TOKYO El Condor Pasa easily won Japan's richest horse race, the Japan Cup, at the Tokyo racecourse on Sunday, leading home a clean sweep of the first three places by the host nation for the first time in the race's 17-year history. With Masayoshi Ebina on board, El Condor Pasa, which started at six to one, was among the leaders from the start of the 2,400 meters race over Turf worth 132 million yen ($1.1 million) to the winner, and charged to victory in the final 300 meters.

Japan Derby winner Air Groove, ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, and starting at nine to two was second, two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner. The three to one favorite special week, ridden by Japan's top jockey Yukio Okabe, was half a length further back in third place. Among the six foreign horses in the race, Canadian Breeder's Cup Turf winner Chief Bearhart was fourth, just beating out U.S. Mare Maxzene by a nose.

(Reuter)