Embroidery rallies to win Oka Sho, Japan’s 1,000 Guineas

Embroidery won her third race in a row, rallying between rivals to take the lead in the final furlong to capture her first Grade 1 victory Sunday in the 85th US$2,115,769 Oka Sho, Japan’s version of the 1,000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies going about a mile on good-rated turf at rainy Hanshin.

Sent off as the third choice, Embroidery (4-1) broke smoothly and settled off the rail in mid-pack around 10th place going into the one right turn. Riding for first-time Grade 1-winning trainer Kazutomo Mori, jockey João Moreira waited for an opening as the field straightened for the stretch run. He swiftly guided the bay filly outward to overtake post-time favorite Erika Express (2-1), who weakened before the eighth pole. Soon joined by Arma Veloce (5-2) from the outside, Embroidery won their duel for a neck victory.

“We didn’t really know how she was going to handle the track as it’s been raining for nearly half of the day, and there was a lot of moisture out there, and not many of the horses out there could handle it, but she proved that she can, and I was just a lucky boy to have been able to sit on a nice horse to another Grade 1 race in Japan,” Moreira said. “When she was able to get the split between horses then really fight as there was company (with Arma Veloce) coming from the outside. She really had to let down and show what she’s got. I was riding her along really strongly hoping that she would give it to me, and she did. She really won well. The surface definitely didn’t affect her at all.”

The winning time was 1:33.1 without a run-up for the 1,600 meters, 10 yards short of a mile. The early fractions were 23.0, 46.6 and 1:10.3.

Arma Veloce, Japan’s 2024 champion juvenile filly, also raced in mid-pack with a close watch on Embroidery throughout the trip. While Embroidery took the inside route coming out of the turn, jockey Mirai Iwata angled Arma Veloce to secure a clear path along the outside at equal speed for the duel but missed by a neck for second.

Lynx Tip (5-1) was unhurried by Mirco Demuro early and trailed at the very rear of the 18-horse field early but rapidly advanced along the outside from the three-eighths pole with impressive speed. She had too much ground to make up to threaten the top two finishers, crossing 2 1/2 lengths behind for third.

Ma Puce (34-1) saved ground in 12th place, rallied to the front along the rail and then weakened in the final furlong to come in fourth.

Erika Express was the first out of the gate to assume command and maintained her lead approaching the top of the stretch. Tired from her early effort, she was unable to sustain her bid and gave way to her rivals from behind while managing to finish fifth.

After a runner-up effort in her June debut, Embroidery broke her maiden in her following start at Niigata and then finished a close fifth against boys in the Saffron Sho before concluding her 2-year-old season with her second win in November. She kicked off this season with a win in the Queen Cup.

Mori, in his second year as a Japan Racing Association trainer, called on Moreira to ride Embroidery for the second time after the filly’s debut last year. Moreira’s most recent top-level win was just two weeks ago in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen aboard Satono Reve. Moreira also won the Oka Sho last year with Stellenbosch and has collected four Japan Grade 1 victories.

Owned by Silk Racing, Embroidery is an Admire Mars filly who ran her record to 6: 4-1-0 and raised her earnings to US$1,563,851.