Liberty Island on Brink of Stardom in Japanese Oaks

Liberty Island goes into the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1) May 21 at Tokyo Racecourse with every chance to join the likes of such previous winners as Almond Eye  and Loves Only You —if she can handle the distance.

The Duramente  filly enters as winner of last year's Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) and this season's Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1). But she has never been tested beyond 1,600 meters (about one mile) and the Yushun Himba is run at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles).

She also will have to be attentive at the start. She was away slowly in the Oka Sho, raced at the back of the field, and needed an electrifying turn of foot through the stretch to get up for the victory. A cozy draw in gate 5 could help jockey Yuga Kawada find position.

Her connections sound optimistic, if not confident, that she is up to the task.

"She's probably sharper now than she was for the Oka Sho," said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida. "With the way she races, she should respond all right over the distance this time."

And jockey Kawada added, "From where she was in her last race, it was great to get the result and then look to this race with her. We don't know about the distance for sure this time, but I think she can run well over 2,400 meters."

Many of the same rivals return from the Oka Sho including the runner-up, Kona Coast, for whom trainer Hisashi Shimizu predicted better things.

"For a 3-year-old filly at this time, it's not an easy distance. ... We don't know about the 2,400 meters until we try but she gets into the flow of things well and is a horse with ability. She hasn't given up in any of her races so far, so I think she can run well again here," Shimizu said.

Kona Coast, by Kitasan Black , has posted three straight second-place finishes, all at 1,600 meters, but won her career debut going 1,800 meters at Kokura Racecourse.

Also returning from the Oka Sho are third- and fourth-place finishers Perifania and Harper and five other also-rans.

Other traditional preps are the Flower Cup (G3), run at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) at Nakayama in March, and the Flora Stakes (G2), run at Tokyo April 23 at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). The winners of both are in the Yushun Himba.

Golden Hind , by Gold Ship , won the longer Flora Stakes, then passed up the Oka Sho. Emu, a Harbinger  filly, won the Flower Cup with a dramatic late run of her own before reporting 10th in the Oka Sho. 

While the victory at 2,000 meters in her previous start could bode well for Golden Hind, that was just her second win from seven starts. The light gray filly, sent off as a moderate long shot, sprinted right to the lead and was never seriously challenged. Trainer Yasuo Takeichi hopes for more of the same.

"Over 2,400 meters on turf, it's difficult to maintain things," the trainer said. "But probably to race how she did last time will be best. She'll be marked as one of the frontrunners, but let's hope she can find a good natural rhythm and work things out from the pace."

Emu, by contrast, had to circle all 15 rivals to win the Flower Cup after missing the break but her trainer, Shoichiro Wada, said training and pedigree should work to her benefit. 

"With her training, which has been over longer distances, her physical condition has improved and she's become more muscular," Wada said. "There's a very good feeling about her. She's by Harbinger, and the way she races, the extra distance this time should suit her."

Harbinger capped off his career with a win in the 2010 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at 1 1/2 miles and stands at the Shadai Stallion Station.

The race starts in front of the massive Tokyo grandstand with the field headed in the direction of the distant landmark Mount Fuji and circles the inner loop of the turf course left-handed. The distance challenge is compounded by the climb up the stretch turn hill toward the finish.