Bathrat Leon (Jpn)

by Alan Carasso, Heather Anderson & Jill Williams Following the Thursday scratching of Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro), Japan is left with a team of four as they look for back-to-back victories in the world's richest horserace, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. After fielding five starters in the first three runnings of the 1800-metre contest--a pair of sixth-place efforts were the best they could do--no fewer than a half-dozen jetted in from the Land of the Rising Sun 12 months ago, and the results were...

Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who defeated Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup this past Saturday, has arrived in Dubai alongside his erstwhile rival ahead of the Mar. 25 Dubai World Cup meeting. Now the third-highest earning Japanese-trained horse of all time, the Yoshito Yahagi-trained Panthalassa has been nominated for both the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, as well as the G1 Dubai Turf. Last year's Dubai World Cup winner for Bob Baffert, Country Grammer was joined on the flight by G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint second Gunite...

Japan's Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) led his foes on a merry dance in the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Nakheel, and gave his renowned trainer Yoshito Yahagi--yet another victory on the international stage at Meydan on Saturday. The second winner to fly the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun since Utopia (Jpn) (Forty Niner) in 2006, Bathrat Leon carries the colors of Hiroo Race Co. Ltd. Desert Wisdom (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) tried to make a race of it in the stretch, but was never really getting...