Kyoto

GSW & GISP May Day Ready (Tapit) is reportedly being pointed toward a start in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational during the July 4 Racing Festival at Saratoga. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up took her show on the road after that 2024 seasonal highlight, and tried her luck in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in Kyoto, Japan as a cap for her 2-year-old season. While she finished 13th then, she returned to the States and made her '25 bow in the off-turf GIII Wonder Again Stakes June...

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 Kyoto Racecourse: Saturday, May 31, 2025 3rd-KYO, ¥10,600,000 ($74k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m BIG BAND BEAT (JPN) (c, 3, McKinzie--Cast in Silver, by City Zip) is a half-brother to the stakes-winning Guanare (Runhappy) and was purchased in utero for $80,000 at...

Last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) runner-up Redentor made the breakthrough at the top level with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto, producing a gutsy performance to justify favouritism in the hands of Damian Lane. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, of Equinox fame, Redentor raced in a share of sixth position as the 15 runners went by the winning post for the first time in this 3,200-metre contest, with longshot Jean Kazuma taking the field along at just a modest gallop. Angled to the outside...

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 Kyoto Racecourses: Saturday, April 26, 2025 6th-TOK, ¥15,200,000 ($106k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m REALIZE CAMION (JPN) (c, 3, American Pharoah--Spiced Perfection, by Smiling Tiger) had the services of the visiting Ryan Moore when unveiled on the Japan Cup undercard...

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 is one horse of interest for this Sunday running at Kyoto Racecourse: Sunday, February 16, 2025 1st-KYO, ¥10,600,000 ($69k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m CHRONUS BULLET (c, 3, Global Campaign--Above Heaven, by Mr. Greeley) has one start under his belt, a useful third-place effort going 1700 meters at Kokura Jan. 25. The...

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 four sophomore fillies of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Kyoto Racecourses, with American-breds nicely represented at stakes level: Saturday, February 8, 2025 3rd-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($78k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m RENENET (f, 3, American Pharoah--Family Meeting, by Sky Mesa), a $325,000 Keeneland September acquisition by Dr. Masatake Iida,...

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 Kyoto Racecourse. The horses of note entered for Sunday will appear in Saturday's TDN: Saturday, February 1, 2025 3rd-KYO, ¥10,600,000 ($69k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m MAGNA DOMUS (JPN) (c, 3, American Pharoah--Competitionofideas, by Speightstown) becomes the first starter for his dam,...

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 Kyoto Racecourse: Saturday, December 21, 2024 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT STIR HEART (JPN) (f, 2, Gun Runner--Speech, by Pulpit) is the first foal to race from her dam, who caused a mild upset in taking out the 2020...

Fresh off his Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB})'s tally in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last Sunday, owner Teruo Ono has a chance to bag a Japanese juvenile Group 1 double with the undefeated Arte Veloce (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Kyoto on Nov. 15. A winner at Sapporo in July and again in Tokyo's G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup besting Taisei Current (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) on Oct. 5, the colt carries the mantle of ante-post favourite. Japanese legend Yutaka Take will be perched...

The G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies was won by fifth choice Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) at Kyoto on Sunday. She defeated dual winner Vip Daisy (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}), who was stepping into stakes company for the first time, by 1 1/4 lengths. Sent off at 9-1, the dark bay was positioned well in midfield as Mistress (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) led. Caught in between horses and well off the rail entering the final bend, the Teruo Ono silksbearer had quite a bit of work to do. Fanned out widest of...

Normally held at Hanshin, the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies has moved to Kyoto this year as the former track is being renovated, and a full field of 18 vie for top-level honours on Sunday. Leading Team Japan is Brown Ratchet (Jpn), a Kizuna (Jpn) half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup Classic third Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}). Two-for-two in her young career, the daughter of Forever Darling (Congrats) won a Nakayama affair in her bow on Sept. 16 over 200 metres farther than Sunday's distance, and...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Kyoto Racecourses: Saturday, December 7, 2024 5th-CKO, ¥13,720,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m RAINBOW LUCKY (JPN) (f, 2, Quality Road--Wholehearted, by Awesome Again) is the first foal from her stakes-winning dam and was acquired by Yushun Company in...