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The 75th running of the Yasuda Kinen will be held on Sunday, 8th June and it is a 1,600m turf event at Tokyo Racecourse.

This coming Sunday sees one of the JRA's top all-aged mile turf races in the first half of the year at Tokyo Racecourse, bringing the curtain down on a five straight week run of top-level races at the track. The Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen has long been one of the feature races of the late spring, following on from the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).

First run in 1951 as the Yasuda Sho, this year will be the 75th running of the race, which honors the first JRA president, Izaemon Yasuda. It was originally a handicap race for 4-year-olds and up, and only since 2001 have 3-year-olds been eligible to run. It became a Grade 1 back in 1984, and was established as an international race in 1993. Hong Kong's Romantic Warrior was an impressive winner of the race last year, but there will be no overseas challengers this time.

There are 19 nominations for this year's Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen, and despite the absence of foreign runners, some of Japan's top milers - and others with some versatility - look set to do battle in the race, with the field size being capped at 18 horses. Four-year-olds and up carry 58kg, and despite a generous allowance of 4kg for 3-year-olds, there are no 3yos among the nominations this year. Just two first favorites have won in the last 10 years - Romantic Warrior was the last one - and the race has favored 4-year-olds in the past decade, with five of them winning. Record time for the race is held by Indy Champ, who won in 2019 in a time of 1:30.9 seconds. This year the winner receives JPY180 million (about USD1.2 million), as well as an automatic entry to the Breeders' Cup later this year.

Lead-up races have included the Grade 1 Osaka Hai, run at Hanshin in April, the Grade 2 Nakayama Kinen, run over 1,800 meters in March, and the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup, run at Kyoto in April. Some runners are also returning after races overseas.

Final declarations and barrier draw will be available later in the week. The big race is Race 11 on the Sunday card at Tokyo, with a post time of 15:40 local time.

Here is a look at some of the runners expected to be in the line-up:

Soul Rush: He might now be a 7-year-old, but beating Romantic Warrior at Meydan in April must surely be the highlight of the horse's career, and he's not finished yet. He must have a good chance to add this week's Grade 1 to his CV, together with making it a first win at Tokyo, which up to now he hasn't managed. Seemingly getting better as he ages, assistant trainer Hiroshi Kanetake gave an update on the horse: "It was a great win last time when he beat Romantic Warrior. Since last autumn's Mile Championship, his results have been very good, so on his return to the stable this time, it feels like there's something special about him. His condition is good once again, and we still have some leeway with him. In a recent piece of work on the woodchip course, his final furlong time was 10.5 seconds." Jockey Suguru Hamanaka is scheduled to ride Soul Rush this time.

Sixpence: The 4-year-old colt by Kizuna is versatile when it comes to distance, and has won five of his seven career starts. He was last seen finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai in April, when perhaps he didn't get the best of luck, as trainer Sakae Kunieda hinted at recently. "He was in good condition for his last race, and started well from a wide gate, but he didn't really get cover in the race, so it might just have been the difference," the trainer said. "He came back to the stable on May 14, and things have been fine with him. There's no problem with his hooves now." Christophe Lemaire is booked to ride Sixpence this Sunday.

Jantar Mantar: He has won two Grade 1 races over a mile, including last year's NHK Mile Cup, so the colt by Palace Malice seems suited to the distance of Sunday's race. He had his worst ever result last time in Hong Kong last December, and this will be his first run of 2025. Trainer Tomokazu Takano said: "He finished 13th last time in the Hong Kong Mile, and we couldn't come up with a reason for that performance. He had to miss the Fuji Stakes before that with a fever, and there was also some tiredness after his trip to Hong Kong, so in giving him plenty of time to get back to himself, the Yasuda Kinen became his next target in this first half of the year." Jockey Yuga Kawada will be hoping for a return to form for Jantar Mantar this week.

Trovatore: The Rey de Oro colt has won his last two races, the latest of which was the Grade 3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy, run over a mile at Nakayama in April, when he was ridden by Joao Moreira. "Another horse lunged at the gate last time, and he took a slight knock on the head," trainer Yuichi Shikato said. "Despite this, he showed what a tough character he is, and I could evaluate him highly after he went on to win. Since he came back from Northern Farm Tenei, we've just had him working solo on the woodchip course." Trovatore has often been ridden by foreign jockeys, but this time Takeshi Yokoyama is set to ride the horse for just the second time.

Water Licht: Now under the watch of trainer Mamoru Ishibashi, the 4-year-old colt by Drefong might not have had a win at the top level, but is starting to look like a miler through and through. He has won three times over a mile at Tokyo, including his latest race, the Grade 3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai back in February. Trainer Ishibashi commented: "I can't compare him to how he was previously, but he's a straightforward horse and he's been working well in training. Since last autumn, he's shown a liking for mile races, so we thought we'd try him here next."

Brede Weg: Finishing seventh to Soul Rush in the Grade 1 Dubai Turf last time, the 5-year-old mare was another to show how difficult it is to bring out the best in horses once they travel overseas. A mile might not be her best distance, but she is a Grade 1 winner, having won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2023. Her liking for Tokyo is also apparent, with three career wins there. Trainer Keisuke Miyata commented: "After her last race, we found that she had symptoms of heatstroke, and we were worried about that. On returning to Japan, there were no problems, however, and her legs were fine. Jockey Keita Tosaki rode her in recent training and reported her to be in good condition and moving very well." Brede Weg is the only filly or mare among the entries.

Win Marvel: The 6-year-old has only run over a mile once, but finished a creditable third to Soul Rush in last year's Grade 1 Mile Championship at Kyoto last November. Any distance from 1,200 meters to 1,600 meters, and Win Marvel will give it his best shot. In his last race, he was just beaten by Ascoli Piceno in the 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia. Trainer Masashi Fukayama said, "With no other horse wanting to make the running last time, it was good judgement by the jockey to take the lead. The horse has had a break at the farm with this race as his next target. In recent work, he's hung a little to the left, but his hindquarters are better now, and we'll just increase the pace of things with him from now."

Long Run: The 7-year-old gelding has earned some good prize money for his owner, Akira Umezawa, and it makes his purchase price of under JPY20 million at the 2018 Select Sale look very reasonable. Winning the Grade 3 Kokura Daishoten in February, and the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Hanshin in April, Long Run's year has been good so far with those two wins. Assistant trainer Masanari Tanaka said: "It might have been a slightly weaker field in the Grade 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup last time, but to win over a mile for the first time as a 7-year-old showed how well he is running and adjusting to his races. He's had a break at the farm, and with the time between races, he's maintaining his condition."