Soul Rush. (Japan Racing Association)
Sunday’s Winner Gains Automatic Berth into FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile in World Championships at Del Mar
Breeders’ Cup Release
TOKYO — Tatsue Ishikawa’s two-time Group 1 winner Soul Rush (JPN) headlines Sunday’s $2.6 million Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse. The winner of the 1-mile race on turf will earn an automatic starting position into the $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 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
The Yasuda Kinen will be shown live on FanDuel TV at 2:40 a.m. ET.
The 7-year-old Soul Rush, trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, will be making his first start since catching Romantic Warrior (IRE) ─ the 2024 Yasuda Kinen winner ─ in a final surge to prevail by a nose in the April 5 Dubai Turf (G1) going 1 1/8 miles at Meydan. The victory gave the son of Rulership (JPN) his second Group 1 score, and his ninth win in 25 starts. He captured his first top-level triumph when taking the Mile Championship at Kyoto last November. Following that race, he closed out the year with a second-place finish in the Dec. 8 Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) at Sha Tin.
“It was a great win last time when he beat Romantic Warrior,” said assistant trainer Hiroshi Kanetake to the Japan Racing Association. “Since last autumn’s Mile Championship, his results have been very good, so on his return to the stable this time, it feels like there’s something special about him. His condition is good once again, and we still have some leeway with him. In a recent piece of work on the woodchip course, his final furlong time was 10.5 seconds.”
Jantar Mantar (JPN) also has two Group 1 victories, both at the mile distance. Owned by Shadai Racehorse Co. Ltd. and trained by Tomokazu Takano, the 4-year-old son of Palace Malice won the 2023 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) at the end of his juvenile campaign, and then captured the NHK Mile Cup by 2 1/2 lengths over the Tokyo course last May. He did not start again until the Longines Hong Kong Mile, where according to Takano, he had an inexplicably poor performance.
“He finished 13th last time in the Hong Kong Mile, and we couldn’t come up with a reason for that performance,” Takano said. “He had to miss the Fuji Stakes (G2) before that with a fever, and there was also some tiredness after his trip to Hong Kong, so (we gave) him plenty of time to get back to himself.”
A winner four times in seven starts, Jantar Mantar will be making his 2025 debut on Sunday.
Carot Farm Co. Ltd.’s 4-year-old Sixpence (JPN) has five wins in seven starts, including victories in two of his last three races for trainer Sakae Kunieda. The son of Kizuna (JPN) won at Tokyo last May, taking the 1 1/8-mile Mainichi Okan (G2). He did not start again until the March 2 Nakayama Kinen (G2) going 1 1/8 miles, which he won by a nose. He finished seventh in his most recent start, the April 6 Osaka Hai (G1) at Hanshin going 1 1/4 miles.
Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.’s Travatore (JPN) is seeking his seventh win for trainer Yuichi Shikato. A 4-year-old son of Rey de Oro (JPN), Travatore won two 1-mile races at Nakayama to open the season, taking the listed Jan. 13 New Year Stakes and the April 5 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy (G3) by a neck.
Masato Yamaoka’s 4-year-old Water Licht (JPN) has won three races at the mile distance at Tokyo. Trained by Mamoru Ishibashi, the 4-year-old son of 2016 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Drefong, captured the Feb. 9 Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3) going a mile in his most recent start.
As 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 Fan Duel Breeders’ Cup Mile, which will be run at 1 mile on turf. 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. 20 to receive the rewards.
