JANTAR MANTAR’S convincing victory in the G1 Yasuda Kinen reopened a world of international options for the rejuvenated four-year-old.
The Shadai Farm-owned colt had only raced once in the last 13 months and that was a well-beaten 13th in the G1 Hong Kong Mile six months ago.
But a barnstorming win on Sunday in Tokyo meant Jantar Mantar joined a select group of Japanese horses to win a Group 1 at two, three and four – and put travel back on the agenda for connections.
The Yasuda Kinen is also a “win and you’re in” qualifier for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on November 1 and trainer Tomokazu Takano said that was one of the many possibilities for his horse.
“Nothing has been decided yet — not whether we’ll race overseas (or stay in Japan), nor the distance,” Takano said. “We’ll discuss everything within the team, including the possibility of going to the United States.”
The winning margin of one and a half lengths didn’t tell the full story of Jantar Mantar’s dominance. The son of Palace Malice travelled strongly, sitting three-deep without cover up on the pace throughout before Yuga Kawada asked for a sprint from the 200 meters.
