Japan Road: Into Mischief colt Satono Voyage captures Cattleya Stakes

Nov 29, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Satono Voyage kicked off the Japan Road with a popular victory in the Cattleya S. (Photo by Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com)

Hajime Satomi’s Satono Voyage scored the first 10 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, rolling as the odds-on favorite in Saturday’s Cattleya S. at Tokyo.

By leading North American sire Into Mischief, who is responsible for a record-tying three Kentucky Derby (G1) winners, Satono Voyage is now a perfect 3-for-3 since switching to dirt. The Cattleya marked his first start over a metric mile, following a record-setting maiden win going about six furlongs at Niigata and an about seven-furlong allowance score at Tokyo.

Satono Voyage traveled like a winner every step of the way in the Cattleya. With Keita Tosaki aboard, the 7-10 choice stalked a pair of longshots in the early going. Hiruno Puglia set the pace, attended by Purnabhadra, through fractions of :23 and :47, but Satono Voyage appeared ready to pounce on cue.

Turning into the stretch, Satono Voyage cruised forward and readily struck the front. Arcadia Cafe, another son of Into Mischief, rallied on the inside to make Satono Voyage pull out a bit extra, and he did so to draw away decisively.

Satono Voyage has won the Cattleya Stakes!

With this win he’s now earned 10 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby! 🌹

pic.twitter.com/VkbGxlNiur

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) November 29, 2025

Satono Voyage, under confident handling, prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:37.4.

Don Erectus, a 133-1 longshot, burst onto the scene late on the outside to take second (five points). Arcadia Cafe, a half-brother to Japan Road winners Cafe Pharoah (2020) and Luxor Cafe (2025), settled for third (three points). Every Possible, a filly taking on the boys, closed from well back to finish fourth (two points), and Ho O Luxor rounded out the top five (one point). Hiruno Puglia and Purnabhadra faded to the rear of the 12-horse field.

Bred by Shimokobe Farm in Japan, Satono Voyage is now 3-for-4 overall. The bay debuted in a June 14 sprint on the Hanshin turf, where he placed second.

The colt’s mother, Jolie Olimpica, was herself an outstanding sprinter/miler on turf. Voted Horse of the Year in her native Brazil, she transferred her game to the U.S. and won a pair of graded stakes while missing narrowly in the 2020 Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland. Jolie Olimpica added the 2021 Nassau (G2) to her resume at Woodbine, an effort that earned her a Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion turf female.

Jolie Olimpica is a daughter of Drosselmeyer, the 2010 Belmont (G1) and 2011 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner. Drosselmeyer is by the influential Distorted Humor, whose daughters have crossed well with Into Mischief. Thus Satono Voyage sports a potent pedigree pattern.

Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka mentioned the Feb. 14 Saudi Derby (G3) on Saudi Cup Day as the next likely target for Satono Voyage. The Saudi Derby is now a scoring race on the expanded Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby, worth points on a 30-15-9-6-3 scale to the top five finishers.

Japanese star Forever Young famously won the 2024 Saudi Derby en route to his near-miss third in the Kentucky Derby. Satono Voyage might start to spark comparisons if he can keep rolling in Riyadh.

The next scoring race on the Japan Road is the Dec. 17 Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki, which will remake the leaderboard with its points structure of 20-10-6-4-2.