Japan: Palace Malice colt Jantar Mantar wins Yasuda Kinen
Sired by 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, Japan’s 2023 champion juvenile male Jantar Mantar claimed his third Grade 1 victory by winning Sunday in the US$2,695,179 Yasuda Kinen, a turf mile for 3-year-olds and up at Tokyo Racecourse.
The Shadai Farm homebred, 4-year-old colt became the first Mile Cup (G1) winner to double in the Yasuda Kinen, winning the two races over the same course and distance 13 months apart.
Ridden by Yuga Kawada for trainer Tomokazu Takano, a keen Jantar Mantar (3-1) was quick out of the gate and was a prominent third behind pacesetter Mad Cool. Kawada maintained control while choosing the better part of the track away from the rail, asking Jantar Mantar to stay patient coming out of the one left turn into the stretch.
“The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start but then got a little overexcited as horses came from behind, so I got a little worried,” Kawada said. “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 in the stretch.”
Jantar Mantar got the green light from Kawada at the quarter pole, and he accelerated to take the lead just before the sixteenth pole, pulling away to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
“Considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is,” said Kawada, who had a far different feeling when he rode Jantar Mantar to a 13th-place finish Dec. 8 in the Hong Kong Mile (G1). “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.”
Six-year-old entire Gaia Force (31-1) raced from the middle of the 18-horse field, found traffic at the top of the stretch and made an impressive rally to finish second, a neck ahead of 7-year-old entire and post-time favorite Soul Rush (2-1) in third. Brede Weg (8-1), a 5-year-old mare, was fourth and Win Marvel (37-1), a 6-year-old entire, took fifth.
Jantar Mantar had a winning time of 1:32.7 without a run-up on the good-to-firm turf going 1,600 meters, 10 yards less than a full mile. The early fractions were 23.8, 46.7, 1:09.6 and 1:20.9.