May Day Ready meets Forever Young’s half-sister in Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

Best of the rest behind European star Lake Victoria in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), #17 May Day Ready (17-2) takes on Japan’s most promising prospects in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) late Saturday night at 1:40 a.m. ET. The divisional championship event will be held at Kyoto while Hanshin is undergoing renovation.

May Day Ready, the first international shipper to attempt this race, had won her first three starts including the Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland. Trained by Joseph Lee, whose past experience in Japan is serving him well in this expedition, she keeps world-renowned Frankie Dettori aboard. The daughter of Tapit and Nemoralia will break from post 17 in the 18-filly field as she navigates a right-handed course.

The early favorite is unbeaten #10 Brown Ratchet (6-5), whose half-brother Forever Young finished third in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). By Deep Impact’s son Kizuna, the Sunday Racing runner justified heavy odds-on favoritism in her Nakayama unveiling and captured the Artemis (G3) at Tokyo. Watch her (number 2) stalk on the rail, get the split, and overhaul pacesetter #7 Mistress (25-1). 

“For now, there’s nothing that needs to improve,” trainer Takahisa Tezuka said of Brown Ratchet. “She’s a top-class filly, and you don’t find horses like her often.”

Brown Ratchet has drawn post 10 with a returning Christophe Lemaire.

Ironically, Mistress represents the same trainer/jockey tandem as Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagi and Ryusei Sakai. Also by Kizuna, and from the immediate family of Yahagi’s 2020 Japanese Triple Crown champion Contrail, Mistress benefited from the Artemis race shape.

Artemis third #9 Shonan Xanadu (5-1), on the other hand, was disadvantaged by the pace scenario. Reeling off her final 600 meters (about three furlongs) in :33.2, the daughter of Kizuna and Grade 1 winner Mi Sueno did well to rally late and just miss second by a head.

#14 Run for Vow (25-1) just beat the boys in the course-and-distance Daily Hai Nisai (G2) as the favorite, zipping her final sectional in a field-best :33.7. If she prevails here, the Lord Kanaloa filly would put Yuichi Fukunaga in elite company for sending out a Group 1 winner in his first season as a trainer.

#13 Caught Alliciant (9-1), successful in a newcomers’ race at Tokyo, was favored against males in the Niigata Nisai (G3). Rank early and not too polished in the stretch, she wound up second by a half-length to Total Clarity. But the well-bred filly by freshman sire Saturnalia closed in a field-best :33.9 and briefly appeared to have the upper hand. Note that the winner, Total Clarity, is entered in the Dec. 15 Asahi Hai Futurity (G1). Keita Tosaki picks up the mount on the Teruya Yoshida homebred. 

#12 Arma Veloce (18-1) was last seen missing in a photo versus the boys in the Sapporo Nisai (G3), where she clocked a field-best :36.3. She was assisted by a run up the rail, though, while the victorious Magic Sands had to cover a lot more ground out wide. The daughter of Harbinger had previously won a newcomers’ event over the same about nine-furlong trip at Sapporo, so she’ll be shortening up for the first time here. 

Also cutting back in distance is #2 Teleos La La (16-1), who captured the listed Hagi S. as the controlling speed going about 1 1/8 miles. Now she gets the services of Mirco Demuro. From the first crop of Irish classic winner Siskin, Teleos La La is a half-sister to current stakes performers Seraphic Call and Sunrise Earth, and her immediate maternal relatives include champion Vivlos and Group 1 stars Cheval Grand and Verxina. 

#8 Kawakita Mana Lea (25-1) was a respectable fifth as the favorite in the Fantasy (G3) going about seven furlongs over this course. The Henny Hughes filly was held up far off the tepid pace on soft going, then blitzed a field-best final sectional in :34 to draw nearer in a blanket finish. Fantasy winner #3 Dantsu Elan (40-1) got up from a better position to nip Yahagi’s prominent #6 Mozu Nana Star (99-1), and #16 Sourire Mignon (80-1) exits a sixth in the same stepping stone. 

#1 Vip Daisy (15-1) brings a 2-for-2 record into her black-type debut. Successful in a newcomers’ race over a metric mile at Chukyo, she added an about nine-furlong entry-level allowance here with a blazing :33.3 final sectional. 

#15 Lily Field (50-1) rebounded from a sixth in the Hakodate Nisai (G3) to romp in an about seven-furlong allowance here, while #4 Jardinier (50-1) has won two straight, #11 Kurino Mei (80-1) took both of her starts, #18 Meant to Be (99-1) just scored in an allowance, and #5 June Eos (99-1) takes the steepest class hike off her dirt maiden victory.