Trainer Tetsuhide Tsuji celebrated his first Group 1 success at Tokyo on Sunday when Rodeo Drive (Saturnalia) denied Ask Ikigomi (Lord Kanaloa) in a pulsating finish to the NHK Mile Cup.
Damian Lane took his medicine in the early stages aboard race favourite Rodeo Drive, who had a tricky draw to navigate in stall 17 of 18. Racing towards the rear of the field for much of the contest, the son of Saturnalia still trailed the pacesetters by the best part of 10 lengths entering the straight, shadowing the every move of Ask Ikigomi as that rival swung wide to deliver his challenge.
At the business end, Ryusei Sakai appeared to have timed his run to perfection when producing Admire Quads (Real Steel) to lead well inside the final furlong, but he was quickly joined by Ask Ikigomi and Rodeo Drive as that duo came fast and late on his outside. Locked together in the final strides, it was Rodeo Drive who put his head down where it mattered to get the verdict by a nose, with Admire Quads finishing another 1 1/4 lengths behind Ask Ikigomi in third.
“I'm relieved to get the best out of the horse,” said the Australian-born Lane, back riding in Japan under a short-term licence. “His best trait is his closing speed. He was able to close off really strongly today and sustained a strong run to the finish. The colt is improving all the time. Now he has performed very well at Group 1 level, I expect him to race at this level for some time.”
This was Rodeo Drive's first top-level assignment following three starts over 1,600 metres at Nakayama. He made a successful debut there in December last year, before following up on his return to action in March to earn the unbeaten colt a step up in grade for last month's New Zealand Trophy. He was beaten a neck in that Group 2 by Reservation (Danon Premium), who reopposed on Sunday but could finish only sixth, 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
【NHKマイルカップ（GⅠ）】
D.レーン騎手騎乗の #ロデオドライブ が優勝🏇アスクイキゴミとのゴール前の大接戦を制してGⅠ初制覇🔥
🔽レース結果はこちらhttps://t.co/GQOdtpEAIu pic.twitter.com/DiRUoeClFt
— JRA公式 (@JRA_Special) May 10, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Rodeo Drive is the fifth winner from six runners out of the Snitzel mare Beverly Hills, who won twice in 11 starts when trained in Japan by Ryo Terashima. Beverly Hills, in turn, is a half-sister to four black-type winners, headed by the multiple Group 1-winning sire Company and G3 Mainichi Hai scorer Historical (Deep Impact). Their dam, Brilliant Very (Northern Taste), is a full-sister to the champion steeplechaser in Japan, Big Taste. This is also the family of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup hero Tastiera (Satono Crown).
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
NHK MILE CUP-G1, ¥253,460,000, Tokyo, 5-10, 3yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:31.50, fm.
1–RODEO DRIVE (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Saturnalia (Jpn)
1st Dam: Beverly Hills (Jpn), by Snitzel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Brilliant Very (Jpn), by Northern Taste
3rd Dam: Crafty Wife, by Crafty Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuhide Tsuji;
J-Damian Lane; ¥133,822,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0,
¥171,830,000. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ask Ikigomi (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Impede
(GB), by Bated Breath (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.
(¥86,000,000 Wlg '23 JRAJUL). O-Toshihiro Hirosaki;
B-Northern Farm; ¥53,092,000.
3–Admire Quads (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Real Steel (Jpn)–Date Line
(Jpn), by Zoffany (Ire). (¥66,000,000 Wlg '23 JRAJUL). O-Junko
Kondo; B-Northern Farm; ¥33,546,000.
Margins: NS, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 3.60, 7.40, 8.70.
Also Ran: Lorbeerkranz (Jpn), Diamond Knot (Jpn), Reservation (Jpn), Thunderstruck (Jpn), Anduril (Jpn), Ecoro Alba (Jpn), Valsecito (Jpn), Ghillies' Ball (Jpn), Cavallerizzo (Jpn), Hornero (Jpn), Fukuchan Sho (Jpn), Gene King (Jpn), Resort Island (Jpn), Yu Pharoah, Happy Angel (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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