King Glory took a commanding early lead in the Kikuka Sho, passing the first 1,000m in 58.4 seconds, the second-fastest time in the race's history. The horse opened up a substantial gap on the field during the race, drawing attention to how the closing stages would unfold.
King Glory made a bold break in the Kikuka Sho, passing the first 1,000m in 58.4 seconds, the second-fastest time in the race's history since 1985. The fastest was 58.3 seconds in 2002, and the horse's blistering pace from the start became a major talking point.
During the race, King Glory moved approximately 100m clear of the horses in second and behind, and still held the lead with around 600m to go. Despite building a substantial advantage, the horse continued the race from a position of superiority over the field.
The article includes a passage quoting jockey Tannai Yuji (丹内 祐次) as saying, “I thought we had it, but...” The comment conveyed his assessment of how the race had unfolded.