The two 3-year-olds in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) field, Masquerade Ball and Museum Mile, showed their elders how it's done Nov. 1 at Tokyo Racecourse and jockey Christophe Lemaire made a statement of his own with his third top-level victory in as many weeks.
The 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) Tenno Sho frequently is a first opportunity for 3-year-olds to take on older horses at a time when some of the latter are otherwise occupied on the international front or prepping for the Japan Cup (G1) three weeks later.
That said, Masquerade Ball and Museum Mile were made favorite and third-favorite against some talented and more experienced rivals, including six grade 1 winners, and lived up to their expectations.
Masquerade Ball, a Duramente colt, and Museum Mile, by Leontes, both settled well back of the pace as the 14-horse field swung out of the short chute into the backstretch run. They held their positions into the sweeping stretch turn, where the field spread out, leaving openings.
Lemaire cranked Masquerade Ball up some 400 meters out, split rivals, hit the front in the final 100 meters and held on to win by 3/4 length from Museum Mile and jockey Cristian Demuro, who took an outside path in the straight.
Justin Palace, a 6-year-old son of Deep Impact, was third and the second-favorite, 5-year-old Tastiera, finished eighth. Masquerade Ball finished in 1:58.6 while running on good to firm turf.
The Tenno Sho was the first grade 1 win for Masquerade Ball, who finished third in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Meters, G1) in April and then was idle since reporting second in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) June 1 behind Croix du Nord.
Lemaire, who rode the colt for the first time, won the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1) with Energico a week earlier and the Shuka Sho (G1) aboard Embroidery another week before that.
"It's great to be standing on this podium again for the third week and I'm delighted to have won the Tenno Sho," Lemaire said.
"I was racing behind Tastiera to keep a close eye on him during the trip. Then after the uphill, Masquerade Ball found his own speed and another gear to outrun the rest to the wire. He was amazing."
Lemaire said the colt is moving in the right direction, adding he was "probably still green in the Derby."
"But he's matured and become stronger coming into the fall season and maybe could go for another grade 1 this year. If not, he will definitely be among the top horses next season."
Do Deuce won the 2024 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and went on to win the Japan Cup and Horse of the Year honors.
Trainer Takahisa Tezuka, who scored his 10th group 1 win, said the layoff after the spring races was by design.
"From the Japanese Derby, I'd planned to bring him back in this race," the trainer said. "He returned from the farm on Oct. 8."
Masquerade Ball, out of the Deep Impact mare Mask Off, has Sunday Silence three generations back on both top and bottom of his pedigree. He was bred by Shadai Farm and carries the colors of Shadai Race Horse Co.
