Fourth pick Gentildonna scored an impressive victory in this year’s Arima Kinen to round off her career with a grand finale. She became the fifth horse in JRA history to achieve seven G1 titles on turf along with her sire, Deep Impact. Her career earnings of 1,726,030,400 yen are the second highest in history behind T. M. Opera O and highest among mares. This win marked the 12th JRA-G1 victory for trainer Sei Ishizaka, following his win in last year’s Japan Cup with Gentildonna, and third JRA-G1 title for jockey Keita Tosaki, following his Hanshin Juvenile Fillies title with Red Reveur.
Gentildonna made a clean start from stall four and settled just off the pace in third behind Verxina and Epiphaneia. Traveling three to four lengths behind the two frontrunners through the backstretch and making headway through the last turns, the Deep Impact mare entered the lane in second, right behind Epiphaneia who inherited the lead from the tiring Verxina, dueled strongly with this year’s Japan Cup winner in front of the cheering crowd, and managed to pull away 100 meters out for her career-final victory. 

“I’m really glad she was able to show her best performance in the last race of her career. When I rode her the last time (Tenno Sho (Autumn)), she was easy to ride and very clever, so I felt very comfortable riding her this time. I was able to race her just as I had imagined, settling her towards the front and making use of her persistent late charge. She responded well until the end,” commented jockey Keita Tosaki.

After the final race of the day, Gentildonna’s retirement ceremony was held with over 40,000 race-goers staying on in the chilly evening to pay tribute to the outstanding mare who won the Fillies’ Triple Crown and was chosen Horse of the Year in 2012, and also became the first horse to achieve back-to-back Japan Cup victories last year.
Sent off ninth favorite, three-year-old To the World camped in mid-pack and two wide up the final turn.
Unaffected by the early bids made by his rivals, the colt was calmly guided through an opening in early stretch and responded well thereafter, especially in the last 100 meters where he found another gear and closed strongly to outrun Epiphaneia on the inside and hold off a fast-closing Gold Ship from his outside for the runner-up seat.
Breaking from a wide stall, the 2012 victor and odds-on favorite Gold Ship was reserved in fifth to sixth from the rear and steadily made his bid, gaining on the leaders from the end of the backstretch and rounding the third corner.
Kicking into full gear by the last turn and in fourth to fifth from the front entering the straight, the multiple-G1 winner, though no match for the winner, galloped on strongly enough to battle for the runner-up seat, but was a nose short at the wire for third.
In his first Arima Kinen challenge, Just a Way sat in third to fourth from the rear and a length or two behind Gold Ship after breaking from a wide draw. Unable to keep up with the gray horse as he made his early bid, the third favorite angled out wide for his last career-run and although with too much ground to make up, he displayed his extraordinary speed, which ranked him the No.1 thoroughbred in the world. The Heart’s Cry horse clocked the fastest three-furlong drive of the stellar field to finish a neck fourth, and will stand at stud at the Shadai Stallion Station next season.
Second favorite Epiphaneia broke smoothly to chase the pace one to two lengths behind pacesetter Verxina, and was first to enter the lane after picking off the tiring leader before the final corner. After grudgingly giving up his brief lead to the winner just after the furlong pole, this year’s Japan Cup champion fought well but surrendered the runner-up position at the wire to the fast closing runners for a close fifth.

Other Horses:
6th: (5) Lachesis—stalked winner in 6th, made headway after 3rd corner, showed effort 7th: (7) Last Impact—traveled along rail in mid-pack, met traffic at 200m-marker but responded well 8th: (1) Tosen Ra—raced inside winner, ran gamely until last 100m but outrun thereafter 9th: (12) Denim and Ruby—saved ground in mid-group, checked at top of stretch, switched to left, accelerated 10th: (10) Fenomeno—settled in mid-pack, quickened until last 100m but weakened thereafter 11th: (11) Satono Noblesse—raced toward rear, angled wide to straight, passed tired rivals 12th: (9) Win Variation—sat 3-wide in mid-division, advanced after 3rd corner, even paced at stretch 13th: (3) One and Only—hugged rail in 5th, found little room at stretch, no impression 14th: (2) Verxina—set pace with 2 lengths, weakened before final corner 15th: (8) Meisho Mambo—broke slowly, trailed in rear, unable to reach contention 16th: (16) Ocean Blue—ran 2nd or 3rd from last, no factor