Yasuda Kinen (G1) - final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge 

Sunday, June 6 will decide the spring's top miler with the 60th running of the Yasuda Kinen, the fourth and final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge. First-place prize money for the Yasuda is an even 100 million yen. This year’s version sees an especially competitive showing from overseas with three contestants from Hong Kong – Fellowship, Beauty Flash (pictured) and Sight Winner -- all three strong finishers in the Champions Mile, set to take on the home team.

The Yasuda Kinen is run at the newly renovated Tokyo Racecourse In Fuchu, western Tokyo. An especially difficult course to win on strategy alone, the Fuchu mile starts at the mouth of the backstretch, with a run of more than 500 meters that evens the chances of success for any draw. The course turns left for 400 meters before hitting the grueling Tokyo straight of 525 meters, the first 225 meters of which is uphill.

The Yasuda Kinen became a Japanese Grade 1 race from 1984 and an international Grade 1 in 1993. It is considered the penultimate race for milers in Japan. Repeated upsets had given the race something of an anything-is-possible image, though winners over the past four years, have come more consistently from the top picks. 2009 winner Vodka was the first choice last year, second choice the year previous, as was Daiwa Major in 2007, with third pick Bullish Luck giving Hong Kong the win in 2006. Tokyo Racecourse

Though there have been a number of well-known Yasudas in Japan racing history, the Yasuda Kinen was named for neither jockey nor trainer, but was created in 1951 in honor of Izaemon Yasuda, the first president of the JRA. It was this Yasuda who helped to legalize horse-race betting as well as draw up designs for the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). The race was originally named the Yasuda Sho, or "prize," but was changed to mark Yasuda’s passing in 1958 to the Yasuda Kinen. "Kinen" means "memorial" in Japanese.

The Yasuda Kinen has welcomed some 45 foreign-trained horses since it was designated an international race in 1993. Three of those contenders went on to win the race, 1995 champion Heart Lake from the U.A.E., 2000 winner Fairy King Prawn from Hong Kong and Bullish Luck from Hong Kong in 2006.

The Yasuda Kinen was featured from the outset of the Asian Mile Challenge, jointly founded in 2005 by the Japan Racing Association and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The original two-part series featured the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo and the Champions Mile at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Two more races were added the following year, when the Melbourne Racing Club and the Dubai Racing Club joining the circuit. The Futurity Stakes at Caulfield was set up as the first leg, the Dubai Duty Free, originally at Nad Al Sheba, now at the new Meydan Racecourse, was decided as the second leg. The Champions Mile and Yasuda Kinen complete the now four-leg run of top-level mile events. Sight Winner Sight Winner (c) Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Asian Mile Challenge offers combined prize money worth $11.2 million, the richest collective prize-money in the sport. Since 2009, winning trainers have also been factored directly into the bonus structure to encourage a wider spread of competition. A horse winning two AMC legs will net a total bonus of $1 million, with $750,000 going to the owner and $250,000 to the trainer. Should a horse succeed in three legs, the rewards will be doubled to $2 million, with the owner receiving $1.5 million and the trainer $500,000.

Hong Kong's Bullish Luck was the first and so far only runner to take home the bonus in 2006 after sweeping the Champions Mile and the Yasuda Kinen. In 2007, while there was no bonus recipient, Japan runners won two of the four races; Admire Moon topped the Dubai Duty Free and Daiwa Major captured the Yasuda Kinen.

Last year, Niconero opened the 2009 Asian Mile Challenge with victory in the Futurity Stakes, and Gladiatorus won the Dubai Duty Free. Sight Winner was a surprise winner in the Champions Mile, but the Hong Kong champ was unable to wrestle away a win of the Yasuda Kinen along with the AMC bonus from super mare Vodka, as she notched back-to-back wins of the race. Fellowship Fellowship (c) Hong Kong Jockey Club

On the eve of the fourth and final leg of the challenge, we see no horse gunning for the bonus. This year’s AMC kicked off with Typhoon Tracy winning the Rokk Ebony Futurity Stakes. Typhoon Tracy easily defeated Dao Dao and Sniper's Bullet to register her third successive Group One victory and fourth success at the top level in a career that has now produced nine wins from 12 starts.

Local galloper Al Shemali upset a classy field in the Dubai Duty Free. At the finish, Al Shemali had a length and a half to spare over the fast-finishing Bankable with Imbongi three and a quarter lengths away in third.

The Champions Mile went to Hong Kong runner Able One for the second time, as the John Moore-trained, 8-year-old held off race favorite Fellowship for a three-quarter-length win. Able One also won the Champions Mile in 2007. Though originally slated for the Yasuda Kinen, it was decided in early May that Able One, who has been plagued with injuries, would sit the final leg out. The Usual Q. T., from the United States, fourth in the Dubai Duty Free, was also withdrawn from a Yasuda bid in mid-May.

The three horses from Hong Kong this year, all of them New Zealand-bred geldings, finished second, third and fourth in the Asian Mile Challenge third leg Champions Mile. Beauty Flash Beauty Flash (c) Hong Kong Jockey Club

Sight Winner is back again and looking to improve upon his sixth-place finish in the 2009 version, in which the two five spots were swept by Japan runners. Winner of the Champions Mile last year, Sight Winner is having the poorest season of the three overseas’ participants in the Yasuda. The 2009 Champions Mile, in fact, was the last win for the now 7-year-old Faltaat-sired gelding. Having failed to make the money in all of his 6 starts this year, the John Size-trained Sight Winner will need to improve greatly if success in the Yasuda is to be had. Sight Winner, owned by Wing Kun Tam, placed fourth in the Champions Mile April 25 at Sha Tin.

The 8-year-old Fellowship, by O’Reilly, has enjoyed a far better season. His three races so far this year have seen him win one and finish second in the other two, including a second-place finish in the Champions Mile behind Able One. Fellowship is trained by Paul O’Sullivan and owned by Wai Kin Sin.

The youngest of the three Hong Kong runners at 5, Beauty Flash finished third in the Champions Mile and won the Hong Kong Classic Mile on Jan. 24 at Sha Tin. The Golan-sired Beauty Flash, trained by Anthony Cruz and owned by Siu Ming Kwok, has had five starts this year with two third-place finishes in addition to the one win.