Songline Victory in Yasuda Kinen Earns BC Mile Chance

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Songline Victory in Yasuda Kinen Earns BC Mile Chance
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Photo: Masakazu Takahashi
Songline wins the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse

Songline  turned the outside draw into a smooth ride in the Yasuda Kinen (G1) June 4 at Tokyo Racecourse, accelerating through the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths and earn a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) in November.

Serifos , in his first start since returning from Dubai, just missed with a nice inside run and Schnell Meister , the favorite, was another head behind in third.

Songline, a 5-year-old Kizuna  mare out of the Symboli Kris S mare Luminous Parade , finished the one-mile race on good to firm turf in 1:31.40 with Keita Tosaki in the irons.

In addition to the Breeders' Cup entry for Songline, the first three finishers from the Yasuda Kinen earned the right to start in two major French one-mile races, the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) and the Prix de Moulin de Longchamp (G1).

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Songline got a clean start from the No. 18 gate and Tosaki got her into an even stride while racing around the middle of the field. After racing without incident through the sweeping turn and into the uphill stretch climb, Songline took an outside route, gained steadily, and was in command through the final 100 meters.

Serifos, a 4-year-old colt by Daiwa Major , went through a tight hole between rivals at mid-stretch to gain the lead but had no answer to the winner's late rally. The popular white filly Sodashi  had every chance in the late going but faded to finish seventh.

Songline and Sodashi finished 1-2 in their previous start, the Victoria Mile (G1) May 14, also at Tokyo Racecourse.

‟I was able to gallop her last week and felt that her form had improved, so I had every confidence in her today," Tosaki said. "The position we found was ideal, she responded beautifully and demonstrated her strong turn of foot and speed today.

"To score two group 1 wins in a row is just incredible and I feel she is still steadily progressing."

Songline was bred by Northern Farm and races in the familiar colors of Sunday Racing Co. Trainer Toru Hayashi, assessing prospects before the race, said the Victoria Mile effort showed the mare continues to develop.

"She has not only kept her condition since her last race, but she also seems to have improved for it," he said. "It's the same concept as last year with these two races, and we're seeing the real Songline."

The win was her third at the top level, also including the 2022 Yasuda Kinen. She also won the 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia (G3) in 2022 against top international competition but reported 10th in that race this year.

Songline becomes just the third horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Yasuda Kinen, joining Yamanin Zephyr , winner in 1992 and 1993, and the great Vodka , who won in 2008-09 and is immortalized with a statue in the Tokyo Racecourse paddock.

It marked the first time Songline has been able to put together consecutive wins since the second and third starts of her career in the winter of 2021-22.

This year's Yasuda Kinen was held in celebration of the 150th birthday of its namesake, Izaemon Yasuda, first president of the Japan Racing Association.