Yasuda Kinen Preview: Wrapping Up Five Weeks of Top-Level Racing in Tokyo

Rounding out the five weeks of top-level action at Tokyo Racecourse is the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen on Sunday, June 7. The famous all-aged mile race on the turf track will be run for the 76th time, and has attracted 20 nominations this year for a maximum 18-runner lineup.

First run in 1951, it was originally known as the Yasuda Sho (named after the first Japan Racing Association president, Izaemon Yasuda), and it was a handicap race for 4-year-olds and up. It became a Grade 1 race in 1984, and an international one in 1993.

There have been many runners from overseas to take on the race previously, but on Sunday it will be an all-domestic affair with no foreign horses among the nominations.

Since 2001, 3-year-olds have had the chance to run in the race, but since then, there has been just one 3-year-old winner ― Real Impact in 2011.

Recent big-name winners have included Lord Kanaloa (2013), Maurice (2015) and Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior (2024). For 4-year-olds and up, the weight carried is set at 58 kg, while 3-year-olds are given 54 kg, with a 2-kg allowance for fillies and mares.

About the Yasuda Kinen

The race often throws up a surprise winner, as only one first favorite has won in the past 10 years, and that was Romantic Warrior. This G1 event, however, has been dominated by 4-year-olds in that same time period, with five of them winning, the latest being Jantar Mantar in 2025.

Record time for the race is held by Indy Champ, who won in 1 minute, 30.9 seconds in 2019.

Sunday’s winner’s check is ¥180 million JPY ($1.1 million USD).

Since 2016, the Yasuda Kinen has been a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series of races. The winner will receive an automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup in October 2026.

A couple of lead-up races to the Yasuda Kinen were the Grade 3 Epsom Cup, run over 1,800 meters at Tokyo in May, and the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup, held at Kyoto in April.

This Sunday’s big race will be race 11 on the Tokyo card, with a post time of 3:40 PM.

Here’s a look at some of the runners expected to take on the race:

Trovatore, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, wins the Grade 3 Epsom Cup on May 9 at Tokyo Racecourse. (©SANKEI)

Trovatore Chasing 3rd Straight Victory

Five-year-old Trovatore has won his last two races, the most recent of which was the Epsom Cup on May 9 at Tokyo. And with five career wins over a mile, the shorter distance this time should prove no problem at all.

“The jockey did a good job in the Epsom Cup last time,” trainer Yuichi Shikato said. “It was a strong win, and it shows that if he finds a good rhythm, the distance isn’t a problem. He took a break at Northern Farm Tenei after that race, and there’s no tiredness about him, as we now target the Yasuda Kinen this time.”

Trovatore will be the mount of Christophe Lemaire, as he bids to make it a hat trick of wins for the horse.

In Pursuit of an Elusive G1 Win

Gaia Force, an evergreen 7-year-old, is still looking for an elusive Grade 1 win, and he’s finished fourth, fourth and second in the Yasuda Kinen the last three years. He didn’t have the best of luck last time in Dubai, either.

“The weather was wet, and he’s a horse that needs firm ground,” trainer Haruki Sugiyama said of Gaia Force’s sixth-place finish in the Dubai Turf on March 28. “On returning to Japan, he spent time at Miki Horse Land Park, before moving to Ujitawara. He’s striding out well in his work now, and looks to be in good condition.

“It’s a much better rotation for him this year, compared to last year.”

Panja Tower Ready for 1,600-Meter Test

The 2025 NHK Mile Cup winner has had a couple of runs this year. Panja Tower’s most recent outing was a respectable fourth-place finish in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo in March.

“He did well last time from an inside draw in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen,” trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi said. “Since returning from Champion Hills Farm, everything’s been as usual with him, with no changes. He won the NHK Mile Cup, and I think 1,600 meters is probably his best distance.”

Panja Tower is a Tower of London progeny. He is unbeaten in two starts at Tokyo, with jockey Kohei Matsuyama set to continue his association with the colt.

Read the rest of this article about the Yasuda Kinen and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.

Author: JRA News