Japan: Regaleira is 1st filly to win Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes

In record time Thursday at Nakayama Racecourse, post-time favorite Regaleira became the first filly to win Japan’s $1,078,717 Hopeful Stakes since the race was elevated to Grade 1 status in 2017.

The winning time in the season-ending test for 2-year-olds was a stakes-record 2:00.2 for the 2,000 meters, 13 yards short of 1 1/4 miles, on turf rated good to firm. The three-quarter-length margin gave Regaleira’s sire Suave Richard his first Grade 1 win as a stallion.

Breaking slowly from post 13 in the field of 16, Regaleira (2-1) settled third from the rear, edged forward traveling two wide in the backstretch and rounded the last turn going wide to make her bid.

Meeting traffic at the top of the stretch, jockey Christophe Lemaire steered Regaleira farther out for a clear path. From there the filly unleashed an explosive burst of speed, flying past her rivals with the fastest finishing drive, taking the lead in the last sixteenth of a mile before winning the race.

“We had to travel near the rear, because the filly missed her break, but she was very calm after that,” said Lemaire, who collected his 50th Japan Racing Association Grade 1 win. “She responded well (in the last turn) and, after I steered her to the outside, displayed an incredible late charge.”

After breaking her maiden in her debut start going 1 1/8 miles at Hakodate in July, Regaleira came off a third-place finish among a mixed field in the 1 1/8-mile Ivy Stakes on Oct. 21.

The win gave trainer Tetsuya Kimura his eighth Grade 1 triumph in the JRA. He and Lemaire also were the connections for Equinox’s Japan Cup (G1) win last month.

Barely missing the role of favorite, Shin Emperor (2-1) broke smoothly out of the gate and traveled in good position early in fourth place. Moving forward in the final turn, the chestnut Siyouni colt was at the top when entering the lane, accelerated in the stretch and, although overtaken late, bested the rest of the field by two lengths to secure second place.

Sunrise Zipangu (127-1) advanced to third early after breaking sharply and eased back to around fifth in the backstretch. The Kizuna colt angled out for the final turn and closed in on Shin Emperor while drifting to the inside in the stretch. He was overtaken in the final sixteenth and found little room behind Shin Emperor to finish third.

Admiral Ship (68-1), with Hollie Doyle riding, was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth. He finished a head clear of Mr G T (14-1) in fifth.

Tariff Line (28-1), who reared in the gate just before the start, was reported to have been euthanized after fracturing both his iliac bones in the final turn. Jockey Tom Marquand, who pulled up the colt at the top of the stretch, and apparently was not hurt.

Shunsuke Yoshida, representing owner Sunday Racing, said Regaleira likely will race next spring in the 1 1/4-mile Satsuki Sho (G1), Japan’s version of the 2,000 Guineas.

“I look forward to her performances next year,” Lemaire said, “and I think a longer distance would also suit her.”