Surging to the front nearing the final 100 meters, Shadai Racehorse Co. Ltd.’s Jantar Mantar (JPN) won Sunday’s $2.6 million Gr1 Yasuda Kinen by 1 1/2 lengths over Gaia Force (JPN) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Yuga Kawada steers Jantar Mantar to victory on Sunday (Pic – JRA)
With this victory Jantar Mantar earned a free berth into the $2 million FanDuel Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile 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.
Trained by Tomokazu Takano and ridden by Yuga Kawada, Jantar Mantar completed the 1 mile in 1:32.7 over a course rated as good to firm, earning his third Gr1 triumph. He returned to top form following a 13th-place finish in the Longines Gr1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin last December.
Before a crowd of 51,642 for the 75th running of the Yasuda Kinen, Jantar Mantar, the 4-1 second choice in his 2025 debut, broke alertly against 17 rivals and settled into third position behind Mad Cool (JPN).
Keeping the keen colt in control while choosing the better part of the course off the rail and asking his mount to stay patient entering the stretch, Kawada gave Jantar Mantar the green light after the 400-meter pole, and the 4-year-old responded to take command just before the 100-meter marker and pulled away to win by a comfortable margin.
“The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start, but then got a little over-excited as horses came from behind so I got a little worried,” said Kawada.
“The colt just barely managed to contain himself as much as he could after that and I was still in doubt as to how he would respond at the stretch but, considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is. He was unable race to his standard at all last time out but I’m glad that he was able to show his true form today.”
Runner-up Gaia Force raced in mid-division between rivals after a smooth break, then edged forward approaching the final turn as the 3-1 favored Soul Rush (JPN) passed him on the outside.
After a brief struggle to find space to angle out early in the stretch, the 6-year-old son of Kitasan Black (JPN) unleased an impressive turn of foot soon after the furlong pole to overtake several rivals including Soul Rush by a neck for second.
Jantar Mantar won all three starts in his 2-year-old season including the Gr2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes and the Gr1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes to become Japan’s Best 2-Year-Old Colt. He finished third in the Gr1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and scored a victory in the Gr1 NHK Mile Cup in his spring campaign as a 3-year-old.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for Jantar Mantar to start in the FanDuel 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.
