Diktaean Upsets Mikki Fight in Tokyo Daishoten

The ranks of Japanese dirt racing received a little bit of a shakeup in the final grade 1 race of the year as Diktaean (JPN) edged Mikki Fight (JPN) by a neck in the Tokyo Daishoten Dec. 29 at Oi Racecourse. The upset marked the first time in 20 years a horse representing the National Association of Racing won the contest over the usually dominant Japan Racing Association runners and opened the possibility of an NAR horse becoming a regular fixture on Japan's international traveling squad. Diktaean, a 7-year-old gelding by King Kamehameha, and Mikki Fight, a 4-year-old by Drefong, both raced in mid-pack around the first turn in the Daishoten while settled behind the breakaway early leader Natural Rise (JPN), one of two highly regarded 3-year-olds in the 15-horse field. Both moved up together around the stretch bend with Mikki Fight taking the lead. Diktaean challenged outside his rival and wore him down to win by a neck. The next four finishers, including the race's other top 3-year-old,Narukami (JPN), all represent the JRA. Diktaean ran 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) in 2:04.3 on a sloppy track to secure the first grade 1 win of his career. Natural Rise tired to report 11th. "Oh, my heart is beating like a drum. I do not know what to say," said winning jockey Takayauki Yano. "I had a very good position all the way, much better than I thought I would take, and also had very good response from the horse. I thought everything was going better than I imagined it would be. (In the stretch run) I thought we might win as we were racing in a good position. I gave him a 'go' sign and just believed he would do the job himself." While the result was a pleasant surprise, it was not a total shock as Diktaean stepped up in his previous start to win the Korea Cup (G3) in Seoul Sept. 7 in his first overseas trip. He was fourth in the Teo Sho, won by Mikki Fight, at Oi July 2 and second behind Meisho Hario (JPN) in the Kawasaki Kinen in April. Mikki Fight entered on a three-race winning streak that followed a third-place finish in the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse. In October of 2024, he finished second to Forever Young (JPN) in the Japan Dirt Classic at Oi, a race the latter used to prep for his third-place finish in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Mikki Fight won this year's listed JBC Classic while Diktaean sat that one out. "After the Korea Cup, we were planning to race him in the JBC but found out he was not just ready for that," said trainer Katsunori Arayama. "I'd say he was much improved, in better condition, today after having had a series of works both in quality and quantity. "We were confident that he would have a good run today," the trainer added. "However, to be honest, the victory was not in our sight as we had such strong members from JRA." What is in sight for Diktaean's connections now is a chance for more international glory. The Korea Cup upset victory carried a "Win and You're In" invitation to the 2025 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar but the gelding clearly was not ready for that challenge. Now, the schedule could be more favorable for a longer journey in 2026. "I talked with the owner," Arayama said. "We would give him a rest for a short while and we would probably go to Dubai." Yano is down with that plan, too. "I think the connections are looking to the future with possible bigger stages, and I would love to grow as a jockey who would deserve to be a jockey to ride in a bigger stage," he said.