William Barows won his first graded stakes in the hands of Ryusei Sakai in the G2 Tokai Stakes. William Barows finished ahead of Omega Guiness after a thrilling final two furlongs. With this win, William Barows also earned an entry spot in the G1 February Stakes.

Winning jockey Sakai commented, "Omega Guiness was getting close to us inside the final furlong but William Barows used everything in his tank to get a length ahead. I am proud of him and this was a great race for the horse." On achieving a first graded stakes, he added, "We were always close to the title but I'm glad to win one finally. He will not have a problem running against G1 level horses in the February Stakes."