Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior had already established his credentials as a globetrotter by winning Australia’s Cox Plate (G1), but Sunday’s Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo confirmed his entry into the pantheon.

Trainer Daisuke Takayanagi made headlines recently for his Kentucky Derby (G1) venture, and now he has a Breeders' Cup candidate.

Intended for last fall’s Breeders’ Cup before a setback ruled her out, Songline earned a ticket to this November’s championships at Santa Anita with a late surge in Sunday’s “Win and You’re In” Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo.