KYOTO — On a scorching hot day, and in front of a crowd of 78,000 at Kyoto racecourse, jockey Yasunari Iwata drove home Admire Jupiter in the dying moments of the race to deny Meisho Samson back to back victories in the spring Tenno-sho (Emperor's Cup). With owner Riichi Kondo entering four horses in the race, he was always going to have the best chance of lifting the ¥132 million winner's prize.
A field of 14 lined up for one of Japan's most valuable and historic races, and despite there being no runners from overseas, there were still enough pieces to the jigsaw to satisfy most racing fans. Some of the country's most seasoned stayers came together again for a crack at the 137th Tenno-sho, run on ground that was good and riding fast.
In the paddock, third favorite Admire Jupiter seemed a little worked up, and by the time the horses reached the start, several of them were getting quite warm. Fortunately, loading into the gates went smoothly, and after a roar from the crowd, the runners were soon on their way. As expected, Hokuto Sultan, under Norihiro Yokoyama, took the lead and went away by 6 lengths or so in the early stages, followed by Admire Main and Tokai Trick. Passing the stands for the first time, the order remained much the same, with first favorite Asakusa Kings settled in fourth. As they rounded the turn and headed up the backstretch for the final time, Hokuto Sultan's lead was reduced, with potential winners not wanting to be too far off the pace. Meisho Samson, Pop Rock and Eye Popper were in mid-division, with the two outsiders, San Valentin and Dream Partner, bringing up the rear.