Horse Racing

Ridden with supreme confidence by Yuga Kawada, reigning champion Japanese 2-year-old filly Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was given her cue with 400 metres to race and stormed home down the centre of the course to post a breathtaking victory in Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin Racecourse. Kona Coast (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was swamped late and completed a Sunday Racing 1-2, while Carrot Farm colourbearer Perifania (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) checked in a sound third. Void of early speed, the odds-on favourite was content to drop...

Favored at 8-5 to build on a two-length victory in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby three weeks ago, Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) was made to work for it by a worthy adversary in the form of Verifying (Justify), but at the end of nine entertaining furlongs, they gray colt--picked up for $1.3 million just down the hill from the racing oval at the Keeneland sales pavilion some 19 months ago--outgamed last year's GI Champagne S. runner-up by a neck in...

Reigning Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) made light work of four rivals to make a successful return to the races in Saturday's GI Madison S. at Keeneland, the site of her victory in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Eased back off an early duel between Yuugiri (Shackleford) and Society (Gun Runner), the prohibitive 1-4 chalk was steered out into the three path to deliver her challenge and made the front under an Irad Ortiz, Jr. hold a good five-sixteenths of a mile from home....

Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was her own worst enemy when snatching defeat from jaws of victory in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in her U.S. debut Mar. 4, and she was anything but entirely focused in the dying strides of Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. But she overcame wayward ways to prevail over Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) in a driving finish in Lexington. Allowed to find her feet near the back of the field as Heavenly Sunday (Candy Ride {Arg}) outfooted Well Into (Into Mischief) and made play up front,...

Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic), upset winner of the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 7, will ship to Churchill Downs either this coming Monday or Tuesday to prepare for a start in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 5. "Defining Purpose came to us in late spring last year," said trainer Ken McPeek, who was unsaddling an Ashland winner for the third time in his career. "She is the first horse I have received from Collete Vanmatre. She told me to see what I thought of her and...

Less than 24 hours after Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) caused a 20-1 boilover in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland, Promiseher America (American Pharoah) followed suit with another long-odds victory in Saturday's GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct. Taking a steep rise in class, having graduated by better than a half-dozen lengths going this track's one-turn mile Feb. 19, the $75,000 OBS April graduate was alertly away and settled just off the flank of the rail-drawn Capella (Quality Road) through a half-mile in a moderate :49.60 as favored Occult...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses, the latter of which plays host to the season's first Japanese Classic, the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) for the 3-year-old fillies: Saturday, April 8, 2023 4th-NKY, ¥10,480,000 ($79k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m WORLDS COLLIDE (c,...

Though she makes her first start since cementing champion 2-year-old filly honours in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over course and distance back in December, Sunday Racing's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) will jump a warm favourite in the first Classic on the Japanese racing calendar, Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). The daughter of two-time Australian champion and dual Group 1 winner Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}) validated a quote of $2.10 (11-10) to open her account at first asking at Niigata July 30, then returned from...

Dolkong (Afleet Alex--Swampoodle, by Broken Vow), the champion older horse in Korea in 2019, was euthanized Apr. 1 after suffering an injury during trackwork two days earlier. He was nine years old. Bred in Kentucky by Ellen B. Kill Kelley, the chestnut was the distant runner-up in the Korea Cup in 2018 and was part of a select Korean contingent at the 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival, posting a 9 1/2-length victory in the Listed Curlin H. beneath Olivier Doleuze before just missing second in the G1 Al Maktoum Challlenge...

Having celebrated his 54th birthday less than three weeks ago, Yutaka Take became the oldest jockey in the history of the Japanese turf to win at Group 1 level after putting a well-rationed ride aboard second favourite Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) in Sunday's G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) at Hanshin Racecourse. Reigning champion 3-year-old filly Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) found no luck in running for a second straight race and fell just short, while Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) checked in a close third. The...

Having finished a distant fourth on his Del Mar debut last August behind the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future dual Grade I winner Cave Rock (Arrogate) and subsequent multiple Grade II victor Practical Move (Practical Joke), Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Ultimate Gamble (Medaglia d'Oro) made his much anticipated 3-year-old debut in a one-mile maiden at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon. Pounded down to 70 cents on the dollar, the athletic dark bay colt was ridden in supremely confident fashion by Frankie Dettori and ran out an easy...

There's your favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby. Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) punched his ticket to Louisville with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Up against it from the get-go exiting from a much-discussed gate 11 draw in a field of 12 with a short run to the first turn, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate was off to an alert beginning and raced in traffic to the clubhouse turn before...