Asahi Hai Futurity

Hot on the heels of the announcement that his US Classic-winning sire would be relocating to Japan in time for the 2024 breeding season, Shadai Race Horse's American-conceived, but Japanese-foaled Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) provided the perfect advertisement Sunday with a smart success in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin. With the victory, his third in as many trips to the races, the homebred is in the reckoning for champion Japanese 2-year-old male honours. Favoured to build on his last-out score in the G2 Daily Hai Nisai...

It was announced just Thursday that American Classic winner Palace Malice (Curlin) would be joining the Japanese stallion ranks at Darley beginning in 2024, and Shadai Race Horse Co.'s US-conceived Jantar Mantar (Jpn) can provide his sire with a timely boost in Sunday's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. going a right-handed 1600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse. A son of American Grade III winner India Mantuana (Wilburn) and bred on a variant of the wildly successful cross of Curlin over A.P. Indy-line dams, the dark bay colt debuted with an impressive...

Five unbeaten 2-year-old colts lined up in Sunday's championship-crowning G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin, and it was the third betting choice Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) who emerged with his perfect record intact while handing legendary jockey Yutaka Take his first win in the race. In a pattern that would be unusual in most other major racing nations, Do Deuce made his first two starts over nine furlongs before dropping back to eight for his first Group 1 assignment. He won both his prior starts by a...

Grenadier Guards (Jpn), the first foal out of the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), became Frankel's 12th Group 1 winner in Sunday's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. in Japan. Stalking the pace off the six-length lead set by Mondreise (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), Grenadier Guards was poised in second by the time they straightened. Grenadier Guards gradually cut down that rival's advantage in the lane, hit the lead at the furlong marker and held off a rallying Stella Volce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) to...