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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, May 11, 2024 3rd-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m CRITICAL HIT (c, 3, American Pharoah--Mythical Mission, by Giant's Causeway) was a creditable fifth on his Hanshin debut over 1800 meters Mar. 30 and returned on...

A valiant second in the G1 Oka Sho last month, 2023 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) is looking for redemption in Tokyo's G1 NHK Mile Cup on Sunday having lost her unbeaten record. However, the 18-strong field boasts two champions and plenty of up-and-comers and her task is not straightforward. The mount of crack French reinsman Christophe Lemaire, the granddaughter of the high class G1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile heroine Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) won both the G3 Niigata Nisai S. and the G1...

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, May 4, 2024 9th-TOK, ¥34,200,000 ($223k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m SONIC STAR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Carolina Bertie, by Speightstown), a debut winner over nine furlongs last September, was only 11th in the Cattleya S. (allowance) over...

Carrying the famed colors of Deep Impact (Jpn)'s owner Makoto Kaneko, Yuttitham (Jpn) became the first Japanese stakes winner for Coolmore America's Triple Crown winner Justify with a narrow victory in Saturday's $298,147 Listed Oasis S. going a one-turn mile on the dirt track at Tokyo Racecourse. The fourth betting choice at just over 5-1, the 4-year-old was one of the first to break the line from post position 16 and raced in a share of third while deep on the track down the back straight. Traveling well in hand...

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 Fukushima Racecourses: Saturday, April 20, 2024 6th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($96k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m ASSURBANIPAL (c, 3, Arrogate--Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) makes a much-anticipated return to the races, having graduated at first asking over this course and distance back...

With the cream of the Japanese dirt crop readying for next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup, Sunday's G1 February S. presented a golden opportunity for gallopers perhaps just a cut below the very best to shine, with a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the line. When the dust had settled, the majority of the market leaders faltered and it was the unheralded Peptide Nile (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) that proved the chief beneficiary at boxcar odds. Away cleanly from stall nine, Peptide Nile raced prominently through the early...

Koji Maeda, whose homebred Lani (Tapit) finished ninth to Nyquist in the 2016 GI Kentucky Derby, could have another Classics contender on his hand after Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) turned on the afterburners in the final 300 meters to post a convincing victory in Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse. Having earned 30 Derby points as a result, the dark bay now leads the Japanese series with one race remaining. Clearly last away from the stalls, Ramjet had only one rival behind as he came under a ride at...

A field of 11--ten males and a single American-bred filly--head to the post for Sunday's $243,343 Listed Hyacinth S. going a one-turn 1600 meters at Tokyo Racecourse. The race serves as the third of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and will award the winner 30 points towards a berth in the field at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. Sheikh Mohammed's worldwide Godolphin operation won the 2022 Hyacinth with their homebred Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) and is represented Sunday afternoon by that colt's...

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Group 1 racing returns to Japan this weekend with Sunday's running of the G1 February S., whose defending champion Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) swerves the race in favor of next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup....

Sunday Racing's Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) rallied to victory in the 1600-metre G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup in Tokyo on Saturday. She was just a neck to the good of Epiphaneia (Jpn)'s Arsenaal (Jpn). Stranded widest of all when breaking from gate 13, the filly soon perched well off the inside third from the rear as Morino Red Star (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) set a solid pace on the front end through an opening quarter in :23.80 and a half-mile in :47.10. Sweeping out into the centre of 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 Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 3, 2024 4th-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m AIR SAMSARA (c, 3, Nyquist--Yuzuru, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to the races out of this stakes-winning dam, whose daughter Yuugiri (Shackleford) pieced together...

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 Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, January 27, 2024 4th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($101k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m SONIC STAR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Carolina Bertie, by Speightstown), a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Katsumi Yoshida, was a handy winner of his 1800-meter debut at Hanshin...