Takarazuka Kinen (G1) - Preview

Croix du Nord

Meisho Tabaru

Regaleira

Danon Decile

Museum Mile

My Universe

Tagano Dude

Shake Your Heart

After the five straight weeks of Grade 1 racing at Tokyo, the venue this Sunday (June 14) is the Hanshin Racecourse, where the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen will be run to round out the top JRA races for the first half of the year. The race is one of the so-called Grand Prix (All-Star) races (the Grade 1 Arima Kinen is the other), where fans get to vote for the horses they want to see take on the race. Any horse voted into the top ten of the poll is eligible to run, with other runners decided on their prize money levels.

First run back in 1960, the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen was originally run over 1,800 meters, until the current distance of 2,200 meters was introduced in 1966. It’s run over the inner course at Hanshin, and it became an international Grade 1 race in 1997. There will be no runners from overseas this year, although Hong Kong’s Werther ran a great race in 2018 to finish second.

The race is for 3-year-olds and up, and the younger horses, with a generous weight allowance, can run off a mark of 53kg. Four-year-olds and up carry 58kg, with fillies and mares able to claim 2kg. There have been 18 nominations for a maximum 18 runner field this year.
In the past ten years, only two first favorites have won (Equinox was the most recent in 2023), with 5-year-olds having the best recent record, winning six times in that same time period. Horses trained at the Ritto Training Center have also won six times in the last ten years. The winner collects JPY300 million (close to USD2 million). Another bonus for the first past the post is an automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup in America and the Cox Plate in Australia. Titleholder ran in a time of 2 minutes 9.7 seconds in 2022 to set the record time for the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen.

A couple of Grade 1 races some of the horses have taken on prior to this Sunday’s race have been the Osaka Hai and the Tenno Sho (Spring), with the distance of the former probably being the best guide.
The 67th running of the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Hanshin, with a post time locally of 15.40. Final declarations and the barrier draw will come out later in the week.
Here’s a look at some of the runners expected to take on the race:

Croix Du Nord: He topped the fans’ vote, and the 4-year-old by Kitasan Black continues to impress, with two Grade 1 wins to his name already this year. Trainer Takashi Saito said: “He got a win last time in the Tenno Sho, even if it was just by a nose. He went to the farm after that, and came back to the stable May 20. More than being tired, he was just a bit loose, but he’s coming on for his work and should be in good condition just before the race.”

Meisho Tabaru: The 5-year-old by Gold Ship came in second in the fans’ vote, and is back to defend his title, after running away with the race last year and winning by three lengths as the seventh favorite. He’s coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai in April. Trainer Mamoru Ishibashi said: “The first half of the Osaka Hai was run in 58.1 seconds. The start of the 2,000 meters race at Hanshin is near the first corner, so I think instinctively the jockey went to the front, and he did so quickly. Despite it being a bit of a frantic pace, the horse still did well. There’s a furlong extra this time, but it’s back to the distance he won over last year.”

Regaleira: She comes in at number four on the fans’ list, and she’ll be having her first run of the year, after finishing fourth in last year’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen. Comments from assistant trainer Yu Ota were: “She’s sometimes not so good at the gate, and her condition last time meant she couldn’t do so well in the Arima Kinen, which was a bit regretful. She was pretty tired after that race, but now after time, things have been good with her back at the stable. She’s worked well over a distance and clocked a good time.” Christophe Lemaire looks set for the ride on Regaleira.

Danon Decile: The 5-year-old has had a couple of wins since his shock win in the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in 2024, and in his most recent race, when he finished third in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai, things didn’t quite go his way. Trainer Shogo Yasuda said: “Last time, it was just one of those things in a race. He got a bit squeezed with horses losing speed and going back through the field, and was quite unlucky at the fourth corner, but he did run on the best he could in the straight. Compared to his run in the Arima Kinen, he was a lot more balanced.”

Museum Mile: Another horse having his first run since last year’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen, Museum Mile is proving that he can be versatile when it comes to distance, and he did surprise a few by seeing out the trip last time. Assistant trainer Yuichi Tomomichi commented: “The Arima Kinen was a good race for him. He was supposed to go to Dubai, but with the situation in the Middle East we canceled. We then thought about Hong Kong, but it might have been that he wouldn’t have passed the vet inspection. He’s therefore had a spell at the farm, with the Takarazuka Kinen in mind for him next. Just recently he hasn’t had his engine working full throttle, but that’s always the pattern with him.” Damian Lane teams back up with Museum Mile, having ridden him in last year’s Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).

My Universe: The 4-year-old colt by Rey de Oro has won his last two races, the latest being the Grade 2 Nikkei Sho over 2,500 meters at Nakayama in March, when jockey Norihiro Yokoyama certainly got the best out of him. The horse is trained at Ritto by Koshiro Take, who had the following to say: “After his last race, he was quite worked up, so we decided to pass on the Tenno Sho. Now he seems a lot calmer mentally. He’s about 30kg heavier now, but doesn’t look too big and has been moving well.” My Universe has one second from one start at Hanshin, and Norihiro Yokoyama looks set to partner the horse again.

Tagano Dude: His last two races have been Grade 1s, and he by no means disgraced himself in either the Osaka Hai or the Tenno Sho (Spring), where he finished fourth and sixth respectively. He’s had plenty of experience running at Hanshin, even though he hasn’t placed there every time. Trainer Toru Miya said: “In the Osaka Hai, he drew a wide gate and raced wide, but still recorded the fastest final three-furlong time. His rhythm was not so good in the Tenno Sho, but he managed to run on well at the end. He’s returned from the farm looking his usual self, and seems to be in good condition.”

Shake Your Heart: Also trained by Toru Miya, the 6-year-old by Heart’s Cry last ran, and won, the Grade 2 Tokai TV Hai Kinko Sho over 2,000 meters at Chukyo in March. The trainer said: “We originally planned to run him in the Sapporo Kinen, but it would mean a long time between races and that’s not so good for him. He’s very well in himself, so we thought we’d target this race next. His best distance might be 2,000 meters, but he could possibly see out the trip this time.” It’s a big race ride for Yoshihiro Furukawa, who’s looking for just his second JRA Grade 1 victory.

Sources: Keiba Book