Second favorite Meisho Tabaru captured this year’s All-Star “Grand Prix,” the Takarazuka Kinen (200m) at Hanshin on Sunday, becoming only the third horse to win the race two years in a row, following his sire Gold Ship in 2013- 2014 and Chrono Genesis in 2020-2021.
After winning last year’s edition, the son of Gold Ship finished sixth, 0.2 seconds behind the winner, in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) before finishing a disappointing 13th in the year-end Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m). He commenced the current season by finishing second to Croix du Nord in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) on April 5, his most recent start. Trainer Mamoru Ishibashi scored his second JRA-G1 win, while jockey Yutaka Take claimed his 86th G1 title, following his victory in the Yasuda Kinen aboard Sixpence just a week earlier, and extended his own record for most Takarazuka Kinen victories to six, including victories with Inari One (1989), Mejiro McQueen (1993), Marvelous Sunday (1997) and Deep Impact (2006). He also extended his own record as the oldest jockey to win a G1 race at the age of 57 years, 3 months and 1 day.
With the track condition changing from “good to firm” to “yielding” due to a sudden downpour just before the race, the strong field of 18, which included five of the top six horses in the fans’ vote, made a clean break in front of a large crowd of racing fans. As Cosmo Kuranda rushed to the front to take the lead, Meisho Tabaru broke smoothly from an outside draw and settled just off the pace in second. As the field crowded while turning the last two corners, the five-year-old bay by Gold Ship tenaciously closed ground, caught the leader passing the 200-meter marker and managed to fend off the strong charge by the race favorite in the final 100 meters to defend his title by a neck.
“When it started raining just before the race, I felt as though the late owner Yoshio Matsumoto had sent it down from heaven. Since races are unpredictable, I stayed flexible and settled in second position, and we were able to race in good rhythm. When Croix du Nord closed in before the wire, I thought, “Please, not this time!” I felt that Meisho Tabaru was in really good form and the strongest today. I think we can head to France with our heads held high,” commented jockey Yutaka Take.
Race favorite Croix du Nord tracked the pace in good striking position, around fifth from the front, and saved ground along the rails through the final two corners. The four-year-old Kitasan Black colt launched his bid upon entering the lane, chasing Meisho Tabaru and unleashing a powerful late kick in an attempt to catch the leader as he had in the Osaka Hai but fell a neck short this time to finish second.
Breaking from the innermost stall, third pick Danon Decile was unhurried around 14th and made headway on the rails rounding the final corners before angling out at the top of the stretch. The two-time G1 victor dug well to close in on the leaders with the fastest late speed, and while unable to threaten the top two finishers due to too much ground to make up, he denied tenacious Cosmo Kuranda just before the wire to register his fourth consecutive third-place finish since last year’s Japan Cup.
THE 67TH TAKARAZUKA KINEN (G1)
3-year-olds & up, 2,200 meters (about 11 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, June 14, 2026 Hanshin Racecourse 11th Race Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 651,000,000 (about US$ 4,200,000 <US$1=¥155>)
3-y-o: 53kg (about 117 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares,
1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2022, 3kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2023
Course record: 2:09.7 Race record: 2:09.7 [Titleholder (JPN, by Duramente), 2022]
Safety factor: 18 runners Going: Yielding Weather: Rainy
FP BK PP Horse Jockey S&A Color Wgt Odds (Fav) Margin (L3F) Sire Dam (Dam’s Sire) Owner Breeder Trainer
1 8 16 Meisho Tabaru (JPN) Yutaka Take H5 b. 58.0 3.9 (2) 2:12.1 (35.3) Gold Ship Meisho Tsubakuro (French Deputy) Yoshitaka Matsumoto Mishima Bokujo Mamoru Ishibashi
2 3 5 Croix du Nord (JPN) Yuichi Kitamura C4 br. 58.0 2.5 (1) Neck (35.2) Kitasan Black Rising Cross (Cape Cross) Sunday Racing Co., Ltd. Northern Racing Takashi Saito
3 1 1 Danon Decile (JPN) Keita Tosaki H5 ch. 58.0 7.0 (3) 2-1/2 (35.0) Epiphaneia Top Decile (Congrats) Danox Co., Ltd. Shadai Farm
Shogo Yasuda
Other contenders:
4th: (9) Cosmo Kuranda—set pace, showed tenacity after surrendering lead, weakened in last 100m
5th: (8) Tagano Dude—trailed in rear, passed tired rivals between horses with tied 2nd fastest late kick
6th: (7) Family Time—hugged rails around 9th, showed effort on inner stretch
7th: (17) Regaleira—traveled wide around 11th, failed to launch late speed
8th: (10) June Take—ran wide around 7th, advanced but failed to keep up with frontrunners in last 200m
9th: (2) Museum Mile—sat around 6th behind favorite, lacked needed kick
10th: (12) Meiner Emperor—tracked leaders around 3rd, sustained bid until 200m pole
11th: (11) Shin Emperor—saved ground around 15th, even paced
12th: (4) Mikuni Inspire—sat around 7th, gradually dropped back
13th: (14) Stinger Glass—settled in 17th, unable to reach contention
14th: (13) Shake Your Heart—positioned wide around 15th, showed little
15th: (6) Byzantine Dream—raced in 16th, advanced after 3rd corner, failed to respond
16th: (18) Mystery Way—traveled wide around 11th, never fired at stretch
17th: (3) Sugar Kun—chased leaders around 3rd, faded after final corner
FF: (15) My Universe—ran around 10th, dropped back, pulled up due to acute heart failure
Fractional time (sec./furlong): 12.4 – 11.1 – 11.9 – 12.4 – 12.5 – 12.0 – 12.1 – 12.1 – 11.8 – 11.6 – 12.2
Last 4 furlongs: 47.7 Last 3 furlongs: 35.6