Tokyo

Ascoli Piceno made a triumphant return to Japan after her international exploits when coming out on top in a blanket finish to Sunday's Victoria Mile at Tokyo. The Group 1 is a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. At the line the first four were separated by just half a length, with race favourite Ascoli Piceno ultimately getting the verdict by a neck, having made her supporters sweat when still at the rear of the field entering the straight, before flashing home to...

The ultra-consistent Ascoli Piceno and frequent rival Stellenbosch will once again lock horns, this time in the G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo on Sunday. A qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the race features an uphill battle to the finish. Trained by Yoichi Kuroiwa, the daughter of Daiwa Major secured the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over Stellenbosch at two, and was second to that foe in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at three, so both have won at the top level over this distance....

The promising Poulsen (Into Mischief) snapped a baby two-race losing streak in the Seiryu Stakes (allowance) over the Tokyo one-turn mile on May 10, accounting for the talented filly Promised Gene (Jpn) (Nadal) in a tight finish. The colt, bought back as a weanling at Keeneland November and pinhooked for $925,000 at OBS April after fetching $350,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, made the most of three appearances at two, scoring on two occasions, and was not beaten far when fourth in his two tries this season, including a 1400-meter test at...

Deep Creek's Panja Tower (Tower Of London) upset the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday, producing a strong stretch run to sweep the spoils. The Shinsuke Hashiguchi-trained colt was winning his first Group 1 race. Rated in midfield through the early going, the 25-1 shot stayed out of trouble on the backstretch. Spun widest of all off the turn, he set sail for the pacesetter, Voulezvous (Satono Crown), just before the 400-metre mark. Several rivals had a similar idea, and the field was soon strung across the course...

A full field of 18 3-year-old milers line up for the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday. Ante-post favouritism has been granted to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes hero and Junko Kondo runner Admire Zoom. The son of four-time Group 1-winning miler Maurice warmed up for this with a stalking neck second in the G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama in April behind Katsumi Yoshida's Immigrant Song (Makfi) and 1 1/4 lengths in front of the Saturnalia filly Caught Alliciant in third. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said, "He wasn't...

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 Sunday running at Tokyo Racecourses, where 3-year-old turf milers are front and center in the G1 NHK Mile Cup: Sunday, May 11, 2025 5th-TOK, ¥15,200,000 ($105k), Allowance, 3yo, 2100m MERCURY DIME (JPN) (f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Lucky Dime, by Creative Cause) overcame a...

Saturday, Lingfield, post time: 15:35, WILLIAM HILL CHARTWELL FILLIES' STAKES-G3, £90,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 7fT Field: Great Generation (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Fair Angellica (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Ziggy's Dream (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). TDN Verdict: Cathedral takes on her elders, getting a significant weight-for-age advantage which could give her the edge despite her inexperience. Second in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in October, she had two of this season's...

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...

Jockey Rachel King and Costa Nova (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) partnered in Tokyo's G1 February Stakes on Sunday, and came away the three-quarter length winners over Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). King is the first female jockey to win a race at the highest tier in Japan. The February Stakes is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic this autumn. Positioned in the first third of the strung-out field, the 3-1 shot followed in the wake of Mitono O (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}). That rival carried them...

Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah) held off a late surge from the slow-starting and previously unbeaten Promised Gene (Jpn) (Nadal) to take out Sunday's $244,745 Listed Hyacinth Stakes over the one-turn mile at Tokyo Racecourse. The victory was good for 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby in a race that was won by the colt's champion full-brother Cafe Pharoah some five years ago. The $1.80 (4-5) favorite had the services of Rachel King, runner-up in Friday's International Jockeys' Challenge in Saudi Arabia, and was away fairly before...

Hong Kong sprinter extraordinaire Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) headlines the HK$13-million G1 Queen's Silver jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trained by David Hayes for the Ka Ying Syndicate, the likeable gelding is operating on a nine-race winning streak, and had the re-opposing Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) and Howdeepisyourlove (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) second and third when he took the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup last month over his pet distance of 1200 metres. The world's highest rated turf sprinter in 2024, the gelding will be partnered...

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,...