Tokyo

Perched atop the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings at 129 pounds for much of the year after his sensational 3 1/2-length victory in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai this March, the formidable Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) will attempt to become only the third horse to claim the ¥421,420,000 G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) in back-to-back years at Tokyo on Sunday. The reigning Japanese Horse of the Year has never finished worse than second in eight starts, and landed the G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin over 2200 metres--200 metres...

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend feature takes place at the former venue, which hosts the final leg of the colts' Triple Crown, the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger). Click here for our preview: Sunday, October 22, 2023 4th-TOK,...

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 Racecourse. The headline event of the weekend is the G1 Shuka Sho, where Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) goes for a sweep of the Triple Tiara. Click here for our preview: Saturday, October 14, 2023 3rd-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers,...

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 Monday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Monday, October 9, 2023 1st-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($70k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400mT PIKARI (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Laudation, by Congrats) turned in a sound third-place effort on her Aug. 20 debut going nine furlongs from a terrible draw...

American Horse of the Year Bricks And Mortar (Giant's Causeway) sired his first stakes winner when his first-crop son Gonbade Qabus (Jpn) ran out a two-length winner of the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup at Tokyo on Saturday. A winner over this course and distance on his debut in June, the 8-1 chance jumped well and floated back through the field to race at the tail down the backstretch as Reve Genial (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) cut out fractions of :23.30 for the first 400 metres and :46.90 for the half-mile....

Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) came with an irresistible run down the center of the course and drew clear in the final 70 metres to defend his home turf and remain perfect in six starts in Wednesday's Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse. In defeating 42-1 outsider Kirinji (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) by a decisive 2 1/2 lengths, the bay colt was becoming just the third horse in the last 13 runnings based on the National Association for Racing (NAR) circuit to prevail over the typically more-fancied runners that ship in...

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. The weekend's main event takes place Sunday at Hanshin, where the world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) returns in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen: Saturday, June 24, 2023 4th-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($73k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m TOMODACHI (c, 3, Mendelssohn--Grace...

A deluge of some 270 ml of rain--that's better than 10 inches for those of us less acquainted with the metric system--fell over the Tokyo Racecourse Friday and into early Saturday, leaving the turf course officially soft for the first of the two days of weekend racing. Sunday dawned with perfect weather and by the time the field entered the gates for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, the course had been upgraded to good-to-firm, and that played right into the hands of Sunday Racing's Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who came storming...

Having gone excruciatingly close in the last two renewals of the G1 Yasuda Kinen, Sunday Racing's Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) takes a third crack at Japan's premier spring mile event, a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in early November. The bay, one of 10 elite-level winner in the field, defeated Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the age-restricted G1 NHK Mile Cup over this course and distance two years ago and was narrowly beaten by champion Gran Alegria (Jpn)...

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 Hanshin Racecourses: Saturday, June 3, 2023 5th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($98k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT BUSHIN (c, 2, Into Mischief--Flawless, by Mr. Greeley) is a full-brother to 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, whose dam was offered two months after the...

Carrot Farm's Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), who fell victim to a stinging late rush from Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Satuski Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) Apr. 16, got first run on that favoured foe in the long Tokyo straight and found the wire a neck to the good, dashing any hope for a Triple Crown for 2023. Heart's Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was a strong third at longshot odds, but the race was marred by the death of Carrot Farm's second betting choice Skilfing...

Equinox (Jpn) was fractionally unlucky to not reel in Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the 2022 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), falling just a neck short after sustaining a long rally from near the end of the field. The flashy colt got the last laugh when named Japan's Horse of the Year, and his sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) has every chance to sire the quinella in this year's renewal at the Fuchu Racecourse Sunday afternoon. The two runners may be more closely matched than it appears on paper....