Keiai Nautique has first stakes win in Tokyo's NHK Mile

Keiai Nautique, a colt by Deep Impact, won his first stakes in Sunday’s Group 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds on turf at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

Keiai Nautique benefited when race favorite Tower of London stumbled at the start and raced in traffic before finishing 12th in the field of 15.

Ridden by Yusuke Fujioka for trainer Osamu Hirata, Keiai Nautique won for the third time in his seventh start in the $1.879 million NHK Mile, which was restricted to colts and fillies. Fujioka positioned 11-1 Keiai Nautique toward the back of the field before launching a wide rally that led to a win by a neck over 4-1 Gibeon.

“He was a bit slow to pick up speed, so we had to race from behind,” Fujioka told Japan Racing Association publicity. “He more than made up with his speed and sheer determination. His potential is so great and I think he can handle longer distance.”

Red Veyron, a 24-1 chance, finished third, a head behind Gibeon.

There were three Kentucky-bred colts in the field – Mr Melody, who finished fourth; Delta Barows, who was ninth; and Ryono Tesoro, who finished 11th.

Mr Melody, by Scat Daddy, was bought for $400,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in April 2017. Mr Melody won the Grade 3 Falcon Stakes at seven furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse on March 17, his first stakes win.

Keiai Nautique races for Kazuhiro Kameda. The colt was second in the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama Racecourse on April 7.