For the third time in just eight days, the “Win and you are in” position for the Breeders Cup Mile presented by the PDJF (G1T) took place on June 5, this time in Japan with a single attraction American pharoah colt in the mix for honor.
Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Circuit has a variety of fields, including the team that finished 1-2 from the NHK Mile Cup (G1) in 2021, Schnell Meister and The song.
Two-year-old stars from 2020 and 2021, Danon the Kid and Serifoslooking to continue a path to glory. Soul Rush went through four races to win but take a big step up in class. And Fine Rouge have finished second in each of the previous two starts this season.
Then there are Cafe Pharoah an American Pharoah’s 5-year-old son came out of More than ready mare Mary’s Follies . Cafe Pharoah twice won the February Bet (G1) at a mile on the Tokyo dirt track but the move to the green lawn is an adventure into a virtual unknown.
Yasuda Kinen will only be his second match on the pitch. The first time was the unattractive ninth in the 2,000 meters event, Hakodate Kinen (G3) in July 2021. To bargain, Cafe Pharoah drew gate number 1 in field 18. But with Yuichi Fukunaga taking the mount for trainer Noriyuki Hori, without a doubt, the experiment makes good sense.
“From the look of his run at Hakodate Kinen, I’d say he can handle the court,” Hori said despite the result. “And he’s a good fit for Tokyo.”
Hori said Cafe Pharoah has continued to practice since winning February Betting in his last match and has been performing well.
“His jacket and muscles are very good. Physically and mentally, he’s got it all together,” the coach said.
Fine Rouge was one of four women in the race, along with Songline, Resistenciaand Lotus Land. Assistant coach Yu Ota noted Fine Rouge hasn’t had a stressful run in her recent runner-up finishes at Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3) and Victoria Mile (G1). In the latter, a “Win and You’re In” event for Producer Mark Breeders’ Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Trophy, she stumbled heavily in the early stages but kept going strong to finish second Sodashi.
“The Victoria Mile winner did a good job but this has a rough spot on the stretch,” said Ota. “Even so, I’m happy to see her focused and come back strong. She came out of the race pretty well and I’m relieved there was no obvious damage.”
Resistencia finished third on the Victoria Mile, coming in second only. She won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) in 2019 with her single top score but finished second six times in top events, including the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) in 2021. Coach Takeshi Matsushita said a change in tactics could happen, depending on how Yasuda Kinen deploys.
“At Victoria Mile, we let the front runner take the lead and this horse races in second,” said Matsushita. “It was her first mile in a long time but she went very well and, in the midst of a close battle, was patient to the end. If no one else wants to go first, then we will. But she will. He can also race from behind.”
The Breeders ‘Cup Challenge Open Series awarded two spots in the turf mile event in November at Keeneland just a weekend before. Viejos Tiempos earned his place with victory in the Club Hipico De Santiago Falabella Breeders’ Cup (G1) in Santiago May 29 and Recount do the same at Shoemaker Mile (G1T) a day later at Santa Anita.
Dark Jets also qualified for Mile with a win on 8 January in L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (G1) in South Africa.
