Embroidery wove through traffic to get the lead in the stretch drive in the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1) April 13 at Hanshin Racecourse and held off a late bid by 2024 2-year-old filly champion Arma Veloce to win by a neck.
It was the first grade 1 win for the filly, for her sire, Admire Mars, and for her second-year trainer, Kazutomo Mori. Jockey Joao Moreira, riding on a temporary license, got his second top-level win in just two weeks, following the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1). Moreira also won the 2024 Oka Sho on Stellenbosch.
This year's ride needed the experience and patience the "Magic Man" has built over championship seasons around the globe.
Embroidery raced near the middle of the 18-filly division down the backstretch over turf softened to an official "good" condition. Turning for home, she did not have a clear path forward while Arma Veloce was making up ground outside rivals under Mirai Iwata.
Moreira zigged Embroidery right, then left, before he was able to turn the filly loose for the winning sprint. She finished the 1,600 meters (about one mile) in 1:33.1, two seconds shy of the course record set by the white filly Sodashi in the same race in 2021.
Lynx Tip finished third after racing last most of the way down the backstretch. The favorite, Erika Express, reported fifth. Arma Veloce, winner of the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her final start of 2024, was making her 3-year-old debut.
"When she was able to get the split between horses then really fight as there was company, I can't remember which number, coming from the outside," Moreira said of Embroidery, "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."
All of the filly's previous wins came on firm turf.
"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," Moreira added.
The win made it three in a row for Embroidery, bred by Tenei Horse Park out of the Kurofune mare Rottenmeier. She finished her 2-year-old season with a victory going 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs) at Tokyo Racecourse and stepped into graded company in her first race as a 3-year-old, winning the Daily Hai Queen Cup (G3).
"Having won as she did today, I have no doubt that she will be competitive once again in her next start," Moreira said.
Mori did not immediately outline plans for Embroidery, who carries the powder blue and red silks of Silk Racing. The next race in the Japanese filly Triple Crown is the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1), at the more demanding 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) May 25 at Tokyo Racecourse. The series concludes with the Shuka Sho (G1) at 2,000 meters Oct. 19 at Kyoto.
Distance could be an issue as Embroidery's sire, Admire Mars, was a successful miler during his career in 2018 and 2019, winning the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) at age 2, the NHK Mile Cup (G1) and Hong Kong Mile (G1) at 3. The son of Daiwa Major and grandson of Sunday Silence finished third in the Mile Championship (G1) and a repeat appearance in Hong Kong to conclude his career.
Admire Mars stands at the Shadai Stallion Station for ¥5 million (approx. US$35,000).
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