Horse Racing

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 Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, February 25, 2023 1st-NKY, ¥10,480,000 ($78k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m KEEP SMILING (JPN) (f, 3, Quality Road--Weep No More, by Mineshaft) turned in an auspicious debut over this course and distance Dec. 17, sitting an inside...

A field of 13 was drawn Wednesday evening in Riyadh for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, to be contested over 1800 meters under the lights Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Saudi capital. Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Zedan Racing's Country Grammer (Tonalist) is back for another tour of the Middle East, having missed by a half-length in this event 12 months ago before landing the G1 Dubai World Cup some 600 miles to the east in Dubai. In stark contrast to 2022, the 6-year-old, who will carry the...

With soon-to-be-retired jockey Yuichi Fukunaga at the controls, Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) came to life entering the final furlong of Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse and proved far too strong for his rivals in picking up 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Winner of his first two trips to the races, Perriere was made the 11-10 favorite for the Hyacinth in his first start since a third to G3 Saudi Derby hopeful Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in the second leg of the...

With the express intent of making racing partnerships 'more accessible, fun and affordable,' Tim Cohen's California-based Red Baron's Barn is teaming with Rancho Temescal and Kentucky-based bloodstock agent Joe Miller to launch Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners (RTTP). Red Baron's Barn, founded by the late Jed Cohen, and Rancho Temescal have made use of Miller's expertise over the years to acquire race-ready European and North American bloodstock through both public and private channels. The fruits of the team's labor has yielded the likes of MGISW Janet (GB) (Emperor Jones), GISW River...

In an effort to further enhance the 2-year-old program in the state of Florida, 1/ST RACING, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) have announced that $1.75 million in Florida-bred racing incentives will be offered at Gulfstream Park in 2023. The renewed Florida-Bred Incentive Fund (FBIF) will pay out a total of $450,000 in bonus money to 2-year-old maiden winners. The FBIF program offers Florida-bred two-year-old open maiden winners a minimum bonus of $2,500 for maiden-claiming races and up to $10,000 for a Florida-bred...

A federal judge on Friday denied Bob Baffert a preliminary injunction that the Hall of Fame trainer had sought to be eligible to race in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the defendant in Baffert's year-old lawsuit, also scored a legal victory when Judge Rebecca Jennings of United States District Court (Western District of Kentucky) granted the gaming corporation's motion to dismiss the case on five of the six counts that CDI had argued. Baffert was attempting to reverse the second year of a two-year ban by...

Tokyo Racecourse plays host to the first of 24 Group 1s on the JRA circuit, Sunday's February S. going a one-turn mile on the dirt track, and with the race's two-time defending champion Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) preparing for next Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup and with would-be favourite Gilded Mirror (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) having recently been retired due to injury, the race is there for the taking for the wonderfully consistent US-bred Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid). The 5-year-old, purchased for $70,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-AQU, $70k, Msw, 4yo/up, (S), 1m, post time: 2:20 p.m. ET A $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Peter Brant back in 2020, SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (Medaglia d'Oro) makes a belated first trip to the races. Bred by the Bromans, the dark bay is a gelded son of GIII Herecomesthebride S. winner Khancord Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), whose daughter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) caused one of the bigger upsets in the history of the Breeders' Cup when taking out the GI Filly & Mare...

1st-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 2-16, 3yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 1:30.12, fm, neck. LOVE APPEALS (f, 3, Speightstown--Gioia Stella, by Medaglia d'Oro) just got the better of a final-furlong struggle with fellow first-starter and fellow 7-2 chance Delahaye (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Thursday opener from Gulfstream Park. The late money came for the well-tried Penumbras Maker (Empire Maker), who jumped as the 9-5 chalk, and showed the most early interest,  while Love Appeals relaxed kindly enough for Joel Rosario on the back of the front-runner. Full of run, but lacking room as...

Lael Stables' Sunday Shoes (f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile--Silvertoni, by Tapit) was forced to cover stacks of ground when making her career debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden under the Wednesday night lights at Turfway and turned in a spectacular effort to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. A $500,000 acquisition by Michael Hernon on behalf of Roy and Gretchen Jackson's operation from the Woodford draft at Keeneland September in 2021, Sunday Shoes was sent off as the 9-2 third choice on debut and was one of the first to...

All eyes last week were on the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, where 38-1 shot Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream) scored a huge upset over 2-year-old filly champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and the highly regarded Julia Shining (Curlin). That wasn't enough for Dreaming of Snow to make this week's Top 10 for the GI Kentucky Oaks, but it was certainly a herculean effort to defeat two such highly regarded horses. The spotlight this week will be on the Fair Grounds, where the mega-talented Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) will...

Asked to negotiate two turns for the first time from a high draw, Centennial Farms' Litigate (Blame) sustained a long, wide run and dug in gamely to stake his claims on this year's Triple Crown trail with a victory in Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Groveland (Street Sense) made good progress up the rail to be second ahead of Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird) in third. Bobbling ever so slightly as a steady rain began to fall across the Oldsmar oval, the $370,000 Keeneland September...