Tokyo Racecourse: Just a Way scores upset in Tenno Sho

Just a Way, a 14-1 outsider, scored an upset win in Sunday’s $2,824,157 Tenno Sho at Tokyo Racecourse, the first Grade 1 win of his career.

Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, Just a Way finished four lengths in front of Gentildonna, the even-money favorite who was making her first start since a third in the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse on June 23. Gentildonna was the 2012 Japanese Horse of the Year.
Eishin Flash, who won the 2012 Tenno Sho, was third in the field of 17.

Just a Way, a 4-year-old colt by Heart’s Cry, closed from 11th to reach a prominent position in early stretch in the race over 1 1/4 miles on turf. Just a Way took the lead with a furlong remaining to record his second stakes win. Just a Way won the Grade 3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin in February 2012.

Owned by Akatsuki Yamatoya and trained by Naosuke Sugai, Just a Way has won 3 of 16 starts. He was second to Eishin Flash in the Grade 2 Mainichi Okan Stakes at Tokyo on Oct. 6.

With the win, Just a Way is a candidate for the $5.3 million Japan Cup on Nov. 24.