The only thing that has kept the Japanese colt Redentor from a four-race winning streak since June was a second in the Group 1 Japanese St. Leger last October.
Redentor is a distance specialist, which makes him the favorite to win the spring running of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at two miles at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan on Sunday.
Redentor won allowance races at 1 1/2 miles and 1 3/8 miles last June and August, and was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Urban Chic in the Japanese St. Leger at 1 7/8 miles. Redentor, a colt by Rulership, began his 2025 season with a win in the Diamond Stakes at 2 1/8 miles at Tokyo Racecourse in February.
Redentor, the mount of Damian Lane, is part of a field of 15 in the $3.9 million Tenno Sho, and must beat runners with experience in the marathon.
Justin Palace won the 2023 running, his most recent victory. He has not finished in the top three in his last seven starts since late 2023, but those races were all in ultra-tough Grade 1 races in Japan or Group 1 races in Dubai.
This will be Justin Palace’s first start at two miles since the win in the 2023 spring running of the Tenno Sho.
Blow the Horn was second in the 2024 spring running of the Tenno Sho and later won the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf last June. More recently, Blow the Horn was third by 6 1/2 lengths behind Sunrise Earth in the Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten at 1 7/8 miles at Hanshin on March 23, his lone start this year.
Sunrise Earth starts in his third Grade 1 on Sunday after a 12th-place finish in the Japanese 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles in April 2024 and a fourth in the Japanese Derby last May.
The Hanshin Daishoten was the longest career start for Sunrise Earth. A winner of 3 of 7 starts, Sunrise Earth set the pace in that race, and will be prominent early on Sunday.
The Tenno Sho has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.
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