Gran Alegria Lands Mile Championship

Gran Alegria battled out of traffic in the stretch run of the Mile Championship (G1) Nov. 22 at Hanshin Racecourse, circled the leaders, and rolled home first by three-quarters of a length, landing her third straight grade 1 title.

Last year's winner, Indy Champ, was second with Admire Mars third.

The promising 3-year-olds contesting the race disappointed. Salios, a Heart's Cry colt who finished second in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) in his last start, made a late run from far back to finish fifth. Resistencia, a Daiwa Major filly who won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) last year, led much of the way but faded to finish eighth.

Gran Alegria, with leading Japanese jockey Christophe Lemaire in the irons, settled behind the early speed and was well positioned entering the turn, only to find herself caught behind a wall of four rivals. Lemaire opted for the outside route, and Gran Alegria found another gear and dominated the final 200 meters.

"She had a good break so we were able to sit in a good position," Lemaire said. "She's matured and a lot easier to ride now being a 4-year-old so she was relaxed and we had a good trip until the last turn where, as a favorite, you're marked. And it so happens, but we weren't able to make our move to the outside smoothly for the stretch run.

"I was a little worried," Lemaire admitted. "But the way she exploded into gear in the last 150 meters, it just shows how powerful she is and I'm looking forward to a great season from her as a 5-year-old."

Gran Alegria is a daughter of the late star stallion Deep Impact, out of the Tapit  mare Tapitsfly, a multiple grade 1 winner in the United States.

Gran Alegria won the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1) in April of 2019 for her first grade 1 win. She opened this season with a second-place finish in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) at Chukyo Racecourse, then reeled off back-to-back wins in the Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse June 7 and the Sprinters Stakes (G1) at Nakayama Racecourse Oct. 4.

Before the Mile Championship, Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer to Kazuo Fujisawa, said Gran Alegria had improved with age.

"She's achieved a lot already in her career," Tsumagari said. "She's become a lot easier to manage and control."

Gran Alegria was bred by Northern Farm and races in Sunday Racing Co. Ldt. silks.

The Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship are the defining races for Japanese milers and reflect a slow shift within Japanese racing away from a steady emphasis on stamina and staying races. The event is open to international competitors but none entered this year.

Indy Champ won both races in 2019 and later won the Japan Racing Association's annual award for "best sprinter or miler."