Stunning Rose spoils Stars on Earth's day with Shuka Sho win

Stunning Rose played the spoiler’s role in Sunday’s Grade 1 Shuka Sho Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, winning the $1.45 million race for 3-year-old fillies and denying Stars on Earth a potential sweep of the Triple Crown.

Stars on Earth had won the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas in April and the Grade 1 Japanese Oaks in May, the first two races in the Triple Crown.

Stunning Rose ($12.90) won the Shuka Sho by a half-length over 5-2 Namur, who finished a nose in front of 8-5 favorite Stars on Earth.

Namur closed from the middle of the field of 16 to reach a prominent position in the stretch. Stars on Earth broke slowly and closed well to just miss second.

Stunning Rose, ridden by Ryusei Sakai, stalked the pace to early stretch before taking the lead.

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“Her response in the straight was much better than her last start,” Sakai told Japan Racing Association publicity. “Although I was aware of the horses coming strongly from behind, I felt her power under me would carry us to the wire in front.”

Stunning Rose was second in the Japanese Oaks and later won the Grade 3 Shion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama on Sept. 10.

By King Kamehameha, Stunning Rose has won 5 of 10 starts for owner Sunday Racing Co., Ltd., and trainer Tomokazu Takano.

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