Rodeo Drive Takes The 2026 NHK Mile Cup

On Sunday, May 10,  the 3-year-old colt Rodeo Drive claimed the win in the 31st running of the NHK Mile Cup, running over 1600 meters (about one mile, hence the name) of turf at Tokyo Racecourse. The event was the 11th race on the program, held amid sunny weather and on a good-to-firm track surface. As one of the highlight championship Grade I races for 3-year-old “milers,” or horses suited to run at mile-long distances, in Japan, it regularly attracts some of the most competitive domestic and international entrants to Japan’s capital city, with the race first run in 1996.

Ridden by champion Australian jockey Damian Lane, Rodeo Drive started from the far outside of the pack in barrier number 17. The pair was the top favorite on the card that day, coming in with odds of 4.6-to-1 and projected to win, among a field of 18 total runners. Coming off a slow break from the starting gate, Lane and Rodeo Drive ran towards the back of the pack for the majority of the race. Towards the last corner at the 600-meter mark, they moved to the outside, with the horse unleashing a powerful late kick down the home straight, neck and neck with Ask Ikigomi. He ultimately prevailed by just a nose ahead to steal the win, recording a final time of one minute and 31.5 seconds. Besides Ask Ikigomi, the second-place finisher, who was ridden by Keita Tosaki, Admire Quads, ridden by decorated jockey Ryusei Sakai, finished in third place.

Rodeo Drive was foaled in 2023, and was bred and currently owned by Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm. His sire is Saturnalia, a son of the legendary Japanese racehorse and Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, and his dam is Beverly Hills, who is the half-sister of double Grade I winner Company, showing his strong bloodline. His trainer is Tetsuhide Tsuji. He made his debut at Nakayama Racecourse in December of 2025, winning his first two starts and entering the Grade II New Zealand Trophy undefeated, but lost to Reservation by a neck in that race. After winning the NHK Mile Cup, which was both his maiden G1 debut and win, his record now stands at an impressive three wins out of four total starts. The win gave Rodeo Drive’s trainer his first-ever Grade I title, and also notched his jockey Lane’s record, who was riding in Japan on a short-term jockey license, up to seven Japanese Grade I wins. After the race, according to a report published by the Japan Racing Association, Lane said, “I’m relieved to get the best out of the horse… His best trait is his closing speed. He was able to close off really strongly today and sustained a strong run to the finish. The colt is improving all the time.”

Winning this year’s edition of the NHK Mile Cup makes him the 2026 champion miler among three-year-old horses in Japan. It is a career-defining victory for him, making him the top miler of the Japanese racing season, and adding 133 million yen in prize money to his overall earnings. Most importantly, many horses who have won this race in the past have gone on to challenge other major mile-distance races overseas, such as the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin and the Golden Eagle at Royal Randwick in Australia. This potentially places him on a path towards participating in more G1 mile races later in the fall, including the Mile Championship at Kyoto Racecourse, which is scheduled to be held in November. His next start currently remains undecided.

Sources: Official JRA English site (japanracing.jp), Idol Horse, netkeiba, Thoroughbred Daily News.