Meisho Tarabu earns Breeders' Cup Turf bid in Takarazuka Kinen

Yoshio Matsumoto’s 4-year-old Meisho Tabaru scored a gate-to-wire 3-length victory over favored Bellagio Opera on Sunday to capture the $4.1 million Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin. With this victory, Meisho Tarubu gained an automatic starting position into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf through the Breeders’ Cup challenge series.

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 and Nov. 1 at Del Mar. 

Sired by 2014 Takarazuka Kinen champion Gold Ship, Meisho Tabaru, trained by Mamoru Ishibashi and ridden by Yutaka Take, won his third Group stakes race and his first Group 1 while completing 1 3/8 miles in 2:11.1 over a course listed as good. He improved his record to five wins in 11 starts after coming into the race off a fifth-place finish in the April 5 Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan.

Before a crowd of 48,904, Meisha Tabaru broke promptly from stall 12 in the 18-horse field as the 11-1 seventh choice. He took the front to set the pace and continued to lead an all-star field through the backstretch. Although threatened by Bellagio Opera on the final turn, Meisha Tarabu found another gear after entering the stretch and pulled away tenaciously along the rail for the victory.

“My plan was to take the lead, and although I was unsure about the pace, I think we were able to race at just the right pace,” said Take, who captured his 84th JRA Group 1 title and his fifth Takarazuka Kinen. “I knew the other horses were going to make bid early but my mount had good momentum going around the fourth corner and I was hoping that he would manage to push through.” 

Bellagio Opera broke smoothly and settled in fourth, 2-3 lengths behind the front three runners. As the field approached the final turn, the Lord Kanaloa bay shifted to the outside to make a bid, entered the lane in second and, though unable to display his usual late charge, managed to hold off the strong charge from behind to secure the runner-up spot. Tenth choice Justin Palace crossed a neck behind the runner-up to finish third.

As part of the benefits of the challenge series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for Meisho Tabaru to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, which will be run at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. 

The Takarazuka Kinen completes the group of four Japan races in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. The three other challenge series winners from Japan are Costa Nova, who captured the Feb. 23 February Stakes (G1) for a free berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Ascoli Piceno, who took the May 18 Victoria Mile (G1) and gained an automatic qualifying spot for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Jantar Mantar, winner of the Yasuda Kinen (G1) on June 8, who earned a guaranteed starting position into the Breeders’ Cup Mile.