TAKARAZUKA, Hyogo Pref. -- The 62nd running of the Okasho (Japan's equivalent of the 1,000 Guineas) went to longshot Arrow Carry, which turned the tables on the top picks to win by 1 1/4 length.
Success Beauty led from the gate, taking the 18-strong field of Japan's top 3-year-old fillies over the turf at a medium pace. Race favorite Shinin' Ruby kept to mid-pack, while Arrow Carry held steady on the rail in third position behind Health Wall.
Into the stretch the two front runners faded putting Arrow Carry well out in front with 100 meters to go. A strong drive from the outside brought Blue Ridge River into second, where she held her ground despite a serious threat by Shinin' Ruby, relegated to third place by a nose.
Overcome with emotion, young jockey Kenichi Ikezoe broke down in tears before his feet even hit the ground. It was the first ride in the fillies' classic for the 22-year-old Ikezoe.
It was the first win in Arrow Carry's four starts on the national level. The 89 million yen winner's share for the Okasho took Arrow Carry's earnings for owner Hideharu Yano to just shy of 166 million yen.