Overview
- The French 4-year-old gelding outfinished favorite Masquerade Ball by a head after tracking from the rear and unleashing a wide late surge in the Tokyo stretch.
- Rider Mickaël Barzalona said it felt incredible and that the horse was able to produce his full ability on the day.
- Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard credited smooth travel and a training plan executed as intended for bringing the horse to the race in peak condition.
- Karandagan arrived as the sole foreign entrant, carrying the status of European Horse of the Year and the world’s top-ranked racehorse.
- The victory extended his top-level streak to four and added Japan to prior Group 1 wins in France and Britain, with more than 70,000 on hand to witness it.