Daiwa Major victorious in Tenno Sho

Daiwa Major threw down the gauntlet to his more glamorous rivals Deep Impact and Heart's Cry at Tokyo on Sunday with a solid victory in the $2.1 million Grade 1 Autumn Tenno Sho

The 5-year-old son of Sunday Silence, trained by Hiroyuki Uehara and ridden by Katsumi Ando, prevailed by half a length over longshot Swift Current in the 1 1/4-mile contest which serves as the first leg of Japan's autumn triple crown for older horses. It was another three quarters of a length back to Admire Moon in third with Cosmo Bulk fourh. The two highly regarded mares, Sweep Tosho and CashCall Mile winner Dance in the Mood, were next in fifth and sixth. The 5-1 Daiwa Major covered the ten furlongs on firm ground in 1:58.80.

This was the second time in a row that Daiwa Major had gotten the better of Dance in the Mood, having beaten her by a neck on Oct. 8 in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 Mainichi Okan. He had also beaten her into second in April in the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup. Daiwa Major is expected to head to the 1 1/2-mile Japan Cup on Nov. 26 at Tokyo where he could face off against Heart's Cry and, possibly, Deep Impact, as well as a number of challengers from Europe and America. The autumn triple crown concludes at Nakayama on Dec. 24 with the 1 9/16-mile Arima Kinen.