Silk Racing Co. Ltd.'s 4-year-old Equinox (JPN), the top-rated horse in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, headlines the field of 17 runners for Sunday's 1 3/8-mile Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse. The winner will receive an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox has taken the world by storm with three consecutive Group 1 victories. After winning the Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo and the Arima Kinen at Nakayama to close out 2022, the son of Kitasan Black (JPN) produced a front-running tour de force March 25 in the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in course-record time. The victory improved his record to five wins in seven starts and vaulted him to the top rating of 129 in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA).
Among the challengers expected to face Equinox is Masahiro Miki's 4-year-old Justin Palace (JPN), a long-distance specialist who comes into the race off a 2 1/2-length win April 30 over Deep Bond (JPN) in the 2-mile Tenno Sho (Spring, G1) at Kyoto. That victory was his fifth win in 10 starts. Trained by Haruki Sugiyama, the son of Deep Impact (JPN) also has a win over the course this year, taking the March 19 Hanshin Daishoten (G2) at 1 mile and 7 furlongs.
Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s 5-year-old mare Geraldina (JPN) is a six-time winner who also has a Group 1 victory over the course. Trained by Takashi Saito, the daughter of Maurice (JPN) captured last November's Queen Elizabeth 2 Cup (G1) at Hanshin. She started next in the Arima Kinen where she mounted a late drive in the lane to finish third, 4 lengths behind Equinox. Geraldina will look to improve upon two sixth-place finishes at 1 1/4 miles this year in the April 2 Osaka Hai (G1) at Hanshin and in the April 30 Fwd Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.
Carrot Farm Co. Ltd.'s 6-year-old Vela Azul (JPN) reached his career zenith last year when he captured the Japan Cup (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse by three-quarters of a length for trainer Kunihiko Wantanabe. But the son of Eishin Flash (JPN) could not maintain that form in the Arima Kinen, where he finished 10th. He looks to rebound off a 13th-place finish in the March 25 Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan, his only race of 2023 thus far.
Another horse looking for his first win of the season is Hirosaki Toshiro HD Co. Ltd.'s Ask Victor More (JPN). A 4-year-old son of Deep Impact, Ask Victor More won last October's Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) at Hanshin for trainer Yasuhito Tamura. In his two starts this year, Ask Victor More finished ninth in the Nikkei Sho (G1) at Nakayama and 11th last time out in Tenno Sho (Spring).
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Takarazuka Kinen winner to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, which will be run at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.
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