Gold Actor earns Grade 1 win in Arima Kinen

Gold Actor (16-1) extended his winning streak to four races with the most prestigious win of his career Sunday in the $4,332,650 Arima Kinen Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

The Grade 1 Arima Kinen, run at 1 9/16 miles on turf, is the season-ending race of the year in Japan with a field partially determined by a ballot among racing fans.

Gold Actor, a 4-year-old colt by Screen Hero, finished a neck in front of the 8-1 Sounds of Earth in a field of 16. Kitasan Black (7-1) finished third, with the 3-1 favorite Gold Ship only eighth of 16. The Arima Kinen was the final start for Gold Ship, a multiple stakes winner in Japan.

Gold Actor was ridden by Hayato Yoshida for trainer Tadeshige Nakagawa. Gold Actor raced behind the pace before taking the lead in the stretch.

Owned by Kaname Ishiro, Gold Actor has won 7 of 15 starts. His winning streak includes a Grade 2 race in Japan earlier this fall. The Arima Kinen was his first Grade 1 win. He was third in the Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger as a 3-year-old in 2014.

The Arima Kinen was attended by 127,281, according to a statement released by the Japan Racing Association. The race handled $41.6 million.