Diktaean Leads Strong Field for Kawasaki Kinen

With a total purse of ¥172,250,000 (approx. US$1.07 million), the Kawasaki Kinen, which takes place April 8 over 2,100 meters (about 10 1/2 furlongs) on the dirt at Kawasaki Racecourse, has attracted a strong field. Following the Osaka Hai (G1) at Hanshin April 5, several horses were redirected to the Kawasaki Kinen. These runners originally opted out of the Dubai World Cup (G1) March 28 due to the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East. Diktaean (JPN), who finished second to Meisho Hario (JPN) in last year's running of the Kawasaki Kinen, won the Korea Cup (G3) at Seoul on Sept. 7 and became the second National Association of Racing-trained horse to win a graded stakes overseas, after Cosmo Bulk, who won the 2006 Singapore International Cup (G1) at Kranji. Diktaean won the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse Dec. 29 and was crowned the NAR's 2025 Horse of the Year. Though he had received the invitation to the Dubai World Cup, Katsunori Arayama, who trains the 8-year-old gelding by King Kamehameha (JPN), opted to cancel his planned trip to Dubai. Representing the JRA in the field for the Kawasaki Kinen is Outrange (JPN), who won the 2025 Heian Stakes (G3) at Kyoto, and finished third to Diktaean in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) last time out. Though he also received an invitation to the Dubai World Cup, Ryuji Okubo, who trains Outrange, announced March 14 that his horse would not make the trip.