Corazon Beat (Jpn)

Three starts, three wins, and now, Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) will attempt to add a Classic to her haul when she breaks from gate nine in the 18-horse G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday. Reuniting with Hiroshi Kitamura who she carried to G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies glory over this trip back in December, the near-black filly makes her 2024 bow in the first Classic of the Japanese season. Striking on a newcomers' affair in June and the G3 Niigata Nisai...

In a first Japanese Group win for her sire, Etes Vous Prets (Ire) (Too Darn Hot (GB)--Nahoodh {Ire} (GISW-Eng, G1SP-Ire, $443,612), by Clodovil {Ire}) stubbornly held on to her advantage in the final metres, and claimed Sunday's G2 Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue, a trial for the G1 Oka Sho on Apr. 7. Twice the bridesmaid in a pair of maiden contests, she broke through by two lengths in her first start at this venue last September on her third attempt. From there she took another step forward to win the...