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Rodeo Drive Captures NHK Mile Cup in Dramatic Photo-finish

Race favorite Rodeo Drive won this year’s NHK Mile Cup to become the three-year-old champion miler, crossing the wire at 1:31.5, just 0.1 seconds short of the race record. The son of Saturnalia began his career last year with a win at Nakayama in December and added another win there in March before marking a second in his previous start in the New Zealand Trophy (G2) on April 11. While all of his four starts so far were at the mile, this race marked the colt’s first outing on a left-handed course. Trainer Tetsuhide Tsuji, who opened his yard in 2021, claimed his third graded and first G1 title. Riding under a short-term license since April 18, jockey Damian Lane scored his seventh JRA-G1 victory and his first since last year’s Tenno Sho (Spring) with Redentor.

Breaking from the second-farthest stall, Rodeo Drive was unhurried in fourth from the rear while G3 Churchill Downs Cup (1,600m) victor Ask Ikigomi, who broke from the stall right beside him, rushed up to sit a couple of lengths in front. As the pacesetter, Yu Pharoah, headed the field into the stretch but gradually ran out of steam, third favorite Diamond Knot kicked into gear to take command at the 200-meter pole. Ask Ikigomi, with Rodeo Drive in close pursuit, entered the straight near the rear and unleashed a remarkable stretch drive from the outside, and after picking off their rivals one by one, it was Rodeo Drive who dug in fiercely to catch and poke his head in front of the son of Lord Kanaloa at the wire to win by a nostril.

“I’m relieved to get the best out of the horse. I’m happy with his speed—his best trade is his closing speed, he was able to close off really strongly today and sustained a strong run to the finish. The colt is improving all the time. Now he has performed very well at group one level, I expect him to race at this level for some time,” said Damian Lane after the race.

Placed third in last year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) behind Cavallerizzo and Diamond Knot, sixth favorite Admire Quads sat wide around seventh before launching his bid to join the rally for the lead at the furlong pole. Putting away Diamond Knot with 100 meters to go, the Real Steel colt was soon overtaken by the fast-closing Ask Ikigomi, then Rodeo Drive, but secured third place by 1-1/2 lengths.

Other Horses:
4th: (8) Lorbeerkranz—raced around 10th, circled wide, dug in well while no match for top two finishers
5th: (7) Diamond Knot—settled around 5th, led 200m out, ran gamely until 100m out
6th: (15) Reservation—tracked leaders around 3rd, sustained bid, weakened in last 100m
7th: (9) Thunderstruck—sat wide around 6th, rallied for lead until 100m out
8th: (12) Anduril—settled around 12th, responded briefly but needed more
9th: (10) Ecoro Alba—broke a bit slowly, ran around 15th, angled out, had too much ground to cover
10th: (14) Valsecito—positioned around 16th, passed tired rivals
11th: (5) Ghillies' Ball—hugged rails around 10th, angled out, struggled to find clear path, even paced
12th: (4) Cavallerizzo—saved ground around 7th, lacked needed kick
13th: (6) Gene King—raced around 7th, showed effort until 100m out
14th: (3) Hornero—traveled near rear, unbale to reach contention
15th: (18) Fukuchan Sho—trailed in rear, never fired
16th: (1) Resort Island—ran near pace around 4th, showed little at stretch
17th: (2) Yu Pharoah—set pace, ran out of steam 300m out
18th: (13) Happy Angel—advanced to chase leader in 2nd, dropped back after 300m out

THE 31ST NHK MILE CUP (G1)
3-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 10, 2026          Tokyo Racecourse           11th Race            Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 283,100,000 (about US$ 1,827,000 <US$1=¥155>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 2 kg allowance for Fillies, 2 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2023
Course record: 1:30.5           Race record: 1:31.4 [Danon Chantilly (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki), 2010]
Safety factor: 18 runners       Going: Good to Firm             Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 19,738,316,600       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 30,157,224,000       Attendance: 41,268

Winner= 4 starts: 3 wins & 1 second / Added & stakes money: ¥ 133,822,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 171,830,000

* NHK Mile Cup (G1)

While races in Japan for three-year-olds had been programmed mainly to facilitate those aiming towards the middle-long distance three-year-old Classics as typified by the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), the interest in speed races is growing both within and outside Japan, and earning much respect as the traditional Classics. In 1996, JRA reorganized its races in order to accommodate and promote the three-year-olds suited to short distances and established the NHK Mile Cup which was named after its sponsor Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)—Japan’s only public broadcaster. The race was designated as an international race in 2009.
Past NHK Mile Cup winners include subsequent derby winners King Kamehameha (JPN, by Kingmambo; ’04) and Deep Sky (JPN, by Agnes Tachyon; ’08) while El Condor Pasa (USA, by Kingmambo; ’98) and Kurofune (USA, by French Deputy; ’01) won the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) and the Japan Cup Dirt (G1, dirt, 2,100m), respectively. 2024 champion Jantar Mantar (JPN, by Palace Malice) subsequently won both the 2025 Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) and Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) that year, which earned him the Best Miler title of the season.
The top three finishers (in that order) in the two official NHK Mile Cup trials were at the gate this year; Ask Ikigomi, Yu Pharoah and Valsecito in the Churchill Downs Cup (G3, 1,600m; Apr.4); and Reservation, Rodeo Drive and Gene King in the New Zealand Trophy (G2, 1,600m; Apr.11). Coming off the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m; Apr.19), were 2025 Best Two-Year-Old Colt Cavallerizzo (13th) and Admire Quads (15th) who both opted to the mile G1 instead of stepping up in distance to challenge the second leg. The field also included Ecoro Alba, Thunderstruck, Ghillies' Ball and Diamond Knot, respective winners of the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3, 1,600m; Oct.11), the Shinzan Kinen (G3, 1,600m; Jan.12), the Fillies’ Revue (G2, 1,400m; Mar.7) and the Falcon Stakes (G3, 1,400m; Mar.21).