Calandagan, Europe’s 2025 Horse of the Year, is pretty good far from home, too. On Sunday, Calandagan became the first foreign-based horse to win the Grade 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan in 20 years with a thrilling victory over the domestic star Masquerade Ball. The two were separated by a head after running 1 1/2 miles in course-record time of 2:20.30. The previous mark of 2:20.60 was set by Almond Eye in the 2018 Japan Cup. Calandagan, who paid $8.10 in American pools, was confidently ridden by Mickael Barzalona, who had the 4-year-old gelding toward the back of the field for the first mile. On the turn, Calandagan moved forward with a three-wide move. Continuing wide in the stretch, Calandagan and Masquerade Ball caught stretch leader Croix du Nord with slightly more than a furlong remaining. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Calandagan and Masquerade Ball, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, ran as a team through the final furlong, with Calandagan holding the slightest edge at the finish. Barzalona said Calandagan did not have a smooth trip in the first few furlongs, but quickly settled at the rear of the field of 17. “Once we found our position and we found our rhythm, he traveled all the way very well,” Barzalona told Japan Racing Association publicity. Barzalona said he expected Calandagan would be challenged by Masquerade Ball. “I wasn't sure if (Lemaire) was going or not, so I had to give a clear run to Calandagan and started to increase my pace,” he said. “Chris, of course, actually was very close to us and he even got probably a head in front of me, but Calandagan was the strongest.” Masquerade Ball, the 5-2 favorite in American pools, finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of 4-1 Danon Decile. Croix du Nord (7-2) faded to finish fourth. Admire Terra (49-1) unseated jockey Yasuo Tomomichi a few strides into the race. Admire Terra ran with the field for the rest of the race. The outside Seiun Hades set the pace, leading by about seven lengths midway through the race before fading to finish 12th. Caladagan, who races for Aga Khan Studs and French-based trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, beat a strong group of Japanese runners. Masquerade Ball was second to Croix du Nord in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby in May, and won the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 2, a key prep race for the Japan Cup. Danon Decile, was Japan’s champion 3-year-old colt of 2024, and beat Calandagan when they were first and second in the Group 1 Sheema Classic at 1 1/2 miles on turf in Dubai in March. Croix du Nord was Japan’s champion 2-year-old colt of 2024. After the Japanese Derby, Croix du Nord started twice in France, winning the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange at 1 1/4 miles by a short head against the Graffard-trained Daryz at Longchamp on Sept. 14, and finishing 14th behind Daryz in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Oct. 5. Calandagan had impeccable credentials going into Sunday’s race, having won three consecutive Group 1 races in France and Britain since early summer. An Irish-bred, Calandagan won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at 1 1/2 miles in Paris on June 29, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Ascot on July 26, and the Champions Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Ascot on Oct. 18. Calandagan, who has won 8 of 14 starts, became the first horse from outside Japan to win the Japan Cup since Alkaased for British-based trainer Luca Cumani in 2005. Calandagan will remain in training in 2026. Cattleya Stakes Satono Voyage won his third consecutive start in Saturday’s $197,000 Cattleya Stakes for 2-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse, the first of four stakes in the country’s qualifying series for the 2026 Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Keita Tosaki for trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka, Satono Voyage stalked the early pace in the one-mile race before taking the lead with a three-wide move on the turn and into early stretch. Satono Voyage, the 3-5 favorite in Japanese pools, finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 132-1 Don Erectus, who closed from well off the pace. Arcadia Café, a Kentucky-bred by Into Mischief, rallied between rivals in the stretch to finish third. Arcadia Café was purchased for $550,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A colt, Arcadia Café is out of Mary’s Follies, winner of the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2019. Mary’s Follies is the dam of the 12-time stakes winner Regal Glory, and two star runners in Japan – Café Pharoah, the winner of the Grade 1 February Stakes on dirt in 2021 and 2022 and the third-place finisher in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2023; and Luxor Café, a stakes winner in Japan who was 12th in the Kentucky Derby in May. Every Possible and Ho O Luxor finished fourth and fifth. The first five finishers earned 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. Satono Voyage, a Japanese-bred by Into Mischief, has started four times. He was second in his debut in a one-mile race for first-time starters on turf at Hanshin in July, and later won a six-furlong dirt race for maidens at Niigata on Aug. 9, and a seven-furlong allowance race on dirt at Tokyo on Nov. 9. The Cattleya Stakes is the lesser of the four qualifying races in Japan. There are one-mile qualifying races in December and February worth 20 and 30 points to the winner and a final qualifier in March at 1 1/8 miles worth 40 points to the winner. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.