FINE MOTION STORMS TO SHUKA-SHO VICTORY
14 October 2002
Daily Yomiuri

Top favorite Fine Motion won her fifth consecutive race, storming to a 3 and-a-half length victory over a field of 18 in one of the most impressive Shuka Sho showings ever at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday.

The unbeaten daughter of Danehill tied the race record, running the 2,000 meters in 1 minute 58 seconds. The victory in the final jewel of the triple crown series for 3-year-old fillies was worth 89 million yen.

Ridden by Yutaka Take, Fine Motion charged out of the pack just before the final turn and had little trouble whipping past the leaders. It became a race for second place after Fine Motion took the lead, and Sakura Victoria held on by a head over Serious Bio. The win was Take's second in three weeks, following his success aboard Believe on Sept. 26.

Fine Motion, perfect in five career starts, is widely regarded as the finest horse of her generation and the heir to star mares like Air Groove and Hishi Amazon.