Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s Schnell Meister (GER), the 2021 NHK Mile Cup (G1) winner, and Koichi Nishikawa's Cafe Pharoah, seeking his second Breeders' Cup Challenge Series victory this year, headline 18 starters entered for Sunday's 1-mile Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse. The Yasuda Kinen winner will receive an automatic starting position and fees paid in the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 4-5.
Schnell Meister, trained by Takahisa Tezuka, finished third in last year's race, less than a length behind the winner Danon Kingly (JPN). Prior to that race, Schnell Meister, a 4-year-old son of Kingman (GB) out of the Soldier Hollow (GB) mare Serienholde (GER), won the NHK Mile Cup by a nose over Songline (JPN) for his fourth career win. After last year's Yasuda Kinen, Schnell Meister continued his solid form by winning the 1 1/8-mile Mainichi Okan (G2) at Tokyo. He closed out 2021 with a second-place finish to Gran Alegria (JPN) in the Mile Championship (G1) at Hanshin on Nov. 21. In his lone start this year, Schnell Meister finished eighth in the 1 1/8-mile Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan on March 26. ”The change to the Tokyo 1,600 meters is a plus,” said Tezuka to the Japan Racing Association, expressing confidence in his colt's return to familiar surroundings and to the mile distance. Christophe Lemaire will ride Schnell Meister, breaking from post nine.
Koichi Nishikawa's 5-year-old Kentucky-bred Cafe Pharoah, son of 2015 Triple Crown winner, Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah, earned a Win and You're In berth for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the 1-mile February Stakes (G1) on dirt at Tokyo on Feb. 20 by 2 ½ lengths. Trained by Noriyuki Hori, Cafe Pharoah's successful title defense in the February Stakes was his sixth win in 11 starts. However, the Yasuda Kinen will be just his second start on turf. His first try on a grass course was on July 18, 2021 in the 1 ¼-mile Hakodate Kinen (G3) at Hakodate Racecourse, where he finished ninth. Cafe Pharoah will start from the rail and will be ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga.
“From the looks of his run in the Hakodate Kinen, I'd say he can handle the turf and he is suited to Tokyo,” said Hori. “His coat and muscle tone are good. Physically and mentally, he's got it all together.”
Tatsue Ishikawa's 4-year-old Soul Rush (JPN) has won his last four starts, and all at one mile. His trainer, Yasutoshi Ikee, decided to forego running the son of Rulership (JPN) at longer distances and the results have paid dividends. Since December, Soul Rush has won a Class 1 race at Chukyo, the Christmas Cup and the Shunkyo Stakes at Nakayama, and culminating with a half-length win, after overcoming a late break from the gate, in the Group 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Hanshin on April 24. The Yasuda Kinen will be Soul Rush's second start at Tokyo. He finished fourth in the 1 3/8-mile Shinryoku Sho in April 2021 over the course. Suguru Hamanaka has the mount, breaking from post 14.
Like Soul Rush, Tsunefumi Kusama's Elusive Panther (JPN) has also won his last four starts but by contrast, all of them have been at Tokyo, and three at the mile distance. A 4-year-old son of Heart's Cry (JPN), Elusive Panther made an impressive 2022 debut in capturing the 1-mile Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3) on Feb. 6. Back in 14th in a 15-horse field, Elusive Panther rocketed the final three furlongs in 33.1 seconds to defeat favored Songline by 1 ¾ lengths. Elusive Panther will be ridden by Hironobu Tanabe from post eight.
Over the past four years, female runners have finished either first or second in the Yasuda Kinen, and in 2020 standout fillies Gran Alegria (JPN) and Almond Eye (JPN) took the top two positions. Three females coming out of the May 15 Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo ― Songline (JPN), Fine Rouge (JPN), and Resistencia (JPN) ― have been entered for Sunday's race.
Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s 4-year-old Songline made a big splash in Saudi Arabia in February when she won the 1351 Turf Sprint (G3) against males at King Abdulaziz Racetrack for her fourth victory. In her next start, the Victoria Mile, which was a Challenge Race for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), she finished fifth, just two lengths behind Sodashi (JPN). That performance was representative of her reliably-good form at Tokyo for trainer Toru Hayashi. A daughter of Kizuna (JPN), Songline broke her maiden at Tokyo in September 2020, just missed defeating Schnell Meister in last year's NHK Mile Cup, and won the 1-mile Fuji Stakes (G3) last October. Kenichi Ikezoe has the mount, breaking from post 13.
Genichi Matsui's 4-year-old Fine Rouge, also by Kizuna, recovered from a bauble in midstretch in the Victoria Mile and closed strongly in the center of the course to finish second, which was her third consecutive runner-up finish in Group stakes competition. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Fine Rouge defeated males last September in the 1 ¼-mile Shion Stakes (G3) at Nakayama by 1 ¾ lengths. She closed out 2021 finishing just a half-length behind Akaitorino Musume (JPN) in the Group 1 Shuka Sho on Oct. 17. In her 2022 debut, Fine Rouge finished second to Elusive Panther in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3). Yutaka Take will ride Fine Rouge, starting from post seven.
Top sprinter Resistencia, third in the Victoria Mile, is a 5-year-old daughter of Daiwa Major (JPN) racing for owner Carrot Farm Co. Ltd. Trained by Takeshi Matsushita, Resistencia has won five races and has five second-place finishes in 15 starts. She won last September's 6-furlong Sankei Sho Centaur Stakes (G2) at Chukyo, and then stepped into Group 1 company in her next two starts, finishing second in the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on Oct. 3 and finishing second in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 12. Resistencia will be ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama from post 16.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Yasuda Kinen to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. 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. 24 to receive the rewards.
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