Seventh-pick Asakusa Denen earned the title of No. 1 mile race horse of the spring when he surged to victory in the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday.

With jockey Shinji Fujita at the irons, Asakusa Denen completed the 1,600-meter race on turf in 1 minute, 32.3 seconds to claim 94 million yen in prize money in the 6 year old's debut in the race for top milers.

"The race was at a faster pace than I expected but I thought that we were moving along in good position," said Fujita.

"I thought that a horse would come from the outside near the end but my horse really gave his all."

Asakusa Denen charged from the pack on the straight, catching Silent Witness, and moved out in front to beat Sweep Tosho by a neck.

Silent Witness, a horse from Hong Kong, came third a head behind Sweep Tosho. Top pick Telegnosis had a disappointing sixth-place finish. The winning horse paid out 1,230 yen on a 100 yen wager.