Japan

Some eleven years have transpired since the great Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) carried Ryan Moore to a second consecutive victory in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and it will be up to reigning G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to put a halt to the locals' 10-race winning streak Sunday afternoon at Hanshin Racecourse. It has been a magical season, indeed, for Yuesheng Zhang's talented bay filly, who used a runner-up effort in the Listed Salsabil S. at Navan in late April as a springboard...

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 Saturday running at Hanshin Racecourses: Saturday, November 12, 2022 4th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m CUPIDON (c, 2, American Pharoah--Chocolate Pop, by Cuvee) is a half-brother to dual-surface graded winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Airoforce (Colonel John) and was hammered...

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 Sunday entered to run on Tenno Sho day at Tokyo and at Hanshin Racecourse: Sunday, October 30, 2022 4th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT META MAX (c, 2, Into Mischief--Zapara, by Not For Love) was purchased by Eddie Woods's Quarter Pole Enterprises for...

A formidable trio exiting this year's Japanese Triple Crown returns to the races in Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Racecourse, but while each makes his first start since the G1 Tokyo Yushun in late May, the flashy Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) may have a slight advantage over his younger rivals--at least this time around. The recognizable chestnut, whose sire took this race back in 2016, made meteoric progress early on this season, winning in listed company over course and distance in January before besting the classy Lei...

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. The weekend's racing is highlighted by a high-class renewal of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Toyko, and with plenty of U.S.-bred activity, here are the horses of interest for Saturday running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Sunday's runners of note will appear in Saturday's TDN: Saturday, October 29, 2022 1st-TOK,...

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 Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. The 3-year-old fillies' Classics concluded with last Sunday's running of the G1 Shuka Sho and the colts' division finishes up this weekend with the running of the G1 Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger over a...

Already the winner of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) going the metric mile and the G1 Yushun Himba over 2400 metres, Shadai Race Horse Co.'s Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) faces a date with destiny over the Hanshin turf course Sunday as she looks to become the seventh horse to complete the Filly Triple Crown in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) at Hanshin Racecourse. Produced by a daughter of the very classy American champion and six-times Group 1/Grade I winner Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger})--the dam of 2017...

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 three-day weekend, which features the resumption of racing at Tokyo and at Hanshin: Saturday, October 8, 2022 4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1300m GRAN PHARAOH (c, 2, American Pharoah--Sweet Tooth Sweety, by Smarty Jones) was bought back on a bid of $120,000 at...

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 Racecourse. Top-level racing makes a much-anticipated return to Japan this weekend with the running of the G1 Sprinters' S. at Nakayama, where the fairer sex looks to hold all the aces: Saturday, October 1, 2022 3rd-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($93k), Newcomers,...

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 Saturday running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, September 24, 2022 4th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m CELADONITE (JPN) (f, 2, Mendelssohn--Celadon, by Gold Halo {Jpn}) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her well-traveled dam, whose best produce to date was the very...

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 three-day weekend running at Nakayama Racecourse: Saturday, September 17, 2022 4th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m EIGHT WAN (c, 2, City of Light--Banree, by Macho Uno) fetched a solid $150,000 as a short yearling at last year's Keeneland January Sale and improved over...

5th-Kokura, ¥13,400,000 ($95,295), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT, 1:10.1, yl. FROM DUSK (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Foolish Cause, by Giant's Causeway) was crunched down to 9-10 favoritism to open his account at first asking and gutted it out over a turf course that might have been easier underfoot than he prefers. Away alertly, the dark bay set the pace, but had company to his outside in the form of third choice Yoshi Tanrei (Jpn) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) as they raced into the turn. More or less on even terms as they cut the...