Tokyo

Seven-Figure Daughter of Rachel's Valentina Debuts at Tokyo

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 Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 21, 2026 4th-HSN, ¥12,330,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m WE MOVE (c, 3, Curlin--Shamrock Rose, by First Dude) is the second foal to the races for his dam, named the Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter of...

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Maxfield's Explosive Debut Winner Danon Bourbon Back To Work at Kyoto

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 14, 2026 4th-TOK, ¥12,330,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ASK DU CHAMP (JPN) (c, 3, Essential Quality--Red Lark {Ire}, by Epaulette {Aus}) is the first to race from his dam, who upset the 2020 GI...

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Bolt d'Oro Debut Winner Fulmine Blu Resumes at Headquarters

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 horse of interest for this Saturday running at Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, February 7, 2026 7th-TOK, ¥15,620,000 ($100k), Allowance, 3yo, 1400m FULMINE BLU (c, 3, Bolt d'Oro--Thundering Sky, by Sky Mesa) was hammered at the tills to the tune of 19-10 favoritism when unveiled over a mile at this...

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'A Real Champion': Calandagan Wows Japan With Record-Breaking Cup Victory 

TOKYO, JAPAN -- It turns out that it takes the world's best horse to win what will surely be judged for the second time in three years to have been the world's best race. For 20 years the Europeans have come and failed to conquer, but Calandagan (Gleneagles), already at the summit of the world rankings for 2025 and with Mount Fuji as the backdrop for his most towering challenge to date, lowered the record of the great Almond Eye when outbattling race favourite Masquerade Ball (Duramente) to win the...

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'Great Honour' as Teruya and Katsumi Yoshida Become Jockey Club Members

TOKYO, JAPAN -- In a special ceremony at Tokyo racecourse prior to the 45th running of the Japan Cup, history was made when brothers Teruya and Katsumi Yoshida became the first Japanese members of the Jockey Club. The major owner-breeders and owners respectively of Shadai Farm and Northern Farm, Teruya, 78, and Katsumi, 77, were presented with lapel badges by senior steward Baroness Dido Harding to mark their honorary membership. Baroness Harding was joined in Tokyo by Jockey Club CEO Jim Mullen, assistant racing and international director Matthew Woolston, and...

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Shin Emperor
Black-Type Analysis: Can Shin Emperor Finally Get His Group 1 Ring?

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan, post time: 15:40, JAPAN CUP-G1, ¥960,400,000, 3yo/up, 2400mT Field: Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Croix Du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}), Deep Monster (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Sunrise Earth (Jpn) (Rey De Oro {Jpn}), Ho O Biscuits (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Jpn}), Seiun Hades (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}), Struve (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), Admire Terra (Jpn) (Rey De Oro {Jpn}), Yoho Lake (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Brede Weg (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}),...

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Derby 'Voyage' Commences In Cattleya Stakes

Having already conquered trips of 1200 meters and 1400 meters on the dirt, owner Hajime Satomi's immaculately bred Satono Voyage (Jpn) (Into Mischief) successfully negotiated a stretchout to the metric mile and reported home a comfortable 1 1/2-length winner of Saturday's $194,621 Cattleya Stakes, good for 10 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The 1600-meter contest is run under allowance conditions around a left-handed bend at Tokyo Racecourse. The son of Brazilian Horse of the Year and three-times North American graded winner Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) had...

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Seven-Figure Constitution Colt Makes First Appearance At Kyoto

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, November 29, 2025 6th-KYO, ¥14,250,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m MATENRO HOUR (c, 2, Constitution--Stave, by Ghostzapper) was a $1.1-million purchase by former trainer Yuichi Fukunaga at the 2024 Keeneland September Sale and is the second...

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American-Bred, -Sired Juveniles Loom Large In Cattleya Stakes

The 2026 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday afternoon with the running of the $196,541 Cattleya Stakes, an allowance race over the one-turn 1600-meter configuration at Tokyo Racecourse. And if the ante-post market is anything to go by, horses bred in and/or sourced out of American bloodstock markets should have a giant say in the outcome with the first Saturday in May just over five months away. The cat was very much out of the bag when Magna Victor (Maxfield) made his first trip to the races...

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Japan Cup Home Defence Looks Strong; Just Don't Tell the CalandaFans

TOKYO, JAPAN -- For 20 years the Japan Cup has remained at home. Alkaased (Kingmambo) was the last foreign raider to wrest it from the locals, winning in 2005 for the Italian-born, British-based combo of Luca Cumani and Frankie Dettori. This time around, for the 45th running of the race, the international challenge has been whittled to just one - but he's a good one: Calandagan. The son of Gleneagles, who will jump from stall eight, is the third runner in the race for Francis Graffard, who sent out Erupt...

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'We Couldn't Dream of a Year Like This': Calandagan Team on One Last Push for the Japan Cup

TOKYO, Japan -- Under the vast, silent stand of Tokyo racecourse the best horse in the world enjoys a saunter around the turf track which will become his stage for the final act of a tremendous season. Calandagan (Gleneagles) will encounter an altogether different atmosphere on Sunday when that same grandstand will sing with the anticipation of around 100,000 racegoers come to bear witness to one of the world's great horse races.  The passion with which the Japanese fans approach racing means that the Japan Cup is more pilgrimage than...

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Nicely Bred Bolt d'Oro Colt Gets Going at Tokyo

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 running at Tokyo Racecourse: Sunday, November 23, 2025 4th-TOK, ¥14,250,000 ($90k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m FULMINE BLU (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Thundering Sky, by Sky Mesa), a half-brother to the multiple graded-placed middle-distance turfer Corruption (Medaglia d'Oro), was bought back on a bid of...

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