Almond Eye Imperious in Tenno Sho

[Wandering Eyes]

2018 Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) returned after a lengthy absence with a three-length score in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn in Tokyo on Sunday. Her time of 1:56.20 was only a 10th of a second slower than the stakes record set by Tosen Jordan (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) in 2011. It was trainer Sakae Kunieda’s 16th JRA victory and pilot Christophe Lemaire’s 27th.

Deservedly taking all the money at the windows and sent off at 3-5, the Japanese Filly Triple Crown heroine was away without issue and Lemaire guided the 4-year-old to the fence for a rails run sitting about fifth through the early going. Group 1 winner Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune) was shadowed by Group 2 victor Stiffelio (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) and Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) through the opening furlongs. 2019 Classic hero Saturnalia dropped back as the field entered the stretch, while Almond Eye bulled her way through a gap at the fence inside the final quarter mile. The Silk Racing runner drew clear of Japanese champion juvenile colt Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who had moved up to second at the head of the lane besting Aerolithe by a neck. The latter stayed on grittily for third, another neck ahead of the rallying MGSW You Can Smile (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}).

“She was well rested after a long break and showed her true strength today,” said Lemaire regarding his mount’s 155-day break since her third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June. “We were able to follow Aerolithe and Saturnalia in a good position, found a good opening on the rails and she just stretched beautifully from there. Personally, I’m delighted to have won the last Tenno Sho of the Heisei era and the first of the Reiwa era.”

Despite losing her debut in August of 2017, Almond Eye posted a seven-straight string of wins until her Yasuda Kinen third. Among her victories was the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1 Japanese Oaks, and G1 Japanese Fillies St Leger. She saluted in the G1 Japan Cup over this course at the end of November in 2018, and resurfaced with a win in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan on Mar. 30.

Pedigree Notes
One of seven winners from seven runners and by a large margin the best produce of her MSW dam who also ran second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup, Almond Eye is followed by the year younger winning Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg) and the unraced juvenile colt Satono Esperanza (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}). Her second dam is a half-sister to the high class Northern Dancer champions and sires El Gran Senor) and Try My Best.

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