10/12/2026
Racing like a seasoned professional, Flightline's son ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ made an impressive debut at Kyoto Racecourse on Oct. 12, breaking alertly from the gate, calmly pressing the early pace and then accelerating away from 15 rivals to win by 3 lengths while completing 1800m (about 1 1/8 miles) on dirt.
The big bay, who weighed in at a massive 528 kg (the equivalent of 1,164 pounds), delighted jockey Ryusei Sakai and trainer Yosh*to Yahagi, the masterminds behind the success of international superstar Forever Young, who has earned over $32 million in a career that has spanned the globe. And, dare we say it, Yahagi and Sakai are already thinking about the Kentucky Derby in May for American Soul.
"He showed a great deal of mental maturity for his first time out. He handled the starting gate cleanly, settled beautifully into his rhythm on the backstretch, and, when I asked him to extend, his response was immediate and incredibly powerful," said Sakai, who came within two noses of winning the 2024 Kentucky Derby when Forever Young was squeezed in a three-horse photo finish between winner Mystik Dan and narrow runner-up Sierra Leone.
"He is still a big, developing c**t who will only get physically tighter from this experience, but the raw dirt talent is undeniable," Sakai added of American Soul, who was bred as the first foal from the stakes-winning Hard Spun mare Exotic West by a partnership including Gage Hill Stables, W. S. Farish, and Runnels Racing.
Yahagi was at Kyoto to saddle American Soul and greet him after the race with his trademark smile.
"He is a horse with massive potential, but he is still far from a finished product. He won today strictly on raw talent and power," Yahagi told Japanese media. "There are still many areas where he needs to mature mentally and physically, but this was a fantastic, educational first step for his career."
Yahagi already has given American Soul a nickname that befits his countenance -- "Sand Tank" -- and in the race over Kyoto's deep, sandy dirt track, the Sand Tank could not have looked any more imposing. The c**t galloped out with his ears pricked after delighting fans in attendance for the Sports Day holiday program who sent him off as the heavy favorite; his final time was 1:53.60.
Margot Basara and Gran Beat, c**ts by American-based sire Upstart and former American stallion Henny Hughes, respectively, finished second and third in the race. T O Titan, a son of Nadal out of Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar who was the second favorite in the betting, finished well back in ninth.
American Soul was due to return to the Ritto Training Center following the race and then be closely evaluated over the next several days as Yahagi ponders what may come next.
Stable staff indicated that the trainer -- who also has conditioned the likes of Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail, Breeders' Cup winners Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine, Forever Young's sire and Dubai Turf victor Real Steel, Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa AND Summer Wind-bred dirt and turf G1 winner and now sire Mozu Ascot-- is expected to map out a plan for American Soul that includes some participation in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
That prep series begins with the Cattleya Stakes on Nov. 29 at Tokyo and continues with the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki on Dec. 16, the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo on Feb. 21 and the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama on March 25.
Yahagi helped select American Soul for the Yoshizawa Stables of Katsumi Yoshizawa, who paid $1,050,000 for the c**t at the 2025 Keeneland September sale. American Soul's dam has produced two other foals by Flightline: a now yearling c**t named Golden Flight and a weanling filly.
American Soul is the 10th winner from the first crop of Summer Wind-bred undefeated champion Flightline and his sire's 4th winner in Japan.
(Photo of American Soul with Ryusei Sakai up from Tospo Keiba)