Almond Eye dazzles in Victoria Mile; Breeders' Cup-bound?

Patiently handled, Almond Eye delivered a winning stretch run Sunday in the $2.1 million Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo Race Course to state her case as potentially the best turf mare in the world.

Perhaps she'll get the chance to prove it later this year at Keeneland. The 5-year-old daughter of Lord Kanaloa earned a "Win and You're In" bid to the No. 7 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf as a result.

Under jockey Christophe Lemaire, Almond Eye looked to have work to do entering the stretch, sitting fourth as Trois Etoiles managed a lead of more than two lengths. But when the real running began, it turned out the Silks Racing Co. star had them measured the whole way.

Almond Eye burst past to win by four lengths, finishing in 1:30.6, just a tick off the course record.

“I think she’s matured well, as she was relaxed from the paddock to the start of the race,” Lemaire said in a news release. “I was able to position her behind Sound Chiara and race her in her own rhythm without getting any pressure from the outside. She felt good during the race and displayed her powerful strides at the end. She’s a legend horse and will surely win more (Group 1) races going forward.”

The mare, who swept the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and the Japan Cup (G1) in 2018 and was named the nation’s Horse of the Year, improved to 9-for-12 overall. She's also a world traveler having shipped for the Dubai Turf (G1) before that March 28 race was canceled due to the coronavirus.

In her season debut Sunday, Almond Eye successfully bounced back from her only off-the-board finish of her career, running ninth as the odds-on favorite in the Arima Kinen (G1) on Dec. 22 at Nakayama.