Cosmo Kuranda, ridden by Mirco Demuro, won Sunday's G2 Yayoi Sho at Nakayama Racecourse and punched their ticket to the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas. Shin Emperor challenged the winner at the homestretch but finished one-and-a-quarter lengths adrift. Sirius Colt came home in third, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind Shin Emperor. The winning time was 1:59.8.

Cosmo Kuranda is a son of Al Ain out of Southern Speed, by Southern Image. This is his first graded stakes title and with it he won an entry spot in the first leg of the Classics, the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, along with placegetters Shin Emperor and Sirius Colt.