Regaleira the lone female chasing Takarazuka Kinen title

Regaleira paid $43.20 in American pools when she produced a late rally to win the Grade 1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan last December. But Regaleira will not be that high of a price for her 4-year-old debut in a tough running of Sunday’s Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles at Hanshin Racecourse.

A winner of 3 of 8 starts, Regaleira drew the outside post in a field of 17 and is the only filly or mare in a field that includes Sol Oriens and Bellagio Opera, who were second and third in the 2024 Takarazuka Kinen; and Rousham Park, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar last November.

The $3.99 million Takarazuka Kinen, the final Grade 1 race in the first half of the year in Japan, has international ramifications. The winner receives berths to the Group 1 Cox Plate in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 25, and the BC Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Regaleira ended a four-race losing streak in the $6.1 million Arima Kinen, closing from sixth of 15 to win by a nose over Shahryar, who was third in the 2024 BC Turf. With an outside draw on Sunday, jockey Keita Tosaki is expected to move Regaleira into a stalking position quickly after the start. Races at Hanshin at 1 3/8 miles on turf start at the top of the stretch before completing a circuit of the track.

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Bellagio Opera may start favored on the strength of a win in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai at 1 1/4 miles at Hanshin on April 6 in his last start, a race he also won by a neck over Rousham Park in 2024. This year’s Osaka Hai was Bellagio Opera’s first start since a fourth in the Arima Kinen in December.

Rousham Park’s form is harder to assess. After the BC Turf, he was seventh in the Arima Kinen and finished sixth of 13 in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on April 12, which marked his lone start this year. The Queen Elizabeth drew a strong field of older Australian horses and was won by Via Sistina, the standout runner in that country in the current season.

The fields for the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen are partially determined by voting from fans. Bellagio Opera and Regaleira led the voting for Sunday’s race.

The Takarazuka Kinen has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday.

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