Japan: Rodeo Drive rallies from far back to take NHK Mile

The mile specialist Rodeo Drive ran to his strength with a nose win in near stakes-record time in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds on turf at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

Ridden by Damian Lane, Rodeo Drive, who paid $8.40 in American pools, closed from the back of a field of 18 to edge 14-1 Ask Ikigomi, who also rallied from well off the pace.

Rodeo Drive was timed in 1:31.50. The stakes record of 1:31.40 was set by Danon Chantilly in 2010.

“I’m relieved to get the best out of the horse,” Lane told Japan Racing Association publicity. “His best trade is his closing speed. He was able to close off really strongly, and sustained a strong run to the finish.

“The colt is improving all the time. Now he has performed very well at Group 1 level, I expect him to race at this level for some time.”

Ask Ikigomi finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 6-1 Admire Quads.

The $1.61 million NHK Mile was Rodeo Drive’s third win in his fourth start, all at a mile. He finished second by a neck in the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama Racecourse on April 11.

Rodeo Drive was favored in Japan, but was the second choice in American pools. Diamond Knot, who finished fifth, was the 5-2 favorite in American pools.

Rodeo Drive, a colt by Saturnalia, races for Katsumi Yoshida and trainer Tetsuhide Tsuji. The NHK Mile, Japan’s lone Grade 1 race for 3-year-olds on turf, was Rodeo Drive’s first stakes win. He won a race for first-time starters at Nakayama last December in his debut, and his first start of 2026 in an allowance race at Nakayama on March 1.

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