FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. -- Youth and age paired off for a winning run in the Emperor's Cup on Sunday, with the field's youngest member, the 3-year-old colt Symboli Kris S. and Japan's most senior jockey, Yukio Okabe, 53, bringing home the money by 3/4 length in a course-record-tying time of 1:58.5.
Symboli Kris S. wins beating a hard-driving Narita Top Road to the wire.
Yukio Okabe holds a winning cup.The decision to forego the Kikkasho, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a 3-year-old, and take on the Emperor's Cup, Japan's most prestigious race and "the" showcase for older horses, had undoubtedly been difficult.