Ascoli Piceno made a triumphant return to Japan after her international exploits when coming out on top in a blanket finish to Sunday's Victoria Mile at Tokyo. The Group 1 is a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
At the line the first four were separated by just half a length, with race favourite Ascoli Piceno ultimately getting the verdict by a neck, having made her supporters sweat when still at the rear of the field entering the straight, before flashing home to collar Queen's Walk in the final strides. March's G2 Kinko Sho winner Queen's Walk completed a one-two for owners Sunday Racing, just a nose ahead of Shirankedo, with another head back to Argine in fourth.
“The break wasn't too sharp and it took some effort to get her into the speed,” said the winning rider, Christophe Lemaire, who is now the most successful jockey in the history of the Victoria Mile with four wins. “I did have a little concern to how the filly would perform as race favourite, starting from an outside stall, but she did have plenty of energy left when needed. While it did take her some time to reach her top speed, I was thrilled by how she showed her mental strength and potential in fighting to the very end.”
Last seen winning the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh in February, having ended her three-year-old season with a below-par effort in November's Golden Eagle at Rosehill, Ascoli Piceno was racing on home soil for the first time since landing the G3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap at Nakayama in September last year.
Trained by Yoichi Kuroiwa, the daughter of Daiwa Major is now a dual Group 1 winner, having previously brought the curtain down on an unbeaten two-year-old campaign with victory in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. That win was achieved at the expense of Stellenbosch, who later turned the tables on Ascoli Piceno when they filled the first two places in last year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas). Stellenbosch reopposed in the Victoria Mile but could manage only eighth.
A thrilling finish!
Watch as Ascoli Piceno captures the #WinAndYoureIn Victoria Mile and punches her ticket to the #BreedersCup at @DelMarRacing! Congrats to all of the connections! pic.twitter.com/hVpGBfEOJd
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) May 18, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Ascoli Piceno is one of four winners from as many runners out of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Ascolti, with the others including the Listed scorer Ascoltare (Duramente). She is also responsible for a three-year-old by Satono Diamond and a two-year-old by Kitasan Black, both of whom are unraced as yet.
Ascolti, in turn, is out of the G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Listen, whose other notable progeny include the Listed winner and G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) runner-up Satono Lux, as well as the G2 Rose Stakes scorer and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup third Touching Speech. Listen herself is a full-sister to the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Sequoyah, the dam of the multiple Group 1-winning sire Henrythenavigator.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
VICTORIA MILE-G1, ¥253,400,000, Tokyo, 5-18, 4yo/up, f, 1600mT, 1:32.10, fm.
1–ASCOLI PICENO (JPN), 123, m, 4, by Daiwa Major (Jpn)
1st Dam: Ascolti (Jpn), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Listen (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Brigid, by Irish River (Fr)
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Yoichi Kuroiwa;
J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥133,780,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo
Filly-Jpn, GSW-KSA, 9-6-2-0, $3,883,997. *1/2 to Ascoltare
(Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), SW-Jpn, $422,446. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Queen's Walk (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Kizuna (Jpn)–Wavell Avenue,
by Harlington. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Sunday Racing;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥53,080,000.
3–Shirankedo (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Declaration of War–Fair Bloom
(Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.
O-Nissin Holdings; B-Shimokobe Training Center (Jpn);
¥33,540,000.
Margins: NK, NS, HD. Odds: 2.50, 8.50, 18.10.
Also Ran: Argine (Jpn), Alice Verite (Jpn), Shinryokuka (Jpn), Admire Matsuri (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Christmas Parade (Jpn), Sing That Song (Jpn), Wide Ratour (Jpn), Ravel (Jpn), Safira (Jpn), Masano Canaria (Jpn), Beyond The Valley (Jpn), Bond Girl (Jpn), So Dazzling (Jpn). Scratched: Mi Anhelo (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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