Museum Mile wins this year’s Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama.

Third favorite Museum Mile claimed this year's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the first leg of the Triple Crown, renewing the race record by 0.1 second to 1:57.0. Debuted in August last year (3rd; Chukyo, 1,600m), the son of Leontes broke his maiden in his second start in October (Kyoto, 1,800m) and registered another win in the following Kigiku Sho (Kyoto, 1 Win Class, 2,000m). He concluded his two-year-old season with a second in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) and kicked off the current season with a fourth in the Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2, 2,000m) on March 9. This win marked trainer Daisuke Takayanagi's first classic title and third JRA-G1 victory after last year's Victoria Mile with Ten Happy Rose. Jockey Joao Moreira became the sixth jockey since Christophe Lemaire in 2019 to claim both the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m)—held a week earlier—and this race in the same year and now has five JRA-G1 titles under his belt.

Breaking smoothly from gate 11, Museum Mile traveled wide in mid-division, around eighth from the frontrunner. The Leontes colt swung wide turning for home to make bid from the outside, rallied briefly with Croix du Nord 150 meters out but soon pulled away with a powerful turn of speed to capture his first G1 title with a 1-1/2-length margin.

"When I sat on him this afternoon, I could feel that he's very special, he's got a very nice body and temperament. I thought this might be the horse to win. When we were turning for home, we were a bit unbalanced, maybe because the ground was not so smooth, but when I got him on the stretch, he just dashed home, and when he took the lead 150 meters to go, he kept running away, showing me that he's got so much ability. It was so nice to ride this horse and I believe he's got plenty more to give," commented Joao Moreira.

Best Two-Year-Old Colt of 2024 and overwhelming race favorite Croix Du Nord traveled around fourth, turned the last two corners wide and surged to the front at the top of the stretch to briefly take the lead at the 200-meter pole. Though overtaken by Museum Mile 150 meters out, the Kitasan Black colt ran persistently, holding off the strong charges from behind, to secure second place.

Fourth pick Masquerade Ball, who came off a victory in the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) in February, sat behind the eventual winner around 11th, angled out slightly for a stretch run with the second fastest late drive but failed to catch the top two finishers while securing third place by half a length.

Other Horses:

4th: (5) Giovanni—settled around 6th, dropped back while rounding last corners widely,
              quickened
5th: (16) Satono Shining—raced wide around 9th, advanced for stretch run, needed more
6th: (18) Magic Sands—traveled near rear, circled wide, launched fastest late kick
7th: (3) King Squall—hugged rails around 14th, angled out at early stretch, showed belated
              charge
8th: (13) Alohi Alii—ran near rear early, made headway at backstretch, showed little in last 200m
9th: (15) Vincentio—positioned behind winner around 14th, passed tired rivals
10th: (14) Kalamatianos—saved ground around 12th, struggled to find clear path at stretch
11th: (2) Eri King—settled around 9th, driven after 3rd corner, failed to respond
12th: (4) Tjuta—chased leader in 2nd, rallied for lead until 150m out, weakened
13th: (1) Nishino Agent—took economic trip around 4th near race favorite, showed effort until
                200m pole
14th: (8) G T Adamant—tracked leaders in 3rd, remained in contention up to 200m pole
15th: (17) Faust Rasen—trailed in rear early, advanced rapidly at backstretch to lead, used up at
                  stretch
16th: (7) Fukuno Blue Lake—raced wide around 12th, gradually dropped position
17th: (12) Dragon Boost—traveled wide around 6th, failed to keep up with rivals after final corner
18th: (9) Piko Chan Black—set pace, joined by Faust Rasen 800m to go, faded at stretch