Jantar Mantar Gets Breeders' Cup Bid with Yasuda Kinen

Jantar Mantar shrugged off a perplexing failure in Hong Kong and a long subsequent layoff to win the Yasuda Kinen (G1) June 8 at Tokyo Racecourse and lay claim to being Japan's top miler.

The 4-year-old Palace Malice  colt, with Yuga Kawada up, rolled to his third top-level victory in his first start of 2025, seeing off Gaia Force  by 1 1/2 lengths and the favorite, Soul Rush , by another neck. Soul Rush was last seen defeating Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior  in the Dubai Turf (G1T) in April.

The win earned Jantar Mantar a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 1. Soul Rush also is qualified for a spot in that race as winner of the Dubai Turf.

After a clean break from the middle of the 18-horse field, Kawada held an eager Jantar Mantar in check just behind the early leaders while sticking to a path well off the inside rail. Turning into the stretch, he let the colt run and he responded to grab the lead and finished with enthusiasm.

Kawada earned his keep as Jantar Mantar was keen after his six-month vacation.

"The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start," said Kawada, currently No. 5 on the Japanese jockey standings. "But then he got a little over-excited as horses came from behind so I got a little worried. The colt just barely managed to contain himself as much as he could after that.

"I was still in doubt as to how he would respond at the stretch but, considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is."

Jantar Mantar was undefeated in three starts in 2023, picking up his first top-level win in the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) to cap the season. He was second and third in his first two starts at age 3 and earned a trip to Hong Kong by winning the NHK Mile Cup (G1) in May. That resulted in a 13th-place finish in the Hong Kong Mile (G1)—his only off-the-board finish and a continuing mystery.

"We couldn't come up with a reason for that performance," trainer Tomokazu Takano said before the Yasuda Kinen.

The rebound confirms Jantar Mantar's class, Kawada said.

"I knew he would become a potential miler when he won the Asahi Hai as a 2-year-old and was certain he was the best miler in Japan when taking the NHK Mile Cup title," the jockey said. Today, he's justified his talent so I'm happy for that."

Jantar Mantar also staked a minor claim to fame as the only horse to win the NHK Mile Cup and subsequently claim the Yasuda Kinen title.

Kawada won the race for the fourth time.

Jantar Mantar, out of the Wilburn  mare India Mantuana , was bred by Shadai Farm and races for Shadai Race Horse. His sire, Palace Malice , won the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) in 2013 and the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) the following season.