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 Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's headliner at headquarters is the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 meters, the local lead-up into the G1 February S. going a mile on Feb. 19. The talented Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) leads a four-pronged...
Howard (Howie) Tesher, a winner of 1,302 races, including several Grade I events, and a popular figure around the New York racetracks for decades, passed away Friday. He was 90 years old. According to his niece, Jodie David, Tesher passed away at the Majestic Memory Care Center in Hollywood, Florida, and had been there for about five years dealing with dementia. David said the cause of death was pneumonia. "He was happy right up to the end," David said. "There was no patient there like him. He was always grabbing...
Practical Move (Practical Joke), upset winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17, returned to the worktab for the first time since at Santa Anita Saturday morning, drilling a half-mile in a strong :47.80 (7/60). Trainer Tim Yakteen told the Santa Anita press office that the bay colt--bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners--'moved well' in the work. "Well give him a few more works and see where we're at, but we're looking at sometime in late February or early March," said Yakteen. "We have a few...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-FG, $65k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:30 p.m. ET EVERGRANDE (Uncle Mo) cost Don Adam's Courtlandt Farms $1.1 million at Keeneland September in 2021, the priciest of the operation's 12 purchases (for $7.55 million) over the course of the opening week of the sale. Produced by a winning Forestry mare, the Apr. 6 foal is bred on the exact cross as champion and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and hails from the deeper female family of Grade I-winning juvenile Greenwood Lake (Meadowlake). A then-yearling full-brother...
Having celebrated a maiden-breaking victory in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs Dec. 23, MIMI KAKUSHI (f, 3, City of Light--Rite Moment, by Vicar) ran out a convincing 4 1/2-length winner of Friday's $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan. The bay, fourth in her first two trips to the races over sprint distances in November and early December, jumped well enough for Mickael Barzalona, but was beaten for speed by Awasef (Cairo Prince) to the outside and was ultimately eased back and into the two path to...
Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}--Majestic Roi, by Street Cry {Ire}), champion of his generation in Germany as a 3-year-old and a four-time highweighted older horse in Qatar, will enter stud in 2023 at Haras du Grand Courgeon some 25 kilometres northwest of Angers. He will command a fee of €2,300. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited, Noor Al Hawa raced in the early part of his career for Jaber Abdullah and was trained by Andreas Wohler. He came to hand at three in 2016, posting a breakthrough black-type success in...
Just days after his son Equinox (Jpn) was named both champion of his generation and Horse of the Year in Japan, Kitasan Black (Jpn) could well have another player on this year's Classics trail in the form of Sol Oriens (Jpn), who took his record to two-from-two with a convincing victory in Sunday's G3 Keisei Hai at Nakayama. The slight second choice in the wagering behind Seven Magician (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), the Shadai homebred was void of early speed and raced with about three rivals behind into the...
With additional rain forecast in the area, officials at Santa Anita have announced the cancellation of the live card originally programmed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16. As was announced when the track revealed that the Saturday, Jan. 14 program was also to be called off, racing will take place Friday, Jan. 20, originally a dark day due to the holiday racing. Santa Anita will remain open as planned for live racing this Sunday, Jan. 15, highlighted by the redrawn GIII La Canada S., which was transferred...
C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) tuned up for his expected next start in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. with a five-furlong move over the Gulfstream Park main track Friday morning that was timed in :59.24. "It was a good solid work. Tyler [Gaffalione] was on him this morning. He was in good order, finished well," said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "He had a good gallop-out. We're pleased with where we're at. Things have gone well so far. We...
Officials at Golden Gate Fields, the CTBA (California Thoroughbred Breeders Association) and the TOC (Thoroughbred Owners of California) have joined forces to add three stakes races to the 2023 Golden Gate winter/spring meet schedule. Nominations close Thursday, Jan. 19 for the inaugural Moscow Burning S. for Cal-bred and -sired fillies and mares at a mile on the Tapeta track. The race takes place Saturday, Jan. 28. On Saturday, Mar. 18, Golden Gate presents the first edition of the McCann's Mojave S., for state-bred 4-year-olds and upward at one mile and...
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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses, including the first foal from a big-figure Keeneland November purchase: Saturday, January 14, 2023 4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m LA LA BELLEVILLE (f, 3, Union Rags--Divine Praises, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to make the...
Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz's Emblem Road (Quality Road), who caused one of the biggest upsets of the 2022 racing season anywhere in the world when defeating an international field in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, took a major step towards a defense of that title with a convincing four-length success in a $25,289 allowance going the one-turn 1600 meters at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh Friday. Drawn gate four and asked to carry 62kg (136 pounds), the mount of Alexis Moreno was clearly last into stride and was guided...