Mitsu Nakauchida

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, September 20, 2025 3rd-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200m KATTAPPA (c, 2, Speightstown--Smuggler's Moon, by Gun Runner) was bought back on a bid of $75,000 out of last year's Keeneland September Sale and was knocked...

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: Sunday, September 14, 2025 6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($97k), Newcomer, 2yo, 1800m WAYNY SU (c, 2, Into Mischief--Cariba, by Cairo Prince) is set to become the second starter for her Caress Stakes-winning dam, a full-sister to 'TDN Rising...

The Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby does not officially begin until the end of November with the running of the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo, but Sanshisuimei Co. Ltd.'s debuting Magna Victor (c, 2, Maxfield--Eyeinthesky, by Sky Mesa) became one of the earliest to join the party when storming clear to take his 1400-meter debut by the better part of 10 lengths Saturday afternoon at Hanshin. With Yuga Kawada in the irons, Magna Victor was not the quickest away, but he quickly recovered and by the time the field had...

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 weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, September 6, 2025 6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m MAGNA VICTOR (c, 2, Maxfield--Eyeinthesky, by Sky Mesa) is set to become the second starter for his dam, a MSW & GSP turf sprinter who...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened Tuesday with a colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Maxfield (hip 119) leading the way when selling for $1 million to Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida. The colt was consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables. At the end of the session, 117 juveniles had sold for $15,902,000 for an average of $135,915 and a median of $85,000. At the conclusion of last year's opening session, 152 head...

A colt from the first crop of Grade I winner Maxfield (hip 119) will be heading to Japan after selling for $1 million to the bid of trainer Mitsu Nakauchida during Tuesday's first session of the OBS March sale. The colt, who shared the :9 4/5 bullet during the first under-tack show last week, is out of multiple stakes winner and graded placed Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa). He was consigned by Wavertree Stables and was purchased by a pinhooking partnership for $75,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Having given the race a pass in 2022 after taking a thrilling renewal of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), Silk Racing Co. Ltd.'s world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) looks to complete that particular double--most recently accomplished by the syndicate's two-time Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2020--as the warm favourite in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. It has been a meticulously managed preparation for the 4-year-old colt with the broad blaze, as his abilities were on display for all to...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis OCALA, FL - With a pair of seven-figure colts leading the way, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds produced a day of strong bidding Wednesday in Florida. During the session, 177 juveniles grossed $25,829,000 for an average of $145,927 and a median of $80,000. Through two sessions, 347 horses have sold for $48,388,000. The two-day average of $139,447 jumped 36% from last year's corresponding figure, while the median of $75,000 soared up 50%. The cumulative buy-back rate is 19.5%. With the...

Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida went to $1.3 million to secure a colt from the first crop of Mendelssohn (hip 490) from the Scanlon Training and Sales consignment Wednesday at the OBS Spring sale. Out of Grace is Gone (Malibu Moon), the colt was purchased by Dave Scanlon for $235,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Sale. Nakauchida, who had been shut out of previous attempts to buy in Ocala this week, had broken through just before the seven-figure purchase when he acquired a colt by Mendelssohn's half-brother Into Mischief (hip...