The top points earner in the series will receive a guaranteed invitation to the Run for the Roses and the In mischief Colt’s connections are interested, albeit with a possible detour through the Middle East.
Satono Voyage went straight into the lead in the Cattleya and held on despite stretching to 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) for the first time. He stopped a determined bid Don Erectus of Arcadia cafe third, Every Possible fourth, and Luxor fifth.
Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka admitted he was unsure of the colt’s ability to sustain his drive.
“Not me, but the jockey (Keita Tosaki) had confidence in the trajectory,” Tanaka said.
Satono Voyage now has three wins and a second from four starts.
Connections celebrates Satono Voyage’s victory in the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse
He earned 10 points for the win at Cattleya, with minor points of 5-3-2-1 awarded to the rest of the top five. The race will be followed by the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse on December 17, with 20-10-6-4-2 points. The Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse on February 21 raises the bar to 30-15-9-6-3.
The series concludes with the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse on March 28, where the winner’s 40 points could decide the outcome. Small distinctions are 20-12-8-4.
Asked about the Kentucky Derby (G1), Tanaka said: “It’s not easy to say at the moment that we have that goal. Before the race we thought if he ran well we would consider the Saudi Derby. He has a lot of potential and we are happy to be here with him today.”
“He is a son of Into Mischief, who has done well as a sire in the US and we think he could do well there too.”
Inaugurated in 2017, the Japan Road series has become a major force in the Kentucky Derby makeup after a relatively slow start.
Luxor Café a Kentucky bred American Pharaoh colt trained by Noriyuki Hori, won the last two races in the 2024-25 series and retained the lead in the final standings. He finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby after a slow start and repeated traffic problems.
Luxor Cafe has continued to compete domestically, finishing third in the Japan Dirt Classic at Oi Racecourse in October and first in a Class 3 event at Tokyo Racecourse on November 15.
In the series 2023-24, TO Password , Ramjet And Forever young were the three best scorers. Forever Young exited the series and earned his way into the Run for the Roses by winning the UAE Derby (G2) in Dubai before finishing third in the three-way photo in Louisville, Kentucky. TO Password accepted the Derby invitation and finished fifth.
Forever Young went on to win the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in February and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on November 1, raising the Japanese dirt racing flag to previously unimaginable heights.
“His success has certainly encouraged all of us,” Tanaka said.
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