Yoshizawa Holding Co. Ltd's American Soul (Flightline) provided his sire (by Tapit) with his fourth Japanese winner–first on the JRA dirt–and 10th overall with this popular debut success Monday afternoon at Kyoto Racecourse.Sent off the 4-5 favorite for top connections, the $1.05-million Keeneland September graduate mitigated an awkward draw in 12 with a very fast break and he was able to cross down into the two path and just off the flank of pacesetting Margot Basara (Upstart) heading into the first corner of this right-turning track.Ridden along a bit so as not to be pocketed down the backstretch, American Soul raced between rivals approaching the entrance to the straight, pushed past the stubborn front-runner at the 200-meter marker and came away nicely to take it by three lengths. Margot Basara just held on for second at odds of 15-1.“Based on his trackwork, I was confident he wouldn't get beaten,” said winning jockey Ryusei Sakai. “He still has plenty of room for improvement and I'm looking forward to see how he develops if everything goes smoothly.”Exotic West was victorious in the 2022 Top Flight Handicap and was runner-up in the GIII Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes for Louis Lazzinaro and trainer Gary Sciacca before selling to Gage Hill and Runnels Racing for $650,000 with this colt in utero at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale.The yearling full-sister to American Soul, already named Golden Flight, was knocked down to Flightline part-owner West Point Thoroughbreds for $150,000 at last month's Keeneland September sale and the mare foaled a filly by the Horse of the Year Apr. 13. She was bred to Mindframe this past season.Royal Emperor became the first Japanese dirt winner for Flightline when hacking up by seven lengths as the 1-10 chalk at Urawa on the National Association of Racing circuit Sept. 25.4th-Kyoto, ¥14,880,000 ($93,997), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m, 1:53.6, ft.AMERICAN SOUL (c, 2, Flightline–Exotic West {SW & GSP, $309,807}, by Hard Spun) Sales history: $1,050,000 Ylg '25 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,285. VIDEO (#12)O-Yoshizawa Holdings Co Ltd; B-Gage Hill Stables III, W S Farish, Runnels Racing et al (KY); T-Yoshito Yahagi. 【矢作厩舎坂井瑠星騎手】#アメリカンソウル がデビューV父は米G1・4勝を含む6戦6勝の名馬 #フライトラインダートではこれが産駒のJRA初勝利となりました！[京都4R 2歳新馬 ダート1,800m] https://t.co/B4HWgrCemf— JRA公式 (@JRA_Special) October 12, 2026The post “I Was Confident He Wouldn’t Get Beaten’: Flightline Gets First JRA Dirt Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.