NHK Mile Cup: First Pick Rodeo Drive Edges Ask Ikigomi

Race favorite Rodeo Drive won the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup to become the 3-year-old champion miler on Sunday, May 10 at Tokyo Racecourse. He crossed the wire in 1 minute, 31.5 seconds, just 0.1 seconds short of the race record.

The son of Saturnalia began his career in 2025 with a win at Nakayama Racecourse in December and added another win there in March before marking a second-place finish in his previous start in the New Zealand Trophy (G2) on April 11.

While all of his four starts so far covered 1,600 meters, this race marked the colt's first outing on a left-handed course.

Trainer Tetsuhide Tsuji, who opened his yard in 2021, claimed his third graded and first Japan Racing Association G1 title.

Riding under a short-term license since April 18, jockey Damian Lane scored his seventh JRA G1 victory and his first since the 2025 Tenno Sho (Spring) with Redentor.

The 31st Running of the NHK Mile Cup

Breaking from the second-farthest stall, Rodeo Drive was unhurried in fourth from the rear while G3 Churchill Downs Cup victor Ask Ikigomi (Keita Tosaki's ride), who broke from the stall right beside him, rushed up to sit a couple of lengths in front. As the pacesetter, Yu Pharoah (Fuma Matsuwaka), headed the field into the stretch but gradually ran out of steam, third favorite Diamond Knot (Yuga Kawada) kicked into gear to take command at the 200-meter pole.

Ask Ikigomi, with Rodeo Drive in close pursuit, entered the straight near the rear and unleashed a remarkable stretch drive from the outside.

And after picking off their rivals one by one, it was Rodeo Drive who dug in fiercely to catch and poke his head in front of the son of Lord Kanaloa at the wire to win by a nostril. (Watch the race on the JRA's YouTube channel.)

"I'm relieved to get the best out of the horse," Lane said after the race.

The winning jockey then said, "I'm happy with his speed — his best trade is his closing speed, he was able to close off really strongly today and sustained a strong run to the finish."

Lane continued: "The colt is improving all the time. Now he has performed very well at the group one level, I expect him to race at this level for some time."

In Pursuit of Victory

Sixth favorite Admire Quads (Ryusei Sakai), the third-place finisher in the 2025 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600 meters), sat wide around seventh before launching his bid to join the rally for the lead at the furlong pole.

Putting away Diamond Knot with 100 meters to go, the Real Steel colt was soon overtaken by the fast-closing Ask Ikigomi, then Rodeo Drive, but secured third place by 1½ lengths.

Tenth favorite Lorbeerkranz (Kohei Matsuyama) finished fourth. Third pick Diamond Knot was fifth.