Soul Stirring Frankel's First Classic Winner

Soul Stirring solidified her place among the top fillies in Japan after taking the grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) for 3-year-old fillies May 21 at Hanshin Race Course while also giving her sire his first classic winner.

The daughter of Frankel, trained by Kazuo Fujisawa for Shadai Race Horse, was her sire's first grade 1 winner when she took the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December at 1,600 meters (about one mile).

While Soul Stirring finished third in her last out start in the April 9 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1)—also run at 1,600 meters—in her only loss out of six starts, her regular rider Christophe Lemaire reported that the soft ground may have been the issue.

"The going was a bit soft for the Oka Sho, which made things a little difficult, as did the outside draw," Lemaire said prior to the Japanese Oaks. "She did switch leads a lot, which wasn't good, and her response in the stretch was a bit slow. Still, she got third..."

In the Japanese Oaks, which is modeled after England's Epsom Oaks (G1), Soul Stirring sat off the pace on the rail after a clean break from gate 2 in the 18-horse field. Flawless Magic, who broke to her outside, took the lead and held that spot until Lemaire took Soul Stirring off the rail just before the final turn. In the center of the track Soul Stirring took command with a furlong to run.

Mozu Katchan sprinted after the leader and momentarily drew even with Soul Stirring, but under a strong ride from Lemaire the 2016 Japanese champion juvenile filly drew clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 2:24.1 for the 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) over a firm turf course.

Bred by Shadai Farm, Soul Stirring is out of the classic winning mare Stacelita, who Lemaire rode to victory in the 2009 Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1). 

"It's such a thrill for me as I also won the Oaks back home with her mother," the winning rider said. "Soul Stirring certainly has inherited the power both from her sire and her dam. I was quite confident coming into this race. I wasn't sure yet about the distance as it was her first time (at 2,400 meters) so I wanted her in a good position, which I did because she is quick out of the gate. She also has a good lasting speed so I was able to give her the go from early at the stretch and sustain our bid right up to the finish.

"There are similarities between her and her dam. She has the same build and the same air about her—long legs, a big stride, and is high-strung. They're very similar actually."