Vodka wins consecutive Yasuda Kinen (G1), becomes highest earning mare in JRA history

Champion Japanese mare Vodka was too good once again, winning an action packed renewal of the final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, the 59th running of the Yasuda Kinen (G1) held at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Champion jockey Yutaka Take settled Vodka, the odds-on favorite midfield in the early stages, on the inside of the field. The pace of the race was hot, with Laurel Guerreiro and Armada coming over quickly from their outside draws soon after the start, and then being challenged by Kongo Rikishio who eventually took up the leading role. Sight Winner (the Hong Kong winner of the Champions Mile, and therefore eligible for the Asian Mile Challenge US$1 million bonus) was just behind the leaders, while the 2nd and 3rd favorites Deep Sky and Super Hornet settled in the second half of the field in the early stages.

The pace was very quick, and as the field entered the straight, the runs started coming. Armada and Sight Winner moved up to hit the front with 400 meters to go, and then Super Hornet charged up to join them on the outside. Fourth favorite Company grabbed everyone's attention when he loomed up very wide on the track, but then it was clear that Deep Sky was getting a run through the field.

At the 200-meter mark Deep Sky shot away, and the crowd was gasping as horses bunched up behind on the inside of the track, with favorite Vodka in all sorts of trouble searching for a run. Fifth favorite Smile Jack almost dropped rider Yasunari Iwata as he ran out of room and ran into the back of the tiring Kongo Rikishio.

Company was out wide on the track and tiring, as Deep Sky held a decent lead at the 100-meter mark, but Take squeezed Vodka through a space between Sight Winner and Super Hornet, and the mare accelerated brilliantly to overtake Deep Sky in the closing stages and get up for a fantastic victory. There was a 3/4 length margin on the line, with another length back to outsider Faridat who came from last on the turn to run in 3rd place, a nose in front of Company. Live Concert at huge odds finished nicely for 5th, just ahead of Sight Winner who fought on bravely in the straight, and Super Hornet who died on his run to finish 7th, just ahead of Armada, and then the unlucky Smile Jack.

Vodka's win was her 6th top-class race victory (five Grade 1 races and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)), and she is now the highest earning mare in Japanese racing history (more than 1 billion yen). Five of those race victories have come at Tokyo Racecourse.

Vodka is by Tanino Gimlet out of the Rousillon mare Tanino Sister. She was bred by Country Bokujo, is owned by Yuzo Tanimizu and trained by Katsuhiko Sumii.