Rainbow Line vanned off after winning Tenno Sho

Rainbow Line, the Grade 2 winner of a turf marathon in Japan in March, won the first Grade 1 race in Sunday’s spring running of the $2.66 million Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, but was vanned off after the race when he showed signs of lameness in a foreleg.

Rainbow Line (5-1) won the Tenno Sho at two miles by a neck over 2-1 favorite Cheval Grand. Ridden by Yasunari Iwata, Rainbow Line closed from the back of the field of 17 and fought his way through traffic to catch stretch leader Cheval Grand in the final furlong.

Clincher, a 7-1 shot who was third behind Rainbow Line in the Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten at 1 7/8 miles in March, finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Rainbow Line.

Sunday’s race marked Cheval Grand’s third start in the Tenno Sho. The 6-year-old was third in 2016 and second last year.

Rainbow Line, a 5-year-old horse by Stay Gold, races for Masahiro Mita and trainer Hidekazu Asami and has won 5 of 22 starts. The Tenno Sho was Rainbow Line’s third career graded stakes win.

Asami expressed concern about Rainbow Line’s condition after the race.

“I hope to give him the best care as possible so that he can recover for his next race,” Asami said in a statement released by the Japan Racing Association.

Kyoto drew a crowd of 69,308, who contributed to an all-sources handle of $259.1 million on the 12-race, the JRA announced.