The females are in the spotlight for the second week running this Sunday, with the 73rd running of the 3-year-old classic, the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). The Oaks is the second jewel in the fillies' Triple Crown and like the Epsom version, is run over 2,400 meters of turf. The distance and its Tokyo Racecourse venue make it a challenging event. Eight hundred meters longer than the Oka Sho, the Oaks has been won by only six Oka Sho winners since 1984 – when the Japan Racing Association introduced the graded race system.

The Japanese Oaks was, in fact, an even longer race in its original format and was set at 2,700 meters at Hanshin in the fall. The length was reduced to 2,450 meters in 1940, then, three years later, was shortened to its current distance of 2,400 meters. It moved to its present stage in western Tokyo's Fuchu in 1946, where it has remained.

Tokyo Racecourse is widely regarded as the fairest of the JRA tracks in Japan, but also as the toughest. The home stretch, where the Oaks starts, is known for its length and for its grueling hill at the top. The straight has been called "endless" by many a rider as it continues for 525 meters. It takes a combination of speed, stamina and power to win at Fuchu.

The Oaks race record is held by Robe Decollette, who set it in 2007 with a time of 2 minutes 25.3 seconds. The Oaks purse is worth over 200 million yen and pays 97 million yen to the winner.

Last year, two dark horses, Erin Court, with Hiroki Goto up, and Pure Brise, under Yoshitomi Shibata, captured the Oaks over a firm track. The surprise top two, who went off at seventh and eighth pick, respectively, turned the tables on the top picks, who finished third and fourth. Erin Court, by Durandal, had topped the 2,000-meter Wasurenagusa Sho six weeks earlier at Hanshin, while the Monsun-sired Pure Brise had been third in the Flora Stakes a month earlier at Tokyo.

A full gate of 18 runners is set for Sunday's running. Post time is 15:40. Here's a look across the field of the 73rd running of the Yushun Himba:

Gentildonna - This Deep Impact filly topped the Oka Sho and, though she has raced exclusively at 1,600 meters and only to the right, is still thought to have a good chance in the Oaks. Fourth in the Tulip Sho just recovered from a fever, she broke her maiden over the mile at Hanshin at yearend with a margin of 3 1/2 lengths. Her first run in a graded race, the G3 Shinzan Kinen in January, ended successfully, with Gentildonna in front of the boys by a length and a quarter. Trainer Sei Ishizaka says compared to full sister Donau Blue (runnerup in the May 13 Victoria Mile), Gentildonna has given him no trouble maintaining her condition, nor has she had any particular problems racing. "I've had no worries with her," he says of Gentildonna. Ishizaka also says that her last two races have indicated to him that she can handle the distance. "This is it. This is the race where it's all going to come together," he says. We've done all that we needed to do up to this point and I expect a good race." Yasunari Iwata was in the irons for her last two races, but his suspension from the NHK Mile Cup has him sidelined through Oaks day. Yuga Kawada has the ride in the Oaks.

Verxina - This gutsy filly, also by Deep Impact, impressed with her aggressive moves in the Oka Sho final moments. She caught and passed I'm Yours and made a strong bid for the top but ended half a length behind Gentildonna in second. It was her first loss to other fillies, her second loss of her five-race career. Two months before the Oka Sho, on Feb. 11 at Tokyo, Verxina took the G3 Queen Cup by a length and a quarter. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, who had aimed his filly initially for the Oaks, took her to the 1,600-meter Queen Cup for experience at Tokyo. Her victory in that prompted him to take on the Oka Sho, but the longer distances are still what he believes she needs. The first three races of her career, two at 1,800 meters and one at 2,000, yielded two wins and a third. "I thought she was a type that prefers to have more distance. She doesn't have great acceleration, but can keep going well at length." This time could do the trick. It was frustrating to come so close in the Oka Sho as well as to see Verxina handed the first loss in an all-female lineup, Tomomichi says. "I really am hoping she can turn the tables this time."

Midsummer Fair - One filly with some distance behind her is the Tanino Gimlet-sired Midsummer Fair. On a two-race winning streak, she topped the field of the April 22 G2 Flora Stakes at Tokyo, easily pulling away from the others and beating runnerup Ice Follies to the line by 2 1/2 lengths. Before that, she also won the Kunshiran Sho, an allowance race March 24 at Hanshin. Trainer, ex-jockey Futoshi Kojima, claims his filly wasn't even giving it her all in the Flora Stakes. "When she pulled away from the others, she was still playing around," Kojima says. He hopes Midsummer Fair will get a bit more serious for the Oaks. She has distance on the side of her sire, who won the Japanese Derby after running third in the Satsuki Sho. "We want the extra distance. And I want her to not goof off but give us a serious run," says Kojima.

Hana's Goal - Hana's Goal has a tight schedule, having just run in the NHK Mile Cup on May 6 at Tokyo. It was initially intended she would skip the Oaks, but the NHK Mile Cup saw her looking good and showing fine acceleration in the straight. Though she finished seventh as the only filly in the 18-strong lineup of 3-year-olds, she showed good speed in the straight and was only 0.2 seconds off runnerup Alfredo. Hana's Goal beat out both Joie de Vivre and Gentildonna in the Tulip Sho on March 3 at Hanshin and, all set for the Oka Sho, was sidelined just days out with an injury. Big things had been expected of the petite daughter of Orewa Matteruze after her impressive 2 1/2-length win of the Tulip Sho. Before that, she had impressed with a rocket-like final 3 furlongs in 33 seconds flat in a 1,400-meter, lower-class mile at Tokyo. Two pluses in her favor are being once again spared the long haul to Ritto from the Miho stable of former jockey Kazuhiro Kato and the all-female field. Kato thinks she can improve on her last run. "If she can show us that quick turn of foot she has, I think we can expect some good results," Kato says. The big questions are whether she is recovered enough from the NHK Mile Cup and, never having been raced at longer than the mile, whether she can handle the distance.

I'm Yours - Third in the Oka Sho, I'm Yours will be taking on the Tokyo course and a left-handed track for the first time. The Falbrav-sired filly picked up her second major win with victory in the G2 Fillies' Revue on March 11 at Hanshin. From the stable of Takahisa Tezuka, she added it to her first in the November 1,400-meter G3 Fantasy Stakes. I'm Yours was second in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and has yet to race in anything longer than a mile. Though most of her sire's progeny have excelled at the shorter distances, Falbrav himself captured the Japan Cup and the Gran Premio di Milano, both races at 2,400 meters. Her grandsire on her dam's side was El Condor Pasa, who ran second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Her great grand-dam, also on her dam's side, was Dyna Carle, who produced Oaks and Tenno Sho (Autumn) winner Air Groove. Never out of the money in her seven starts, I'm Yours has raced in graded races in her last five outings and won two of them. She has had five different riders in her seven starts, two of them non-Japanese – Ioritz Mendizabal and Nicola Pinna – both of whom rode her to wins. This time out, Craig Williams will be in the saddle for the first time. "People are concerned about the distance," says Tezuka, "but all the horses are the same in that respect. Above all, she has talent and is consistent. I want her to revenge her loss in the Oka Sho."

Quatre Feuilles - Katsuhiko Sumii, fresh back from fielding a winner in Hong Kong, hopes to get lucky again with Quatre Feuilles. The daughter of Deep Impact is coming off a win of the 2,000-meter Wasurenagusa Sho, run at Hanshin the day before the Oka Sho. It was her first race at the distance, her third at 1,800 or over, and her first win. Running under Mirco Demuro, Quatre Feuilles went from second position and stepped into the lead from the final bend, then held her ground to win by a length and a half. The Oaks will be her first race to the left and represents a huge step up in level as well. Her only attempt in a graded-race was in the March 17 Flower Cup at Nakayama, where she turned in a fifth-place finish over yielding going. She was second to Mount Shasta in the Armeria Sho and is half sister to Lady Alba Rosa. Yuichi Fukunaga has the ride.

Para la Salud - The Deep Impact fillies keep coming. Para la Salud disappointed in the Oka Sho with a ninth-place finish, but did quicken in the final stages enough to attract attention. She was coming off a three-race winning streak, including the Anemone Stakes March 10 at Nakayama, where she has notched all her wins. She is trained by Sakae Kunieda, who remains optimistic and believes she can still do well in her first race over a distance greater than a mile, her first time at Tokyo and first time racing to the left. "She doesn't look like a stayer but I think the long Tokyo stretch will suit her and I'm hoping to see that final push she showed in the Oka Sho here as well," Kunieda says.

Meisho Suzanna - Fifth in her last outing, the Oka Sho, Meisho Suzanna may be looking for more distance. Her second in the 1,800-meter Flower Cup the race before the Oka Sho and a win of the 1,800-meter Saintpaulia Sho would indicate as much. By Agnes Digital, who picked up wins of the Hong Kong Cup (2,000 meters) and the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (2,000 meters). Meisho Suzanna should be able to handle the classic distance. Her trainer Yoshitada Takahashi believes she can. "She settles well, so the distance is not a concern. I have been aiming her for the Oaks from the start and I think she will give us a much better result that her last time out.."

Omega Heartland -The daughter of Agnes Tachyon won her debut over 1,800 meters and repeated that feat two races ago in the Flower Cup. Her 12th-place in the Oka Sho was written off due to traffic but the mile is likely far from her best distance. Trained by Noriyuki Hori, the filly is one of three that just barely top 400 kg. Along with Sunshine and Hana's Goal, Omega Heartland weighs in about 410 kg and has staying power that may serve her well in the Oaks distance.

Another name that shouldn't be overlooked is Daiwa Zoom. Daiwa Zoom is a Heart's Cry filly on a three-way roll over 1,800 meters, albeit at the lower levels. She has a second and a third at 2,000 meters as well and five of her races, including her last outing, were run at Tokyo. Ice Follies by Stay Gold is coming off a second in the Flora Stakes that bought her a berth in the Oaks. Going from second position in that race, she held her ground well and is proven over not only the Tokyo course, but the left-handed Niigata as well.
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