Just A Way
Just A Way was beaten in his first five races, competing in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races. He finished third in the Nikkan Sports Sho and second in the Epsom Cup, Sekiya Kinen and Mainichi Okan. On 27 October, Just A Way started at odds of 14.5/1 for the Grade 1 Tenno Sho over ten furlongs at Tokyo. The Japanese Horse of the Year Gentildonna started favourite for the race ahead of Tokei Halo and Eishin Flash who had won the race in the previous year. Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, Just A Way was not among the early leaders but began to make progress with a quarter of a mile left to run. He took the lead a furlong from the finish and drew clear in the closing stages to win by four lengths from Gentildonna in "impressive" style. After the race Fukunaga said: "In his previous race I felt he was getting stronger, so I expected his success today."