed Thursday morning.

The Hanshin Juvenile has a purse of 140,200,000 yen, which translates to $915,758 in U.S. dollars.

“The option was to more or less have extensive time off and then bring her back or just kind of keep her going,” Lee said Thursday morning. “She came out of the race unbelievable, tail over her back, feeling really good, didn’t miss an oat. Legs look good. Physically, she’s dappling out.”

The Hanshin was something Lee and the owners Larry Doyle and George Barnes of KatieRich Stables discussed even before the Breeders’ Cup. May Day Ready remained at Del Mar following the race while the decision whether or not to run was being made. The decision was finalized Wednesday, Lee said.

“It’s a challenge,” said Lee, who worked in Japan for several years during his extensive training career. “Since we’re on the West Coast it’s not too far of a trip. I’ve gone there since 1994 til 2001 and gone there multiple times in some years. . . . I think the surface is a good surface to run over. I think the training and facilities, the lead-up to it would be ideal.”

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Lee said May Day Ready would ship to Japan within two weeks and then have to do five days of quarantine at Shiroyi, a training center about eight hours from Kiyoto where the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies will be held this year while Hanshin Racecourse is being renovated.

“I think she’s good enough, I hope she is to go all that way and stick my neck out, but I think she is,” Lee said.

May Day Ready won her first three starts - a maiden at Saratoga, the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies, and the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland. Breaking from an outside post in the BC Juvenile Fillies, May Day Ready got carried out by a bearing-out Nitrogen going into the first turn. Frankie Dettori was able to get back toward the inside and she basically followed favored Lake Victoria around the track, finishing second to that one, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

“That first turn, anytime you see that happen you’re a little taken back being bumped and being drifted wide into the first turn but Frankie did a great job of getting her back and getting her in and moved up along the rail,” Lee said.

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