Nakayama

Last year's G1 Hopeful Stakes hero Lovcen took the G1 Satsuki Sho field pillar-to-post and set a new record of 1:56.50 in the process for the 2000 metres over firm turf on Sunday. The Forest Racing runner brought up a Japanese Guineas double for jockey Kohei Matsuyama, who'd won the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) aboard Star Anise (Drefong) last Sunday. Although the winner was bred in Japan by Northern Farm, there was a distinct European flavour in the pedigrees of the top three finishers. The winner is out...

Saturday, Newbury, post time: 14:00, THE WATERSHIP DOWN STUD TOO DARN HOT GREENHAM STAKES-G3, £100,000, 3yo, c/g, 7fT Field: Albert Einstein (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Alparslan (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), Aqpan (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Ardisia (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), Gonna Fly (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), Needle Match (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Title Role (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Zavateri (Ire) (Without Parole {GB}). TDN Analysis: Albert Einstein is here to make up the minds of the Coolmore collective as to whether to go the mile in two weeks or back in...

Danox Co. Ltd's Danon Bourbon (Maxfield) validated 11-10 favoritism with a convincing victory in Saturday's $227,900 Fukuryu Stakes (allowance) at Nakayama Racecourse, easily defeating pacesetting Don Erectus (Jpn) (Danon Legend), who was finishing runner-up for the third time in the four-race series. The pair has each amassed 40 points towards the automatic Japanese berth at Churchill on the first Saturday in May and because he is an original nominee to the Triple Crown, Danon Bourbon is--for the time being--on the top line. Per Churchill Downs rule, any ties are broken...

The Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby remains a wide-open affair, but the fourth and final leg of the series, Saturday's $226,736 Fukuryu Stakes (allowance) at Nakayama Racecourse, will be the final piece to the puzzle, with a field of 10 set to face the starter. The 'most valuable' of the races, with a total of 84 points on a 40-20-12-8-4 scale, technically any of the entrants can emerge with the automatic berth, some control their own destiny while others will need some luck. Though he has yet to participate...

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, Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, March 21, 2026 11th-CKO, Falcon S.-G3, ¥77,300,000 ($488k), 3yo, 1400mT PRINCESS MOKO (f, 3, Charlatan--Tiger Ride, by Candy Ride {Arg}) validated 7-10 favoritism in graduating first time out on the dirt at Kyoto last...

Museum Mile eased the pain of last year's agonising defeat for jockey Cristian Demuro when producing an irresistible late burst to win Sunday's Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan. Returning to Nakayama, the scene of his Classic victory in April's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), Museum Mile was settled towards the rear of the 16-strong field in the early stages. Shadowing Danon Decile (Epiphaneia) for much of the race, the son of Leontes swung wide around the final two corners and began to pick off his rivals one...

Forest Racing's Lovcen maintained his unbeaten record with a three-quarter length win in the 2000-metre G1 Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama on Saturday. The son of World Premiere is the first horse to win the Hopeful in his second start since the race was promoted to Group 1 status in 2017. Sent off at 18-1, the dark bay was part of the early pace discussion but soon dropped back to midfield entering the first turn. The first 1000 metres was covered in 1:01.30 by T O Al Ain (Al Ain), with...

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 Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, December 20, 2025 4th-NKY, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m EXMOUTH (f, 2, Practical Joke--Lighthouse Bay, by Speightstown) looks to become the fifth winner from as many starters from her dam, winner of four...

A powerful winner of his three most recent appearances against softer competition, Tomoya Ozasa's T O Elvis (Volatile) made the very most of his first crack at stakes level with a visually stunning, five-length victory in Sunday's G3 Capella Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse. Perhaps a half-step slowly to begin, the lanky dark bay took up an inside position behind midfield after departing gate four and traveled hard against the steel, with jockey Katsuma Sameshima doing his level best to harness the colt's energy. Held together for the run into the...

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 Nakayama Racecourse: Saturday, December 13, 2025 6th-NKY, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m HO O PHAROAH (JPN) (c, 2, American Pharoah--Marlborough Road {Ire}, by The Gurkha {Ire}) is the first foal from his dam, a half-sister to 2006 GI Garden...

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, December 6, 2025 6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200m NARKISSOS (c, 2, Caravaggio--Queen's Turf {Jpn}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}), whose second dam Fratte Rosa (Jpn) (Brian's Time) is a full-sister to top Japanese dirt horse...

The G1 Sprinters Stakes went to 27-1 longshot Win Carnelian at Nakayama on Sunday. His trainer Yuichi Shikato also trained his sire, Screen Hero. Booked widest of all in the car park in stall 16, the chestnut won the break and soon perched just off June Blair (American Pharoah) to his inside. That rival was in a beautiful rhythm through fractions of :22.70 for the quarter-mile and :44.90 for the half-mile. Win Carnelian moved up to the filly's throat leaving the bend and the duo were in lockstep throughout the...