Rodeo Drive (horse)

Rodeo Drive
ロデオドライブ
Rodeo Drive (17) at 2026 NHK Mile Cup
SireSaturnalia[1]
GrandsireLord Kanaloa[1]
DamBeverly Hills[1]
DamsireSnitzel[1]
SexColt[1]
Foaled (2023-03-21) March 21, 2023[1]
CountryJapan[1]
ColorBay[1]
BreederNorthern Farm[1]
OwnerKatsumi Yoshida[2]
Racing colours
TrainerTetsuhide Tsuji[2]
Record5: 3-2-0[2]
Earnings188,940,000 JPY[3]
Major wins
NHK Mile Cup (2026)
Last updated on August 30, 2026

Rodeo Drive (Japanese: ロデオドライブ, Hepburn: rodeodoraibu; foaled March 21, 2023) is an active Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2026 NHK Mile Cup.[1][2]

He was named after the luxury shopping street Rodeo Drive, located in Beverly Hills, California, which his dam was named from.[3]

Racing career

2025: two-year-old season

Rodeo Drive made his debut on December 21 at Nakayama Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 meters on turf, with Hiroshi Kitamura riding. Coming out from the widest gate, he settled upfront early, sitting just behind the leader. In the final stretch, he overtook the leading horse and went on to win by three-fourths of a length.[4]

2026: three-year-old season

Rodeo Drive began his three-year-old season in a three-year-old allowance race over the same track and distance as his debut, with Akihide Tsumura aboard him this time. Right after the start, he settled just behind the leaders as his last race. Turning to the final stretch, he peeled off quickly from the horse in front of him and overtook the leading group to win by three lengths.[5]

For his next race, he was pointed to the New Zealand Trophy, which would also be his first graded stakes race. He went off the gates as the most favored horse to win, settling right behind the leaders yet again. On the final stretch, he chased after Reservation who was upfront but was unable to close him in time. He finished in second place.[6]

On April 15, his connections announced that he would take on the NHK Mile Cup on May 10 at Tokyo Racecourse. This would be his first grade one stakes challenge.[7] With Damian Lane in the saddle, he started as the favorite. Contrary to his previous races, he settled near the back of the pack early on and stayed there until the final stretch, where he tracked the Churchill Downs Cup winner, Ask Ikigomi, who was also speeding past the rest of the pack right in front of him in the middle of the track. The battle continued until they crossed the finish line with Rodeo Drive edging the win by a nose to Ask Ikigomi on a photo finish, capturing his first graded stakes title.[8]

After winning the race Damian Lane said with smile[9]:

"Honestly, it's hard to find the words right now, but in one phrase, I'm very, very happy. We were able to show this horse at his best. I expected the pace to be strong, but I was able to get him good cover during the race. He's still a young horse, but I believe he has the ability to compete at G1 level going forward." Original text:「正直、あまり言葉が出てこないですけど、とてもハッピーです。この馬のベストパフォーマンスを見せることができてホッとしています。いいリズムで進められたし、しまいにいい脚を見せられると自信を持っていた。能力がG1クラスという証明もできて、今後もG1でいいレースができると思う」[9][10]

It was not only first graded stakes win for Rodeo Drive and not only first NHK Mile Cup and seventh G1 in JRA for Damian Lane but also a first G1 for Rodeo Drive's trainer, Tetsuhide Tsuji.[11] He was rested for three months before joining the Niigata Kinen in August. This was an attempt by Tsuji for the horse to acclimate himself to longer-distance races.[12] When the race started, Rodeo Drive sat in the middle position. Halfway down the final straight, he was blocked by other horses before making a move to the outside with about one furlong from the line. He ended up losing the race at the line by a head behind Zoroastro. Christophe Lemaire, who was his jockey, stated that the horse was calm throughout the race despite the slow pace. He also praised the horse performance that day even with lack of space given in the final straight.[13]

Racing statistics

Below data is based on data available on JBIS Search,[14] and NetKeiba.[15]

Date Track Race Grade Distance
(Condition)		 Entry HN Odds
(Favored)		 Finish Time Margins Jockey Winner
(Runner-up)
2025 – two-year-old season
Dec 21 Nakayama 2YO Debut 1,600 m (Yielding) 16 16 8.4 (5) 1st 1:35.1 -0.2 Hiroshi Kitamura (Canal Saint Martin)
2026 – three-year-old season
Mar 1 Nakayama 3YO Allowance 1W 1,600 m (Firm) 12 10 2.8 (2) 1st 1:32.1 -0.5 Akihide Tsumura (Spe Luce)
Apr 11 Nakayama New Zealand Trophy GII 1,600 m (Firm) 15 7 1.7 (2) 2nd 1:33.3 0.0 Akihide Tsumura Reservation
May 10 Tokyo NHK Mile Cup GI 1,600 m (Firm) 18 17 4.6 (1) 1st 1:31.5 0.0 Damian Lane (Ask Ikigomi)
Aug 30 Niigata Niigata Kinen GIII 2,000 m (Good) 11 3 3.7 (3) 2nd 1:59.6 0.0 Christophe Lemaire Zoroastro

Legend:
  Turf

Notes:

Pedigree

Pedigree of Rodeo Drive (JPN), Bay colt, 2023[16]
Sire
Saturnalia
dk. b. 2016		 Lord Kanaloa
b. 2008		 King Kamehameha Kingmambo (USA)
Manfath (IRE)
Lady Blossom Storm Cat (USA)
Saratoga Dew (USA)
Cesario
blk. 2002		 Special Week Sunday Silence (USA)
Campaign Girl
Kirov Premiere (GB) Sadler's Wells (USA)
Querida (IRE)
Dam
Beverly Hills
ch. 2012		 Snitzel (AUS)
b. 2002		 Redoute's Choice Danehill (USA)
Shantha's Choice
Snippets' Lass Snippets
Snow Finch (IRE)
Brilliant Very
ch. 1990		 Northern Taste (CAN) Northern Dancer
Lady Victoria
Crafty Wife (USA) Crafty Prospector
Wife Mistress (Family 9-a)[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Rodeo Drive(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Rodeo Drive | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  3. 1 2 "競走馬情報　JRA". www.jra.go.jp. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  4. ↑ "【メイクデビュー中山5Rレース後コメント】ロデオドライブ北村宏司騎手ら | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  5. ↑ "【中山7R・3歳1勝クラス】ロデオドライブが1分32秒1の好タイムで3馬身差完勝 津村騎手「上でも十分やれる」 | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  6. ↑ "【ニュージーランドT】早め先頭の積極策で重賞初Vのレザベーション NHKマイルCでの「勝算」は". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). 2026-04-11. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  7. ↑ "【注目馬動向】ニュージーランドT2着のロデオドライブは優先出走権を獲得したNHKマイルCへ | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  8. ↑ "【NHKマイルC】ロデオドライブV 4走目での優勝はキャリア最少タイ（スポニチ）". 毎日新聞 (in Japanese). 2026-05-10. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  9. 1 2 ""Very, very happy" says Damian Lane after Rodeo Drive storms home to win G1 NHK Mile Cup | Horse Racing News". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  10. ↑ "【NHKマイルC】ロデオドライブ6センチ差V津村騎手の助言に感謝 | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  11. ↑ "Rodeo Drive with Damian Lane wins thrilling G1 NHK Mile Cup duel to crown himself champion three-year-old miler | Horse Racing News". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  12. ↑ "Rodeo Drive looks ready for G3 Niigata Kinen as G1 NHK Mile Cup winner steps up in class and distance". netkeiba. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  13. ↑ 【新潟記念】今春NHKマイルC優勝馬ロデオドライブは2着　初コンビのルメール「直線スペースが…」 [[Niigata Memorial] Rodeo Drive, winner of this spring's NHK Mile Cup, finishes second. Jockey Lemaire, riding Rodeo Drive for the first time, says, "There was space in the straight..."]. netkeiba (in Japanese). 30 August 2026. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Race Records | Rodeo Drive(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  15. ↑ "Rodeo Drive Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  16. ↑ "Five-generation Pedigree Table | Pedigree | Rodeo Drive(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  17. ↑ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Sister 1 To Mixbury - Family 9-a". www.bloodlines.net. Archived from the original on 2024-04-17. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
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