Japan: Songline takes Yasuda Kinen for second consecutive year
Overcoming an outside post in a field of 18, Songline won Sunday’s Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen for the second consecutive year at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan, the third horse to record two wins in Japan’s leading springtime race for milers.
With the win, Songline earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
Songline raced wide in mid-pack under jockey Keita Tosaki on the backstretch of the one-turn race. Continuing wide behind rivals through the turn, Songline steadily made progress in the final furlong before taking the lead in the last sixteenth.
“The position we found was ideal,” Tosaki told Japan Racing Association publicity. “She responded beautifully and demonstrated her strong turn of foot and speed.”
Songline ($18.50) finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Serifos, who was a head in front of Schnell Meister.
Sodashi, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2021 in Japan, was third on the turn, but faded through the stretch to finish seventh, beaten four lengths.
Serifos was the 2022 champion miler-sprinter in Japan, a combined category in that country’s year-end championships.
Songline and Sodashi were first and second in the Grade 1 Victoria Mile for fillies and mares at Tokyo Racecourse on May 14.
“To score two Grade 1 wins in a row is just incredible,” Tosaki said. “I feel she is still steadily progressing.
The $2.48 million Yasuda Kinen was Songline’s third Grade 1 win in Japan. A 5-year-old mare by Kizuna, Songline is the third repeat winner of the Yasuda Kinen, joining Yamanin Zephyr (1992-1993) and Vodka (2008-2009).
Songline has won once outside of Japan, in the Group 3 1351 Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February 2022. She was 10th in the same race this year before rebounding to win the Victoria Mile.
Songline races for Sunday Racing Co., Ltd., and trainer Toru Hayashi.
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