Ascoli Piceno (horse)

Ascoli Piceno (Japanese: アスコリピチェーノ, Foaled February 24, 2021) is an active Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in 2023.

She was named after Ascoli Piceno, a city in Italy. She was awarded the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly for 2023.

2023: two-year-old season
Ascoli Piceno debuted at the Tokyo Racecourse on June 24, 2023, in a two-year-old newcomer race on turf at the distance of 1,400m. She was ridden by Christophe Lemaire, who let her settle at the back of the pack, then took the lead on the final straight, winning by two-and-a-half lengths. Two months later, on August 27, she raced in the Niigata Nisai Stakes for her first graded stakes race challenge. Ridden by Hiroshi Kitamura, she settled in the middle of the pack. On the final straight, she chased down the runaway horse Shonan Manuela and won by a length, successfully achieving her first graded stakes win.

For the last race of her two-year-old season, she was signed-up for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies held at Hanshin Racecourse on December 10. This was her first grade-one stakes race. Ridden by Hiroshi Kitamura again, she settled in midfield. Entering the final straight, after passing a group of horses, she overtook Corazon Beat in the final furlong and held off the fast-finishing Stellenbosch, winning the race by a neck. She achieved her first grade-one stakes victory while breaking the race record.

Racing statistics
Below data is based on data available on JBIS Search, and NetKeiba.

Legend:


 * Notes:

Pedigree

 * Her grand dam from the damside won the Fillies' Mile in 2007.
 * Her dam's sister Touching Speech won the Rose Stakes in 2015.
 * Other close relatives include Henrythenavigator, who won four group-one races including the 2008 2000 Guineas Stakes; Magician, winner of the 2013 Irish 2,000 Guineas and Breeders' Cup Turf; and Fashionista, winner of the 2020 JBC Ladies' Classic.