Takarazuka Win earns Meisho Tabaru a Breeders' Cup Spot

Meisho Tabaru (JPN) took a big step forward and opened the door to even bigger opportunities with a gate-to-wire victory June 15 in the Takarzuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse. The Gold Ship (JPN) 4-year-old, benefiting by a "gun it and hope" strategy by veteran jockey Yutaka Take, captured his first grade 1 victory, improving on a fifth-place finish in the Dubai Turf (G1) in his previous start. He also earned guaranteed "Win and You're In" spots in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar or in the Oct. 25 W.S. Cox Plate (G1) in Australia. With Take's help, Meisho Tabaru made short work of the 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8 miles) Takarazuka Kinen. Quick out of the gate, he led the procession and had no trouble defending his lead in the late going from the favorite, Bellagio Opera (JPN), a two-time group 1 winner over the Hanshin turf. Meisho Tabaru stopped the timer at 2:11.1 over a course rated as "good". Take, who notched his 84th Japan Racing Association grade 1 win and fifth in the Takarazuka Kinen, said he planned to gamble on a front-running strategy. "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," Take said. "I knew the other horses were going to make their bid early, but my mount had good momentum going around the fourth corner and I was hoping that he would manage to push through." And so he did. Bellagio Opera couldn't sustain his late run and reported second, 3 lengths back of the winner. Justin Palace (JPN) was third, followed by several long shots. Among the better-fancied, second-favorite Regaleira (JPN) finished 11th under Christophe Lemaire and third-favorite Lord del Rey (JPN) was eighth with Yuga Kawada aboard. Rousham Park (JPN), who finished second in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita, finished 15 in the Takarazuka Kinen. He was forced to check turning for home but was never better than mid-field throughout the running. The race is one of two on the JRA calendar that invites fans to vote for the horses they want to see run. The normally astute Japanese punters shanked this one. Bellagio Opera was the first choice in the balloting, Regaleira was second, and Justin Palace third. Meisho Tabaru? He ranked 28th. The result also left Japan's most familiar ownership names well off the board. Meisho Tabaru was bred by Mishima Bokujo and races for Yoshio Matsumoto. He was produced by the French Deputy mare Meisho Tsubakuro (JPN). His sire, Gold Ship, won the Takarazuka Kinen in both 2013 and 2014 among six grade 1 wins. Mamoru Ishibashi, who rode a filly, Meisho Samson (JPN) to victory in the 2006 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) and opened his training yard in 2014, scored his first group 1 win in that role. Before the race, Ishibashi sounded as if he had a premonition. "He is running nice and straight (in training) and, since some time ago, his times have been fast," Ishibashi said of Meisho Tabaru. "If he finds a good rhythm in this next race, I wonder just what kind of result he's capable of getting."