Making yet more history for the legendary Yutaka Take, Sixpence (Kizuna) gained his first success at the top level when coming out on top in a thrilling finish to Sunday's Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo. The race is a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in October.Trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, Sixpence was one of three runners in a breakaway group who appeared to have the race between them with 400 metres to run, with long-time leader World's End (Lord Kanaloa) to his left and Seiun Hades (Silver State) to his right. Edging ahead entering the final 50 metres, he ultimately gained the verdict by a neck from World's End and the fast-finishing Gaia Force (Kitasan Black), who shared a dead-heat for second. Seiun Hades was just a neck further back in fourth, with it being the same distance again to Panja Tower (Tower Of London) in a blanket finish for the first five places.For Take, it was a fourth career victory in the Yasuda Kinen, having previously struck with Oguri Cap (1990), Heart Lake (1995) and Vodka (2009), while this latest win also made him Japan's oldest Group 1-winning jockey at the age of 57.“I was called up at a short notice to ride the horse for the first time, but I'm relieved to have being able to get my job done,” said the winning rider. “I did my homework, contacting his previous riders and, of course, the trainer who told me that he was capable of maintaining good speed to the wire. My plan was to have him up front, even lead if necessary, and although the front runners were pretty tenacious in the final stretch, with horses also coming from behind, Sixpence was very responsive. He has shown his true strength, with a lot to look forward to in his coming races.”Sixpence had not finished better than seventh in five previous starts at the top level, but he was among the leading three-year-olds in Japan in 2024 when he registered Group 2 wins in the Spring Stakes and Mainichi Okan, either side of a ninth-place finish when among the market principals for the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).Winless since gaining a third Group 2 victory in last year's Nakayama Kinen, he had shown signs of a revival when beaten only two lengths into seventh in April's G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup. That was his first start for Tanaka following the retirement of his former trainer, Sakae Kunieda.Pedigree NotesSixpence is one of two winners from as many runners out of the GI Madison Stakes heroine Finley'sluckycharm, who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $1.5 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The daughter of Twirling Candy won 11 of her 19 career starts, with her other victories including the GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes and GII Honorable Miss Handicap. Finley'sluckycharm, in turn, is out of the stakes performer Day Of Victory (Victory Gallop), while Sixpence's third dam is a half-sister to the multiple top-level winner Pure Clan (Pure Prize) and GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes scorer Greater Good (Intidab). 【 Yasuda Kinen (G1), Tokyo, 1600m, 3yo&up, approx US$ 2.49m】Winner: Sixpence(JPN)J: Yutaka TakeT: Hiroyasu TanakaSire: KizunaDam: Finley'sluckycharm#安田記念 は、#シックスペンス が優勝！！ pic.twitter.com/1R3G4DIFL2— JRA World Racing (@JRA_WorldRacing) June 7, 2026 Sunday, Tokyo, JapanYASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥347,280,000, Tokyo, 6-7, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.10, fm.1–SIXPENCE (JPN), 128, h, 5, by Kizuna (Jpn) 1st Dam: Finley'sluckycharm (GISW-USA, $928,068), by Twirling Candy 2nd Dam: Day of Victory, by Victory Gallop 3rd Dam: Gather the Day, by Dayjur1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm;T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Yutaka Take; ¥183,696,000. LifetimeRecord: 13-6-1-0, ¥420,697,000. Werk Nick Rating: C+.Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.(DH) 2–World's End (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Lilavati(Jpn), by Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; ¥59,292,000.(DH) 2–Gaia Force (Jpn), 128, h, 7, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Natale(Jpn), by Kurofune. (¥30,000,000 Wlg '19 JRHJUL). O-KR Japan;B-Oiwake Farm; ¥59,292,000.Margins: NK, DH, NK. Odds: 20.60, 14.10, 1.90.Also Ran: Seiun Hades (Jpn), Panja Tower (Jpn), Off Trail (GB), Lebensstil (Jpn), Dragon Boost (Jpn), Trovatore (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Luxor Cafe, Champagne Color (Jpn), Water Licht (Jpn), Sirius Colt (Jpn), Sakura Toujours (Jpn), Long Run (Jpn), Suzu Khalom (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.The post Ageless Yutaka Take Wins Fourth Yasuda Kinen Aboard Sixpence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.