Japan: Embroidery shows turn of foot to win Shuka Sho
Embroidery became the first horse since 2007 to back up her win in the Oka Sho (G1) by adding a victory Sunday at Kyoto in the Grade 1, US$1.4 million Shuka Sho, the last jewel in the Japan fillies’ triple crown.
Jockey Christophe Lemaire won the 1 1/4-mile turf race around two right turns for a record fourth time after doing so with Dierdre in 2017, Almond Eye in 2018 and Cervinia last year.
Owned by Silk Racing and trained by Kazutomo Mori, Embroidery took a wide trip in mid-pack, briefly stalking post-time favorite Kamunyak before picking up speed to sit behind Erika Express in second with five furlongs to go.
Chasing the pace into the straight still two lengths behind, Embroidery showed a late change of gear in the last 100 yards, powering past Erika Express in the final strides to win by a half-length.
“I had every faith in the filly that she would deliver today since the Oaks didn’t suit her distance-wise,” Lemaire said. “She was calm and relaxed in the first half of the race, and while the pace slowed down in the backstretch, we were able to advance to a better position. It took a while for her engine to get started, but she showed an incredible turn of foot in the last (furlong), and I’m very happy we were able to get the Grade 1 win today.”
On the good-to-firm course, the winning time was 1:58.3 without a run-up for the 2,000 meters, 13 yards shorter than 1 1/4 miles. The early fractions were 23.6, 47.7, 1:11.3 and 1:34.7
Fairy Stakes (G3) winner Erika Express was sent up to set the pace by the first turn and stubbornly sustained her lead down the stretch. She was caught by fast-closing Embroidery in the final strides and had to settle for second under Yutaka Take.
Paradis Reine settled wide near the rear with jockey Yuji Tannai. After gradually making headway up the backstretch, she angled out and turned into the homestretch in 10th. With the fastest speed in the last three furlongs, the Yushun Himba (G1) fourth-place filly closed strongly in to finish three-quarters of a length behind Embroidery and a half-length behind Erika Express.
Although a bit fractious in post 17, betting favorite Kamunyak broke well to glide up and sit fourth before hitting the backstretch. Advancing to third in the far turn, the Yushun Himba winner entered the lane in good striking position but came up empty and faded to finish 16th.
In international betting, Embroidery paid $8.70, $4.90 and $4.10. Erika Empress returned $12.60 and $7.40. Paradis Reine was worth $12.10 to show.
After marking two wins and a second in her four starts as a 2-year-old, last season, Embroidery went on to register two more wins in the Queen Cup (G3) and the Oka Sho (G1), Japan’s 1,000 Guineas. The Admire Mars filly disappointed by finishing ninth in the May running of the Yushun Himba (G1) which is the Japan Oaks.
Mori celebrated his second Grade 1 win following this year’s Oka Sho. Lemaire registered his 55th Japan Grade 1 victory, his latest being this year’s Victoria Mile with Ascoli Piceno.
Daiwa Scarlet 18 years ago was the last filly to achieve the Oka Sho-Shuka Sho double. Embroidery became the fourth horse to win both races.