Meisho Tabaru shone at Hanshin and secured a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup

From wire to wire, the Gold Ship son, under the guidance of Yutaka Take, captured the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) and secured a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

None of his rivals could catch Meisho Tabaru at Hanshin / JRA

TAKARAZUKA, Japón (Special for Turf Diario).- Meisho Tabaru went gate to wire in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) this Sunday at Hanshin, securing an automatic berth for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar, California, on November 1.

The 4-year-old son of Gold Ship out of Meisho Tsubakuro (by French Deputy), trained by Mamoru Ishibashi and ridden by the ever-reliable Yutaka Take, won by 3 lengths over favorite Bellagio Opera (Lord Kanaloa) in a field of 18. Breaking sharply from post 12, Meisho Tabaru took the lead early and, although Bellagio Opera tried to challenge around the turn, the leader powered away in the stretch to claim a decisive victory, improving his record to five wins from just 11 starts.

Take, who notched his 84th JRA Grade 1 win and his fifth in the Takarazuka Kinen, said after the race, “My plan was to take the lead and set a comfortable pace. Meisho Tabaru was feeling great, which showed down the stretch. I knew the challengers would come, but the horse responded strongly when it mattered most.”

Bellagio Opera, running more patiently behind the leaders, held off Justin Palace (Deep Impact), who finished third, but couldn’t catch the winner.

This win guarantees Meisho Tabaru a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1-2400 m) at Del Mar, with entry fees and travel expenses covered by the series. The Takarazuka Kinen also closed the Japanese leg of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, which also qualified Costa Nova (Lord Kanaloa), winner of the February Stakes (G1); Ascoli Piceno(Daiwa Major), winner of the Victoria Mile (G1); and last week’s Yasuda Kinen (G1) hero Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), all for the biggest US meeting and one of the premier events in the global racing calendar.